"The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August" by Claire North

author

    This author is just as fascinating as the books that she writes.
   She was born in London, England in 1986, the daughter of author/ publisher Nick Webb.  She was writing during the school holidays at age 14 and that book, "Mirror Dreams" was published when was 16, followed by 2 more books published the next year.  She has now, at age 33, written many science fiction novels.  Her real name is Catherine Webb, but she writes under  pseudonyms Kate Griffin and Claire North.

   This novel was introduced to me by my grandson, Hunter, who had just graduated from engineering.  I knew that it would not be the type of book that I would choose, but I am always interested in what the grandchildren are reading.  
   We are now in the midst of a pandemic and what is better than a science fiction novel to distract your thoughts from the disturbing news every day?
   So I immersed myself in this novel. 
   I enjoyed the premise: Harry August lives the same life over and over and over. He is born into the same unusual circumstances every time (born in a washroom). 
  In each life, at age 3, he begins to recollect his past lives.  By his third life, Harry had not met anyone else with his experience and wondered if there was some purpose to his journey.
  Eventually, he discovers that there are other people in the world with the same experience. They are called kalachakras or ouroborans. Quote: "They loop perpetually through the same course of historical events, though their lives within may change." 
  And, then he connects with Cronus Club.  And here, I got lost in the history, geography, and technology of the world, as he chases clues left by other members of the Cronus Club and hooks up with a man who is trying to discover the nature of existence itself.
  I would never have believed that this novel was written by a woman in her 20's.