A heartbreaking, breathtakingly beautiful love story with an unforgettable tragedy at its heart, from the critically acclaimed, award-winning author of Maria in the Moon and How To Be Brave.
***Shortlisted for the Sapere Books ‘Most Popular Romantic Fiction’ Award at the 2019 RNA Awards***
***Longlisted for the Polari Prize***
‘Beech eloquently conveys their feelings and longings and sets atmospheric, vividly drawn scenes that transport the reader from grey and damp England to the searing heat of the lion reserve …The Lion Tamer Who Lost will touch the most hardhearted of readers with its persuasive, well-drawn and memorable characters’ Daily Express
'A devastating, tender and powerful love story, beautifully and bravely told. You will lose your heart to this book. I adored it’ Miranda Dickinson
’Vivid, passionate and exquisitely told, this love story will live on in my heart for a very long time to come. A poignant, surprising and all-consuming read’ Katie Marsh
_______________
Be careful what you wish for…
Long ago, Andrew made a childhood wish, and kept it in a silver box. When it finally comes true, he wishes he hadn’t…
Long ago, Ben made a promise and he had a dream: to travel to Africa to volunteer at a lion reserve. When he finally makes it, it isn’t for the reasons he imagined…
Ben and Andrew keep meeting in unexpected places, and the intense relationship that develops seems to be guided by fate. Or is it? What if the very thing that draws them together is tainted by past secrets that threaten everything?
A dark, consuming drama that shifts from Zimbabwe to England, and then back into the past, The Lion Tamer Who Lost is also a devastatingly beautiful love story, with a tragic heart…
‘A stirring novel, beautifully written, reminiscent of the early work of Maggie O’Farrell’ Irish Times
‘Fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine will love it’ Red Magazine
‘An excruciatingly passionate love story, in its surprising turns and lovely particulars … A beautiful text’ Foreword Reviews
‘This book really got under my skin as a beautiful portrait of love, loss and longing’ Irish Independent
'An incredible, poignant piece of work. Louise Beech had cemented her place as one of Britain’s finest modern storytellers’ John Marrs
'A beautiful, honest and tender love story that I won’t forget for a long time …Their love had me trapped in its spell, their tragic moments had me sobbing like a baby … A triumph’ Fionnuala Kearney
‘A beautifully crafted book’ Carol Lovekin
‘Louise Beech has totally blown me away with her storytelling’ Madeleine Black
‘I adored this beautiful and inspiring book’ Kate Furnivall
‘Already one of my favourites of 2018’ LoveReading
‘Storytelling at its finest. Louise Beech is a beguiling wordsmith. Prepare to be hooked’ Amanda Prowse
‘Digs deep emotionally, but is funny and feel-good, too’ Fiona Mitchell
‘A stunning and very brave book’ Gill Paul
‘The setting alone makes this book worth a read’ S. E. Lynes
‘Louise Beech is a natural-born storyteller with an elegance about her writing that never fails to move me’ Michael J. Malone
‘There are times when you finish reading a book and know that part of it will stay with you always. This will be one of those books’ Claire Allan
‘It put me in mind of John Irving. It’s that feeling of being in the hands of a master storyteller and just trusting him or her so completely’ Laura Pearson
My heart has literally been broken. I am completely and utterly blown away. Ms Beech you have broken me, I don’t think I can read any of your other books…..ok I jest I will be reading everything.
What we have here with this book is the most beautifully told love story, but at the same time you have your heart ripped out in two and stomped on, well I did. I can’t stop crying. It has all the feels and so much more and one of the most breathtaking pieces of writing I have ever read. I will be shouting about this book for such a long time from all the rooftops for the entire world to hear. I can not express enough, and I say it again, how beautiful this story is.
This story is going to be staying with me for a while, and my god this NEEDS AND MUST be made for the big screen, I would bring about 10 man size boxes of tissues to get me through it but it would be amazing to see this play out.
Set in the different times and places, we come into the world of Andrew and Ben. Opening up the book, we are transported to the idyllic sunrise that Ben has the opportunity to experience being on a lion reserve in Zimbabwe. He is running away from his problems and not addressing them. But what are these problems? What happened with Ben and Andrew? Why are they not together? We are given snippets throughout just enough to tease to the reader to keep you reading. I couldn’t put this book down, and I never wanted it to end.
The scenery of Zimbabwe was absolutely breathtaking, I would love to be there everyday experiencing that sunrise just like Ben did. It is a stark contrast to the past/future of Hull when we are taken back.
I’m not going to talk too much about the plot, because I don’t want to do it a disservice especially to anyone who is going to pick this up. You have read the blurb and that is enough to get you started, plus I might just sit here and blub and nothing.
I could not think of one character I did not like in this book, even the one you aren’t meant to like because at the end what did it matter. They all had a journey to go on, and their own conclusions to get there, the one thing that this book resonated deeply is that family is everything.
It is just so magical, to think that someone could take you on an adventure into the unknown and feel so attached and protective of two fictional people. But this book does this to you, I wanted to wrap both Ben and Andrew up in cotton wool and occasionally hit their heads together. They are my happy place, end of. So together, in the moment with each other despite the obstacles they faced. What was there not to love about them?
Just do not get me started on that Wish box! Feel the tears already…….
This book should come with a tissue warning because you need them and in the last few chapters, you will need a box or two. I was crying that much that my little lady comes up to me and gave me a hug and told me it will be ok and not to cry. Well, that makes it bloody worse…I promise I have stopped crying now, just something in my eye……..emotional wreck over here.
