The Folded Leaf

'A true, beautiful and profoundly poignant novel. It is so good it almost seems miraculous' New York Times

In the suburbs of 1920s Chicago two boys form an unlikely friendship. Spud Latham is slow at school but quick to fight and a natural athlete - Lymie Peters, thin, pigeon-chested and terrible at games, is devoted to him.

As they graduate from school to college, tensions start to surface. It is Lymie who first meets Sally Forbes, but it is Spud she falls in love with. This signals the end of their friendship and the rift is almost more than Lymie can bear.

William Maxwell - the author of SO LONG, SEE YOU TOMORROW - remains the unsung hero of American Literature, and this moving, beautifully observed novel about growing-up may be his masterpiece.

'A profound, atmospheric work which is as moving as it is shrewd and often funny' Irish Times