The Stars Are a Million Glittering Worlds

Gina Butson

$34.99

Paperback

In stock
Ready to ship

QTY:

English

Allen & Unwin
15 July 2025

Fiction & Literature; Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945)

Thea, a young woman crushed by guilt, flees to Central America to escape her life in New Zealand.

In Guatemala, she meets the charismatic Chris and his partner, Sarah, and the three of them form a tight bond. While the rest of the world is caught in the grip of the global financial crisis, the three friends find a false reality in the backpacker party town of San Pedro. Surrounded by the dark volcanic beauty of the Guatemalan highlands, Thea starts to come to terms with her past. But everything changes when a tragedy occurs.

Knowing she has to leave Central America, but not ready to return home, Thea settles in Tasmania and into a new relationship. Bonded by grief, she and her partner make a life for themselves in Hobart. But years later, when tragedy strikes again, all Thea's old grief and guilt - together with unanswered questions - come to the surface. Against the backdrop of the pandemic and lockdowns, Thea begins to question the trust she has in her partner. She realises that if she wants to know the truth, she will need to come clean about her past.

'An engrossing plot, fully imagined characters, and beautifully observed settings. Butson gently guides the reader on a journey marked by pain, secrets and guilt to a place of forgiveness, acceptance and peace. A stunning debut.' - Laurence Fearnley

By: Gina Butson
Imprint: Allen & Unwin
Country of Publication: New Zealand
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm,
Weight: 392g
ISBN: 9781991142320
ISBN 10: 1991142323
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 15 July 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Gina Butson is a former lawyer who completed her MA in Creative Writing at the International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML) in 2023. Her short fiction has been published in Newsroom, Salient and Turbine. Gina won the Salient Creative Writing competition and was Highly Commended in the Sargeson Prize in 2024.