A literary speculative novel about an isolated town neighbored by its own past and future
Sixteen-year-old Odile is an awkward, quiet girl vying for a coveted seat on the Conseil. If she earns the position, she’ll decide who may cross her town’s heavily guarded borders. On the other side, it’s the same valley, the same town--except to the east, the town is twenty years ahead in time. To the west, it’s twenty years behind. The towns repeat in an endless sequence across the wilderness.
The Other Valley is Scott Alexander Howard's debut novel, blending speculative fiction with a poignant coming-of-age story. Set in a unique valley town that exists alongside its past and future selves—20 years behind to the west and 20 years ahead to the east—the narrative centers on 16-year-old Odile Ozanne. As she aspires to join the Conseil, the governing body regulating time travel between these parallel towns, Odile discovers that her friend Edme is destined to die prematurely. This revelation forces her into a profound moral dilemma: adhere to the rules preserving the timeline or intervene to save her friend. Howard's storytelling delves into themes of fate, free will, and the ethical complexities of time travel, offering readers a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant experience.
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