Ten Things I've Learnt About Love
Butler’s graceful debut explores life’s heartbreaks, unexpected family bonds, and the search for home. When 29-year-old Alice learns her father is dying, she leaves Mongolia, the latest stopover on her worldly travels, for his home in London. She arrives with little time to say good-bye and is filled with regret. The situation is further strained by Alice’s relationships with her two older sisters, who don’t relate to her freewheeling life, and unresolved tension with a former lover. Concurrent to Alice’s tale is that of Daniel, a 60-year-old homeless man. Daniel, whose health is deteriorating, is fixated on finding the daughter he’s never met. As he seeks her out in the streets of London, he reconsiders his past: notably, a  passionate affair nearly 30 years ago. The narrative alternates between Alice’s and Daniel’s perspectives as both struggle with self-forgiveness—Alice feels partly responsible for the death of her mother, and  Daniel fears he has failed his daughter. Although it seems destined for their paths to cross, the narrative’s controlled suspense and unanswered questions make for a satisfying tale. --Leah Strauss