Heart the Lover: Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2026, A Sunday Times Bestseller

Heart the Lover is a profound literary fiction novel that explores the intricate ways first love shapes a lifetime. Set against a backdrop of academic fervor and rapid-fire banter, the story follows a narrator whose life was irrevocably changed during her senior year of college by the arrival of two star students.

Decades later, the narrative weaves between a comfortable present and a transformative past. As a successful writer confronting a surprise visit, the protagonist must reckon with the decisions, deceptions, and passions of her youth, creating a moving meditation on mortality and the secrets we carry.