A World Between: A Novel

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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.

You can purchase A World Between at your local independent bookstore, or from: 

Feminist Press | McNally Jackson | Bookshop.org | Amazon

Available at Audible 

Listen to a sample on SoundCloud

PRAISE FOR A WORLD BETWEEN

One of Cosmopolitan UK's best books by LGBTQ+ authors, NYLON's 14 Underrated Books by Queer Authors, PopMatters' Best Books of 2020: Fiction, and Autostraddle's Best Queer Books of 2020

"A World Between is a romantic-comedy suffused with the messiness of real life" - Autostraddle

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

"A lesser known novel sure, but no less important." - Cosmopolitan UK

"A sweeping debut novel about the ever changing nature of identity and love." - Kirkus Review

“A stunning debut. . . . This is a queer great character-driven story that complicates the notion of romance and explores what it means to be messy and carry histories.” - LitHub

"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

"This is such a beautiful book about what it means to grow up and settle into adulthood... Hashimoto captures all the tumultuous, hesitant, confusing, and bewildering emotions that come with real change. It’s a hard book to look away from." - Book Riot

"A World Between offers a welcome diversion in a troubled time, but it leaves the reader with something deeper: a reminder of the power and meaning of both love and forgiveness." - 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

"Queer Points: +5 for the fact that Eleanor and Leena make out while watching The L Word on their second date." - Read Something Queer

"Hashimoto chronicles Eleanor and Leena’s relationship with an intensity that speaks to the enduring power of their initial bond despite the obstacles that fall between them... Hashimoto consistently charms." - Publishers Weekly

“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