The Once and Future Me - by Melissa Pace (Hardcover)

About the Book

"When a woman wakes up on a transport bus arriving at Hanover State Psychiatric Hospital, she remembers nothing of her life up to that moment. None of the dark things she's seen--and done--that have forged her into the steely survivor she is. Dr Sherman tells her she's Dorothy Frasier, a paranoid schizophrenic committed by the state for her violent delusions. And that it's 1954. She knows none of this is true. The only problem is, despite her fighting skills and uncanny ability to pick locks and find escape routes, she has no idea who she actually is. Delusional episodes begin to happen more frequently--moments where she finds herself in a broken future with a ragtag team of young scientists urging her to find a doctor in 1954. Apparently, this doctor holds the key to something lying dormant in them all, something they call the Guest"--

Book Synopsis

Dark Matter meets Girl, Interrupted in this gripping psychological thriller about a young woman teetering on the edge of reality.

Virginia, 1954. When a woman wakes on a patient transport bus arriving at Hanover State Psychiatric Hospital, she remembers nothing of her life before that moment, none of the dark things she must've seen and done that forged her into the skillful and cunning fighter she is. Doctors tell her she's Dorothy Frasier, a paranoid schizophrenic, committed for her violent delusions. She's certain they're wrong--until disturbing visions of a dystopian future in which frantic scientists urge her to complete "the mission" and save mankind begin to invade her reality.

Believing it's Hanover causing the hallucinations, she tells no one and focuses only on escaping--until there's a visitor. A man whose loving face--and touch--she remembers, a man who knows all about her visions, because he's spent years helping her cope with them: her husband, Paul Frasier.

Now she's sure of nothing, caught between two realities. Believe in the future, and she might save the world. Believe in her husband and doctors' plans for her treatment, and she might save herself. She needs answers, but to get them she'll have to face the darkness inside her and use it as she risks her freedom, her mind, and ultimately her life in a heart-stopping quest for the truth.

Review Quotes

"A thrilling, genre-bending, and addictive read! The Once and Future Me is a page turner with a fascinating cast of characters and a feminist twist. I couldn't put it down!"
--Amy Tintera, New York Times bestselling author of Listen for the Lie

"A truly spectacular psychological thriller about memory and identity that will absolutely blow your mind. With twists, turns and a premise to die for - stop what you're doing now and read this book!"
--Matthew Blake, International bestselling author of Anna O

"Propulsive and gripping, The Once and Future Me grabs you from the first page and doesn't let go until the very last. A fast-paced, heart-pounding thrill of a book!"
--Sophie Stava, author of Count My Lies

About the Author

A graduate of Wesleyan University, Melissa Pace is a former editor and writer for Elle, as well as a past finalist in the Humanitas New Voices Fellowship for emerging television and screenwriters. The mother of three amazing children, Pace lives with her husband in Los Angeles, and when not writing she likes to lace up her cleats and get all her ya-yas out on its soccer fields. The Once and Future Me is her first novel. Connect with her on Instagram @melissadugganpace.