The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
Harry August is on his deathbed. Again. No matter what he does or the decisions he makes, when death comes, Harry always returns to where he began, a child with all the knowledge of a life he has already lived a dozen times before. Nothing ever changes. Until now. As Harry nears the end of his eleventh life, a little girl appears at his bedside. 'I nearly missed you, Doctor August, ' she says. 'I need to send a message.' This is the story of what Harry does next, and what he did before, and how he tries to save a past he cannot change and a future he cannot allow.
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Harry August is born, dies, and is reborn into the same life as a stationmaster's son in 1919 Berwick-upon-Tweed, again and again. As he is dying for the eleventh time, a small girl arrives with a message about the end of the world.
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August was written by Catherine Webb under the pen name Claire North and published in 2014. North is also the author of Touch and 84K.
Yes. Both novels feature protagonists who relive their lives repeatedly. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August (2014) is a thriller version; Ken Grimwood's Replay (1986) is more contemplative. Both are foundational time-loop novels.
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August is 416 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August takes most readers 6 to 9 hours to finish.
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August is a standalone novel by Claire North, not part of a series.
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
