Very Far Away from Anywhere Else

A slender, realistic story of a young man's coming of age, Very Far Away from Anywhere Else is one of the most inspiring novels Ursula K. Le Guin ever published.

Owen is seventeen and smart. He knows what he wants to do with his life. But then he meets Natalie and he realizes he doesn't know anything much at all.

“Like all Le Guin’s work, Very Far Away from Anywhere Else is about the invisible structures of society and about the challenge to live honestly. On a Sunday years ago I was lucky to encounter a book that could show me the breadth our lives have—that the discovery of what leads us on is better than the goal of perfection.” —Emily Schultz, Bustle

“An engaging, well written novel.” —New York Times
Outsider Protagonist: Seventeen-year-old Owen Griffiths is an intellectual who feels completely alone in a world that values conformity. He’s always been the “bright little jerk”—until he meets someone who finally understands.

Friendship and Romance: When Owen meets Natalie, a fiercely dedicated young musician, their connection is immediate and profound. It’s a meeting of minds that challenges everything he thought he knew about love and himself.

Coming of Age Story: A thoughtful exploration of what it means to choose your own path when your parents and peers expect you to be someone else.

Realistic Fiction: Written with Ursula K. Le Guin’s signature honesty, this quiet, moving novel captures the painful and exhilarating experience of being young and different.