Almost Life

People “Best Sapphic Historical Romances” • Harper’s Bazaar “Most Anticipated Books Coming Out This Spring” • Autostraddle “Most Anticipated Queer Books for March 2026” • Time “New Books You Should Read in March”

"Kiran Millwood Hargrave writes with a sharp, glittering beauty that completely pulls you under. Almost Life is an aching look at the choices we didn’t make, and the lives we almost lived. I lost track of time inside these pages." —Josh Silver, New York Times bestselling author of Fruit Fly

Two young women meet in Paris one sultry summer in a decades-spanning tour de force about the enduring power of young love and the poignant heartbreak of missed chances—perfect for fans of One Day and Normal People.

Erica and Laure meet on the steps of the Sacré-Coeur in Paris, 1978. Erica is a student, relishing her first summer abroad before beginning university at home in England. Laure is studying for her PhD at the Sorbonne, drinking and smoking far too much, and sleeping with a married woman. The moment the two women meet, the spark is undeniable, but their encounter turns into far more than a summer of love. It is the beginning of a relationship that will define their lives and every decision they have yet to make…

Erica and Laure’s love story spans decades, marriage, children, secret trysts, and the agonizing changes—both personal and political—that might mean they can be together, after all. But when life brings them within touching distance again, will they be brave enough to seize a future together?

Beautifully capturing young love and all its complexities, Almost Life is a story of longing for the paths not taken, and the almost lives we live.