The Two Lives of Louis & Louise

'It's BRILLIANT. I enjoyed it hugely' Marian Keyes

Two people.

Two lives.

One chance to see the same world differently.

Louis and Louise are the same person born in two different lives. They are separated only by the sex announced by the doctor and a final 'e'.

They have the same best friends, the same red hair, the same dream of being a writer, the same excellent whistle. They both suffer one catastrophic night, with life-changing consequences.

Thirteen years later, they are both coming home.

A tender, insightful and timely novel about the things that bring us together - and those which separate us, from the author of Richard & Judy recommended book TOGETHER

A NOVEL PEOPLE CAN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT...

'Not often does a story remind us of what beautifully complex creatures we are. Julie Cohen has given us that rare gift' Christina Dalcher, author of VOX

'Louis and Louise is Julie Cohen at her absolute best. So cleverly done and authentic, and you feel as if you live in the town with the characters and have been in the story with them.' A J Pearce

'Louis & Louise is moving and beautiful, but it will also make you wonder and question, and it will stretch out your thinking so very beautifully' Joanna Cannon

'Elegant, thoughtful and powerful' Daisy Buchanan

'Fierce, intricate and intriguing' Fanny Blake

'Hugely original and heartbreakingly real' Rosie Walsh

'A timely read that will stay with you long after you put it down' Libby Page

'What a brave, warm and wise book this is. I loved it' Tamar Cohen

'Beautifully written and thought-provoking' Kate Eberlen

'A cobweb of a book: beautifully intricate and delicate' Veronica Henry

'Wow. What a beautiful, ballsy and brilliant book' Sinead Moriarty

'A beautifully written, heartbreaking and important novel about gender, self, family and, ultimately, love' Claire Frost, reviewer

'A powerful and memorable story of small town secrets, family dynamics and the sense that some things are just meant to be' Sunday Express

'Emotional and seriously powerful' Fabulous

'An engaging, moving novel, at its most arresting in the pivotal scenes when she explores the personal fallout of industrial and class conflict in Louis/Louise's beleaguered hometown' Sunday Times

'A modern take told with heart' Grazia

'The premise here is radical, but worth the effort... this elegantly written novel also examines much that is universa

“Not often does a story remind us of what beautifully complex creatures we are. Julie Cohen has given us that rare gift”

Cohen has written an engaging, moving novel, at its most arresting in the pivotal scenes when she explores the personal fallout of industrial and class conflict in Louis/Louise's beleaguered hometown. - SUNDAY TIMES

Told over two, initially parallel, narratives (or, indeed, universes), this is a nuanced exploration of how the social expectations of gender can push us down certain paths. - THE INDEPENDENT

In this fascinating novel, Cohen explores the paths taken by Louis and Louise, which run almost parallel until a life-changing event on the night of Lou's high school graduation. It's a poignant look at how our gender can determine the way we are treated and the knock-on effects that can have, even if all the other circumstances of our lives are exactly the same - Emerald Street

Book of the Month: The idea behind Louis & Louise is one of the cleverest I've seen: a baby is born on 8 September 1978 - from that point, the narrative splits, with the child growing up female in one strand and male in the other... This tender, moving, fantastically readable story is expertly handled by Julie Cohen. - GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

A timely read that will stay with you long after you put it down

Emotional and seriously powerful. - FABULOUS MAGAZINE, SUN ON SUNDAY

In the hands of a less skilful author this could have been an unsubtle gimmick to make a point about gender but Julie Cohen has written a powerful and memorable story of small town secrets, family dynamics and the sense that some things are just meant to be. - SUNDAY EXPRESS

This elegantly written novel also examines much that is universal: teen love, parent-child relations, class division and small-town prejudice. - DAILY MAIL

Julie Cohen grew up in the western mountains of Maine. Her house was just up the hill from the library and she spent many hours walking back and forth, her nose in a book. She studied English Literature at Brown University and Cambridge University and is a popular speaker and teacher of creative writing, including classes for The Guardian and Literature Wales. Her books have been translated into fifteen languages and have sold nearly a million copies; DEAR THING was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick. Julie lives in Berkshire with her son and a terrier of dubious origin.

You can find Julie on Twitter: @julie_cohen or you can visit her website: www.julie-cohen.com.

'It's BRILLIANT. I enjoyed it hugely' Marian Keyes Two people. Two lives. One chance to see the same world differently. Louis and Louise are the same person born in two different lives. They are separated only by the sex announced by the doctor and a final 'e'.They have the same best friends, the same red hair, the same dream of being a writer, the same excellent whistle. They both suffer one catastrophic night, with life-changing consequences. Thirteen years later, they are both coming home. A tender, insightful and timely novel about the things that bring us together - and those which separate us, from the author of Richard & Judy recommended book TOGETHER A NOVEL PEOPLE CAN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT...'Not often does a story remind us of what beautifully complex creatures we are. Julie Cohen has given us that rare gift' Christina Dalcher, author of VOX ' Louis and Louise is Julie Cohen at her absolute best. So cleverly done and authentic, and you feel as if you live in the town with the characters and have been in the story with them.' A J Pearce ' Louis & Louise is moving and beautiful, but it will also make you wonder and question, and it will stretch out your thinking so very beautifully' Joanna Cannon 'Elegant, thoughtful and powerful' Daisy Buchanan 'Fierce, intricate and intriguing' Fanny Blake 'Hugely original and heartbreakingly real' Rosie Walsh 'A timely read that will stay with you long after you put it down' Libby Page 'What a brave, warm and wise book this is. I loved it' Tamar Cohen 'Beautifully written and thought-provoking' Kate Eberlen 'A cobweb of a book: beautifully intricate and delicate' Veronica Henry 'Wow. What a beautiful, ballsy and brilliant book' Sinead Moriarty 'A beautifully written, heartbreaking and important novel about gender, self, family and, ultimately, love' Claire Frost, reviewer 'A powerful and memorable story of small town secrets, family dynamics and the sense that some things are just meant to be' Sunday Express 'Emotional and seriously powerful' Fabulous 'An engaging, moving novel, at its most arresting in the pivotal scenes when she explores the personal fallout of industrial and class conflict in Louis/Louise's beleaguered hometown' Sunday Times 'A modern take told with heart' Grazia 'The premise here is radical, but worth the effort... this elegantly written novel also examines much that is universa

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