Half Lives cover art

Half Lives

Preview
Free with 30-day trial
Prime logo New to Audible Prime Member exclusive:
2 credits with free trial
1 credit a month to use on any title to download and keep
Listen to anything from the Plus Catalogue—thousands of Audible Originals, podcasts and audiobooks
Download titles to your library and listen offline
₹199.00 per month after 30-day trial. Cancel anytime.

Half Lives

Written by: Krystle Zara Appiah
Narrated by: Yasmin Mwanza
Free with 30-day trial

₹199.00 per month after 30-day trial. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for ₹1,331.30

Buy Now for ₹1,331.30

No one can hurt you like a sister

Growing up in 1970s Ghana, Evelyn and Maggie are two sides of the same coin. While reliable Evelyn is entrusted to support her struggling family, Maggie skips class to flirt with boys. Despite their differences, they’ve made a promise: one day they will escape to America, and start a new life together.

Evelyn’s prospects transform when she marries Gus, a wealthy surgeon who already lives in New York, and quickly falls pregnant. Meanwhile, Maggie sees her prospects vanish when she realises she is also expecting, but without the crucial detail of a husband.

When a terrible accident causes Evelyn to lose her unborn child, the answer seems simple, and Evelyn takes her sister’s unwanted baby to the States to raise as her own. But such an act has untold consequences for both sisters, and when one of them changes their mind, an impossible decision awaits.

An emotional gut-punch of a novel, Half Lives is about the enduring power of love, and what it can withstand before it breaks.

©2026 Krystle Zara Appiah (P)2026 HarperCollins Publishers
African American Genre Fiction Women's Fiction
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1

Critic Reviews

'I was swept away by this incredibly moving novel, which examines sibling love, the ways in which the human spirit can be broken and repaired and how our dreams can sustain us' Red
Praise for Rootless by Krystle Zara Appiah:
‘Both tender and powerful; almost unbearably moving. It broke my heart’ LOUISE O’NEILL
‘Brave, insightful and heart-breaking’ RACHEL EDWARDS
‘Beautiful and gripping… unforgettable’ EMILIA HART
‘Tender, intimate and unflinching’ EMYLIA HALL
‘An open and honest exploration of the rediscovery of love, motherhood, and the choices we make and sacrifice.’ GAL-DEM
‘Highly relatable… your heart will miss a beat’ HUFFPOST UK
‘A debut novel that deserves to find many readers… a must-read’ PRIMA
‘A heartbreaking tale about motherhood and freedom’ The i paper
‘A poignant debut which marks Krystle Zara Appiah out as one of Britain’s best new young writers’ HARPER’S BAZAAR
One of ‘the best books to look forward to in 2023’ COSMOPOLITAN
‘A deeply felt novel… full of romance as well as terrible grief. Rootless enthralled me from the start.’ ILANA MASAD, author of All My Mother’s Lovers
‘Efe’s tragic story will stay with readers long after they finish turning pages’ DONNA FREITAS, author of The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano
No reviews yet