Every so often, a novel comes along that critics line up to praise, booksellers hand-sell with ease, and readers breathlessly pass on to other readers in their lives.

Lily King’s Heart the Lover is that novel.

Tracing her protagonist from her 1980s American college years to her midlife reckoning prompted by a surprise visit from her past, King crafts the perfect three act-tale of the lifelong echoes of first love, lives lived out of alignment, and the joys, sorrow and regret of paths not taken.

New to Lily’s work? Fear not. If you like Ann Patchett, David Nicholls, Elizabeth Strout or Sally Rooney, you might just be about to discover your new favourite writer.

Jenna Todd (Kāi Tahu) meets her in her first visit to AWF.