Mark Macpherson's first novel is available for download in plain text and pdf format.
Sketch of a young man (plain text::size 272 KB)
Sketch of young man (pdf::size 344 KB)
The novel is approximately 51,000 words.
After trying to forget, an older man remembers when he was a young man. He met two American women and his life changed. He loved both of them, or thought he did, at different times. The first half of the story is set in the Southern Hemisphere, the second half is set in the USA when he follows them after they leave. He makes choices he regrets. The novel explores how people can invent their own history and then believe their inventions. The older man is forced to untangle his memories (there is much he does not want to remember) and follow his own narrative as each memory triggers another. The story concludes with a twist, when the older man unexpectedly meets one of the women.
The story contained within this novel is a prequel to the second novel, At the end of the world. (It could be called, The first story of Hamish and Kate. This would conform to the naming of chapters in the second novel). |
