by John Boyne
First published 2026
Oscar Wilde stares at the calling card left at his club in February 1895. The Marquess of Queensberry has written five damning words accusing him of posing as a sodomite. In our world, Wilde sued for libel and destroyed his life. In this world, he tears up the card and walks away. The celebrated playwright keeps his freedom and his reputation intact. He watches the old century die and a new one explode into existence. Wars reshape nations. Art movements rise and fall. Technology transforms daily life. Wilde moves through it all, his sharp wit and keen eye capturing the chaos around him. He influences events that once happened without him. The man who should have died in Paris at forty-six now lives to see decades he never knew. John Boyne imagines the second half of a life cut short, giving Wilde new adventures and fresh chances to shape the world with his words.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, adult-fiction, biographical-fiction, alternate-history
Vibes: contemplative, imaginative, sweeping, thought-provoking, witty
Tropes: alternate-history, historical-figure-reimagined, what-if-scenario
Setting: Paris, London
Period: 1895, 19th century, 20th century, Victorian era
592 pages · Hardcover · Henry Holt and Co.