About the Book
No solo rompió sus promesas, también su corazón. Cuando Leah Kempler conoce a Charlie Nelson en el supermercado, la conexión entre ambos es inmediata. A pesar de que él es muy cariñoso, detallista e increíblemente atractivo, hay algunas peculiaridades que no le gustan a Leah: es mayor que ella, pero aún vive con sus padres; se va de fiesta con sus amigos y desaparece durante días; duerme mucho y siempre parece estar distraído.
Cuando Leah lo confronta, Charlie le confiesa ser un adicto a la heroína en recuperación, pero no quiere perderla y para ello le promete mantenerse limpio y nunca más volver a consumir. Él parece cumplir su promesa, sigue siendo el chico divertido y ocurrente con quien ella se siente muy bien, hasta que su familia y amigos hacen que se dé cuenta de que ella es la única que ve como normal el comportamiento errático de su novio, que vive justificándolo frente a los demás y que eso la ha orillado a aislarse cada vez más.
A pesar de las advertencias, Leah no puede evitar pensar que están destinados a estar juntos, y esa ilusión le impide ver la espiral de autodestrucción que, de no alejarse, terminará arrastrándola.
ENGLISH DESCRIPTION
A BELLETRIST BOOK CLUB PICK
"Halperin's radiant second novel walks the fine line between the longing for couplehood and the torture of codependency. . . . Let the rapturous intimacy and gut-churning ups and downs begin!" --Leigh Haber, The New York Times Book Review
"I read this book in three days and canceled plans to finish it. It is heart-wrenching and relatable in so many ways." --Emma Roberts
By the award-winning author of Something Wild, a gripping portrait of a tumultuous, consuming relationship between a young woman and a recovering addict.
When Leah Kempler meets Charlie Nelson in line at the grocery store, their attraction is immediate and intense. Charlie, with his big feelings and grand proclamations of love, captivates her completely. But there are peculiarities of his life--he's older than her but lives with his parents; he meets up with a friend at odd hours of the night; he sleeps a lot and always seems to be coming down with something. He confesses that he's a recovering heroin addict, but he promises Leah that he's never going to use again.
Leah's friends and family are concerned. As she finds herself getting deeper into an isolated relationship, one of manipulation and denial, the truth about Charlie feels as blurry as their time together. Even when Charlie's behavior becomes increasingly erratic, when he starts to make Leah feel unsafe, she can't help but feel that what exists between them is destined. Charlie is wide open, boyish, and unbearably handsome. The bounds of Leah's own pain--and love--are so deep that she can't see him spiraling into self-destruction.
Hanna Halperin writes with aching vulnerability and intimacy, sharply attuned to Leah's desire for an all-consuming, compulsive connection. I Could Live Here Forever exposes the chasm between perception and truth to tell an intoxicating story of one woman's relationship with an addict, the accompanying swirl of compassion and codependence, and her enduring search for love and wholeness.