A thrilling tale of political intrigue, love and loss, and the soul-stirring value of friendshipLondon, mid-1930s. Fascism is on the rise. Against the backdrop of political upheaval, two friends-Vernon, a mixed-race Ceylonese postgraduate student, and Saul, a wealthy Jewish intellectual and connoisseur of music-meet regularly for tea at a Lyons' Corner House on Coventry Street. They discuss everything under the sun. Despite their blossoming friendship, however, neither of them is completely frank with the other. They both have dark secrets: Vernon about his political activities; Saul about his wife. As the narrative progresses, and as Vernon's and Saul's storylines converge, their secrets slowly come to light to the reader and to each other.

After his father becomes seriously ill in 1936, Vernon takes sabbatical leave from university and, with Saul accompanying him, returns to Ceylon. The personal drama and political intrigue continue from there.

Award: Benjamin Franklin Award - Silver Medal Winner

About the Author
Zeitler, Jason: - Jason Zeitler is the author of the novella Like Flesh to the Scalpel (Running Wild Press, 2018), and his stories and essays have appeared in the Journal of Experimental Fiction, Midwestern Gothic, the British magazine Spellbinder, and elsewhere. He lives in Tucson, Arizona, with his wife and son. His debut novel The Half-Caste was shortlisted for the 2022 JEF Books competition. It also was a silver-medal winner in the Best New Voice category of the 2024 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards.