Description

Witty, haunting and kind, Under the Whispering Door is a gift for troubled times. TJ Klune brings us a warm hug of a story about a man who spent his life at the office – and his afterlife building a home.

From the author of joyous New York Times bestseller The House in the Cerulean Sea.

Welcome to Charon’s Crossing. The tea is hot, the scones are fresh and the dead are just passing through.

When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own sparsely-attended funeral, Wallace is outraged. But he begins to suspect she’s right, and he is in fact dead. Then when Hugo, owner of a most peculiar tea shop, promises to help him cross over, Wallace reluctantly accepts the truth.

Yet even in death, he refuses to abandon his life – even though Wallace spent all of it working, correcting colleagues and hectoring employees. He’d had no time for frivolities like fun and friends. But as Wallace drinks tea with Hugo and talks to his customers, he wonders if he was missing something.

The feeling grows as he shares jokes with the resident ghost, manifests embarrassing footwear and notices the stars. So when he’s given one week to pass through the door to the other side, Wallace sets about living a lifetime in just seven days.

Fans of A Man Called Ove and The Good Place will fall for this queer love story by TJ Klune.

Praise for TJ Klune:

‘I loved it. It is like being wrapped up in a big gay blanket. Simply perfect’ – V. E. Schwab, author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

‘A modern fairy tale about learning your true nature and what you love and will protect. It’s a beautiful book’ – Charlaine Harris, author of the Sookie Stackhouse series

‘A whimsical, warm-hearted fantasy’ – Guardian

‘Fans of queer fantasy won’t want to miss this’ – Publishers Weekly

Publisher Review

Under the Whispering Door is a kind book, full of faith in the goodness of people . . . It broke my heart with its unflinching understanding that grief never goes away, never empties, only settles into the room of your soul like a strange souvenir. And then it healed me in the next breath -- Cassandra Khaw, author of Nothing But Blackened Teeth A whimsical, warm-hearted fantasy that suggests it is never too late to make a positive change in life - or afterwards -- Guardian Tenderness, wit, and skillful worldbuilding elevate this delightful tale. Fans of queer fantasy won't want to miss this * Publishers Weekly * TJ Klune is doing powerful work that inspires and impresses. He is a gift to our troubled times, and his novels are a radiant treat to all who discover them * Locus Magazine * Enchanting -- Daily Mail I loved it. It is like being wrapped up in a big gay blanket. Simply perfect -- V. E. Schwab on The House in the Cerulean Sea