A Strange Companion
"This bittersweet debut about learning how to live after loved ones are gone will captivate readers."
~ Publishers Weekly BookLife
Kat Richardson isn’t running away from grief; she’s just hiding out in a gloomy Welsh university town until she’s sure it’s gone. Now, one year, nine months, and 27 days after the climbing death of her first love, Gabe, she thinks she’s ready to venture out into the relationship world again. And Owen—a cake-baking, Super Ball-making chemistry student—appears to be a kind, funny, and very attractive option.
But the arrival of Kat’s newly adopted niece, Mai, forces her home to northern England, where she runs headfirst into all the memories of Gabe she’s tried to leave behind—and discovers that Mai stirs up an unnerving feeling of déjà vu. Before long, Kat’s logical, scientific beliefs about life after death are in battle with what she feels to be true—that reincarnation is real and Gabe has come back to her through Mai. The question now, is why?
Taking on the topics of love, loss, and how we deal with grief, A Strange Companion is a twisted love triangle among the living, the dead, and the reincarnated.
Favorite Quotes
"To a great mind, nothing is little." (Featured on the art print)
“As skeptical as I was about the reincarnation hypothesis, part of me wanted it to be true. If the people we loved came back to us, then all the tragedy in life might somehow be a little easier to accept.”
What was in the box?
This box shipped in June of 2017.
As Book Clubbers read this title, they opened their gifts to find a notebook (with a drawing of a cat on the first page!), a custom Hello Sunshine dish towel, a Ouija board mouse pad, and a green frame with a photo from the book!
Fun Fact: This author also wrote an OUABC-exclusive short story in 2024 for our 12 Days of Book-Club-Mas anthology!
Discussion Questions
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1. How did you experience this book? Were you immediately drawn into the story or did it take awhile?
2. One thing we loved about A Strange Companion was how realistic and relatable the characters were. Which characters do you particularly admire or dislike?
3. Throughout the book, Kat does some things that she shouldn't have done. Do you think those actions are justified or ethical? What would you have done differently if put in the same situation?
4. What did you think about Mai and Kat's relationship? Do you think it could have been reincarnation? What are your thoughts on reincarnation? Do you think it's possible?
5. How did Kat grow or change during the course of the novel? How did her relationship with others change?
Lisa Manterfield
Meet the Author
Lisa Manterfield is the author of emotionally charged fiction. She was featured in Once Upon a Book Club in June of 2017 and in the 12 Days of Book-Club-Mas anthology in 2024.
