What I Was: A NovelFrom the 2016 recipient of the Astrid Lindgren award and author of international bestseller How I Live Now, National Book Award finalist Picture Me Gone, and most recently Jonathan Unleashed Finn was a beautiful orphan. H was a prep school misfit. On a September afternoon many years ago they met on a beach on the coast of England, near the ancient fisherman’s hut Finn was squatting in with his woodstove, a case of books, a striped blanket and a cat. H insinuates his way into Finn’s life—his blazing wood fires and fishing expeditions. Their friendship deepens, offering H the freedom and human connection that has always eluded him. But all too soon the idyll of their relationship is shaken by a heart-wrenching scandal. What I Was is the unforgettable story of H at the end of his life looking back on this friendship, which has shaped and obsessed him for nearly a century. |
Contents
Section 18 | 125 |
Section 19 | 128 |
Section 20 | 134 |
Section 21 | 144 |
Section 22 | 148 |
Section 23 | 151 |
Section 24 | 156 |
Section 25 | 162 |
Section 9 | 56 |
Section 10 | 61 |
Section 11 | 70 |
Section 12 | 83 |
Section 13 | 87 |
Section 14 | 92 |
Section 15 | 99 |
Section 16 | 109 |
Section 17 | 118 |
Section 26 | 166 |
Section 27 | 175 |
Section 28 | 182 |
Section 29 | 191 |
Section 30 | 195 |
Section 31 | 200 |
Section 32 | 203 |
Section 33 | 208 |
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Common terms and phrases
answer arms asked beach began better blankets boat carefully changed closed clothes coast cold couldn't course crossing dark despite didn't door expression eyes face fact feel feet felt Finn Finn's fire fish followed four front gave Gibbon half hand head heard imagined interested knew later least leave less light lived looked managed mind minutes moved nearly never night noticed offered once Oswald's parents perhaps possible pulled question reached Reese Rule seemed side silent slowly smile stopped story tell thing thought tide told took town tried turned voice waited walked walls wanted warm wasn't watched waves weeks wind window wondered