The Strange Life of Auguste March

A brilliant, razor-sharp debut from Aaron Jackson–which will undoubtedly be appreciated by readers of *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* or *The World According to Garp*–offers a classic tale of a naïve boy searching for his own path, reminding us that love is waiting somewhere for everyone.
August March is, without exaggeration, a child of the theatre. He was born in the dressing room of a Broadway theatre during an interval, just moments after his mother had concluded the first act with a captivating monologue. The fact that the boy survived his childhood can be considered a stroke of luck, as the old woman who took him in was not exactly mother of the year. He lived on what he found in the theatre, his teachers were Wilde, Shakespeare, Ibsen and Shaw, and he knew Richard II by heart before he even learned the alphabet… And he had never visited the world outside.
But every show must come to an end. The theatre closes down, and the innocent August, untouched by the real world, finds himself on the streets of post-war New York. He must fend for himself in this unfamiliar labyrinth until his dramatic talent propels him into a life of crime. As he struggles to survive, he loses his former naivety. He fights for his place in the sun with the audacity of a private school brat, cleverly and wittily escaping even the most absurd situations, his ironic humour and wit never leaving him. The years go by, and the adult August experiences both soaring highs and inevitable lows. Yet, he still longs to find love and a place to belong.
This almost Dickensian story of an orphan searching for his place in life will captivate you with its multi-layered language full of wit and a plot overflowing with absurd situations and twists. Aaron Jackson's enchanting debut offers humour and warmth without unnecessary sentimentality