Hunger for Life

Book excerpt: On the day of his graduation, James says goodbye to the future and moves back to his parents' house in Myreton, the sleepy village of his childhood. He's not happy, but the thought of continuing his life anywhere else seems unthinkable while his sister, Emma, continues to suffer with the illness that's plagued her, and her entire family, since she was a child. For six months, James's life spirals more and more out of control as the walls of small-town life - and of his sister's devastating disease - close in on him. But then he meets Hannah, a free-spirited and fun-loving Austrian student, and suddenly it seems there might be more to his existence than a sense of fear and trepidation. Hunger for Life is the story of a young man's struggle to find the courage and humour to live through life's hazards - and to find his place in an uncertain and fractious modern world. 'A remarkable novel, with vibrant and deeply developed characters, taut and nuanced relationships, and simply lovely prose. Tightly paced and psychologically complex, Marr's exquisite debut is a life-affirming and powerful read.' Marya Hornbacher, bestselling author of Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia.