The Old Haunts

Author: Allan Radcliffe

ISBN: 9781914148385

Tags: Gay, Literary Fiction

In spare, evocative prose, Allan Radcliffe tells a wistful coming-of-age story and paints a tender portrait of grief in all its complexities. Recently bereaved Jamie is staying at a rural steading in the heart of Scotland with his actor boyfriend Alex. The sudden loss of both of Jamie's parents hangs like a shadow over the trip. In his grief, Jamie finds himself sifting through bittersweet memories, from his working-class upbringing in Edinburgh to his bohemian twenties in London, with a growing awareness of his sexuality threaded through these formative years. In the present, when Alex is called away to an audition, Jamie can no longer avoid the pull of the past: haunted by an inescapable failure to share his full self with his parents, he must confront his unresolved feelings towards them.

In spare, evocative prose, Allan Radcliffe tells a wistful coming-of-age story and paints a tender portrait of grief in all its complexities.

"There is much to admire in this novel: the elegance and economy of the writing, the understanding of emotional difficulties, the truth to life." — The Scotsman

"Written with an honesty and understanding that is rare, it's a novel full of love, kindness, and compassion." — The Skinny

"Allan Radcliffe is an accomplished writer of short stories and he brings some of that same spare beauty to his debut novel. This poignant Bildungsroman is at once a tender tale of queer awakening in the Edinburgh of the 80’s and 90’s and a heart-breaking love letter from a young man to his lost parents. Suffused with longing for those precious moments in life we can never get back, it is written through with gleaming prose and a quiet sense of hope" — Mary Paulson-Ellis, bestselling author of The Other Mrs Walker, The Inheritance of Soloman Farthing and Emily Noble’s Disgrace

"Allan Radcliffe’s debut touched my heart with its quiet, intimate look at grief, love, family and romantic relationships, told with masterful spare prose. It is both insightful and observant, warm and infinitely relatable. I will be thinking of Jamie and his story for a long time." — Henry Fry, author of First Time for Everything

"A rippling, multifaceted jewel of a novel – elegant and unshowy, it dazzles with a distinct and irresistible inner luminosity. Poignant and compelling, it is resonant with vivid images. The writing flows, emotive and understated, with an enigmatic and impressive momentum. A stunning, indelible debut." — Kevin MacNeil, author of The Brilliant & Forever