Paperback Edition
ISBN: 9781936932955
Publication date: 09-15-2020

In 2004, college students Eleanor Suzuki and Leena Shah meet in an elevator. Both girls are on the brink of adulthood, each full of possibility and big ideas, and they fall into a whirlwind romance. Years later, Eleanor and Leena collide on the streets of San Francisco. Although grown and changed and each separately partnered, the two find themselves, once again, irresistibly pulled back together.

Emily Hashimoto’s debut novel perfectly captures the wonder and confusion of growing up and growing closer. Narrated in sparkling prose, A World Between follows two strikingly different but interconnected women as they navigate family, female friendship, and their own fraught history.

“A sweetly poignant look at the transformative power of young love.” —O, The Oprah Magazine

“Stunning. . . . This is a queer character-driven story that complicates the notion of romance and explores what it means to be messy and carry histories.” —Literary Hub

"An incredibly refreshing exploration of how the bond between two queer women of color evolves over the course of a decade. Hashimoto spins some serious queer theory into delicious rom-com realness, pushing past the bounds of Adrienne Rich-era notions of gender and womanhood." —BOMB Magazine

“A sweeping debut novel about the ever changing nature of identity and love." —Kirkus Reviews

“Important.” —Cosmopolitan UK

“A World Between is a superb, captivating read, and a remarkable accomplishment for a first novel. It's fun, provocative, and doesn't shy away from cultural complexity.” —PopMatters

"Hashimoto knows and loves these characters and her thoughtful debut offers plenty of insight into the messiness that comes with the transition from college to adulthood." —World of Wonder

“A celebration of identity, queer love, messy families, and the ferocity of want. I love this book's expansive heart, nuance, and radiant joy." —T Kira Madden, author of Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls

"Smart, honest, compassionate, and tender, A World Between is a novel of love and liberation, following two queer Asian American women through their twenties and early thirties as they navigate friendships, relationships, work, and family, and learn what it means to live as their true selves. Through Emily Hashimoto's expert storytelling, Eleanor Suzuki and Leena Shah jump off the page." —Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers

"A moving, modern, intelligent, and entertaining novel about two young women of color in love. Hashimoto masterfully handles her characters' conflicts and transformations with sophisticated storytelling, enlightened by expert turn of hand. A generational breakthrough." —Sarah Schulman, author of Conflict Is Not Abuse

"How do serious, intellectual women fall foolishly in love? How can you be so educated yet so lost? Open to life’s possibilities, yet vulnerable and accidentally cruel? A World Between is a sweet and funny take on love and growing up. Imagine a classic rom-com, if the leads actors were two queer Asian women. This is such a gentle, hopeful book." —Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of Starling Days

Interested in reading this book with a group? Download group discussion questions for A World Between here!