Last December, I found myself in a local Singaporean eatery with Zhi Wei and Carynn, the same two girls who had greeted me off the plane on my very first tour. I had no idea then, as we sat laughing and discussing our future plans, that the night would be my last real memory of normalcy.
I completed this collection after two solid months in lockdown and to the backdrop of a very different world. Tucked away in our little seaside house with my partner Michael and stepson Oliver. Some days, when the heavy fog settled over the horizon, it felt like we were the only people left in the world. The sense of isolation I’d felt during this period beautifully captured in the cover art by Tallulah Fontaine.
Yet there was never a moment where I was truly alone.
Throughout my time in lockdown, my readers were a constant source of comfort and encouragement. This book, like every other one before, is inspired by their stories of love and struggle, their everlasting hope for a kinder, softer, world. To my readers, my gratitude to you is infinite.
About the Author
Novelist and poet Lang Leav was born in a refugee camp when her family were fleeing the Khmer Rouge regime. She spent her formative years in Sydney, Australia, in the predominantly migrant town of Cabramatta. Among her many achievements, Lang is the winner of a Qantas Spirit of Youth Award, Churchill Fellowship, and Goodreads Choice Award.
Her first book, Love & Misadventure (2013), was a breakout success, and her subsequent poetry books have all been international best-sellers. In 2016, Lang turned her attention to fiction, and her debut novel Sad Girls shot to #1 on the Straits Times and other best-seller charts internationally.
Lang actively participates in international writers’ festivals and her tours consistently draw massive crowds. With a combined social media following of two million, Lang’s message of love, loss, and female empowerment continues to resonate with her multitude of readers.
Lang has been featured on CNN, SBS Australia, Intelligence Squared UK, Radio New Zealand and in various publications, including Vogue, Newsweek, the Straits Times, the Guardian, and the New York Times. She currently resides in New Zealand with her partner and fellow author, Michael Faudet.