A Separate Peace

First published in 1959, A Separate Peaceis an American classic. A bestseller for over 40 years, it has sold 7 million copies in paperback in the US alone and is widely-loved. Discover this timeless coming of age story for yourself… Set at a boys' boarding school in New England during the early years of World War II, A Separate Peaceis a harrowing and luminous parable of the dark side of adolescence. Gene is a lonely, introverted intellectual. Phineas is a handsome, taunting, daredevil athlete. What happens between the two friends one summer, like the war itself, banishes the innocence of these boys and their world. Praise for A Separate Peace: 'A novel that made such a deep impression on me at sixteen that I can still conjure the atmosphere in my fifties: of yearning, infatuation mingled indistinguishably with envy, and remorse' Lionel Shriver 'A model of restraint, deeply felt and beautifully written' Observer 'Exceptional power and distinction' The Times 'Artistry of a high order' Saturday Review 'A quietly vital and cleanly written novel that moves, page by page, toward a most interesting target' Truman Capote 'Some books stay with you. Decades have passed since I first discovered A Separate Peace, but its impact remains unforgettable. It's a deeply moving coming of age story, set against the backdrop of war' M.L. Stedman, bestselling author of The Light Between Oceans 'Is he the successor to Salinger for whom we have been waiting so long?' Encounter 'A masterpiece' National Review