Beyond the Moon

A strange twist of fate connects a British soldier fighting in WWI in 1916 with a young woman living in modern-day England a century later, in this haunting best-selling literary time-travel novel.

Shortlisted for the Eharmony/Orion Love Story Prize

Longlisted for the Exeter Novel Prize

"Taylor’s accomplished, genre-bending book succeeds as a WWI historical novel and a beguiling time-travel love story" (Kirkus Reviews)

In 1916, First Lieutenant Robert Lovett is a patient at Coldbrook Hall Military Hospital in Sussex, England. A gifted artist, he’s been wounded fighting in WWI. Shell-shocked and suffering from hysterical blindness, he can no longer see his own face, let alone paint, and life seems increasingly hopeless. A century later, in 2017, medical student Louisa Casson has just lost her beloved grandmother - her only family. Heartbroken, she drowns her sorrows in alcohol on the South Downs cliffs - only to fall accidentally part-way down. Doctors fear a suicide attempt, and Louisa finds herself involuntarily admitted to Coldbrook Hall, now a psychiatric hospital, an unfriendly and chaotic place. Then one day, while secretly exploring the old hospital’s abandoned wing, Louisa hears a voice calling for help, and stumbles across a dark old-fashioned hospital room. Inside, lying on the floor, is a mysterious, sightless young man, who tells her he was he was hurt at the Somme, a WWI battle a century ago. And that his name is Lt Robert Lovett....

Two people, two battles: one against the invading Germans in 1916 France, the other against an uncaring mental health facility in 2017. Part war-story, part timeslip, part love-story - and at the same time a meditation on the themes of war, mental illness, identity, and art, Beyond the Moon is an intelligent, captivating debut novel, perfect for book clubs.

Contains graphic descriptions of war violence/injuries, profanity, and mild sex.