Miss You by Kate Eberlen will be featured on the Radio 2 Book Club on Monday 22 August.
The book was selected with the help of a panel made up of Reading Agency and library staff from across the UK.
We have an exclusive extract available for you to read as well as a discussion guide for your reading group.
WIN 10 copies of Miss You for your reading group when you visit our Noticeboard.
Miss You
Tess is in Florence for a final, idyllic holiday before university. Her life is about to change forever – but not in the way she expects.
Gus and his parents are also on holiday in Florence. Their lives have already changed suddenly and dramatically. Gus tries to be a dutiful son, but longs to escape and discover what sort of person he is going to be.
For one day, the paths of an eighteen-year-old girl and boy criss-cross before they each return to England.
Over the course of the next sixteen years, life and love will offer them very different challenges. Separated by distance and fate, there’s no way the two of them are ever going to meet each other properly…But sometimes fate can turn.
Selection panel review
Our library reading panel loved Miss You – here are some of their comments:
“Really good, this. It took me back to being 18 and being at university, and the feelings of meeting someone new who you connect with. It made me smile lots, whilst being effecting when dealing with difficult situations. I read it very quickly (which isn’t easy with young kids) and I could see a lot of people recognising themselves having been in similar situations. I can see this being very popular this summer. Not often a book leaves me with a good feeling but I’ll be recommending this one heartily.”
“I enjoyed this book as it wasn’t overly romanticised and the characters were real, flawed but not cruel, dealing with various issues that life throws our way.”
“I thought this was a lovely story and a perfect summer read. I was rooting for Tess and Gus throughout.”
About the author
Kate Eberlen lives in Poole with her family. Her fascination with different lives and cultures lead her to study Classics at university in Oxford. She has had many careers in her time, literary agent, author, dinner lady, teacher, the list goes on. She now teaches English as a foreign language and wrote Miss You in between lessons and is delighted that this book is now being published in 22 languages
A word from Kate
“I am thrilled and honoured that Miss You has been chosen for Simon Mayo’s Radio 2 Book Club and I’m so grateful for the support of The Reading Agency and librarians who do such important work promoting and valuing reading in our communities. When I was a child, the town library was a treasure trove of discovery for me, and throughout my life reading has given me escape, education, solace and joy.
Reading is very much what shapes the life of my character Tess in Miss You. It is the vehicle she travels in when her responsibilities keep her at home and it is her connection with other people when she is at her loneliest. I very much hope that readers will enjoy the story of Tess and Gus. Thank you so much for recommending Miss You!"
Get involved
Tune in to Simon Mayo’s Drivetime show on Monday 22 August to hear a live interview with Kate talking about her book.
Have you read Miss You? You can share your thoughts with us on Twitter using #TessandGus, or follow author Kate Eberlen. You can take a look at what other readers thought, or leave your own review.
Want to find out more? Take a look at the Radio 2 Book Club Twitter feed or find out more on the Radio 2 Book Club website.
