Before We Disappear - Hardcover

by Shaun David Hutchinson (Author)

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection!

It's a new star-crossed romance about the magic of first love from the acclaimed author of We Are the Ants and Brave Face, Shaun David Hutchinson.

Jack Nevin's clever trickery and moral flexibility make him the perfect assistant to the Enchantress, one of the most well-known stage magicians in turn-of-the-nineteenth-century Europe. Without Jack's steady supply of stolen tricks, the Enchantress's fame would have burned out long ago.

But when Jack's thievery catches up to them, they're forced to flee to America to find their fortune. Luckily, the Enchantress is able to arrange a set of sold-out shows at Seattle's Alaska-Yukon-Pacific World's Fair Exposition. She's convinced they're going to rich and famous until a new magician arrives on the scene. Performing tricks that defy the imagination, Laszlo's show overshadows the Enchantress, leaving Jack no choice but to hunt for the secrets to his otherworldly illusions. But what Jack uncovers isn't at all what he expected.

Behind Laszlo's tricks is Wilhelm--a boy that can seemingly perform real magic. Jack and Wilhelm have an instant connection, and as the rivalry between the Enchantress and Laszlo grows, so too does Jack and Wilhelm's affection. But can Jack choose between the woman who gave him a life and the boy who is offering him everything?

It's a stirring tale about the magic of love from award-winning author Shaun David Hutchinson.

• Star-Crossed Lovers: Jack is an expert thief of illusions; Wilhelm can perform real magic. When their rival mentors declare war, their instant connection puts them on a collision course.
• Rivals to Lovers: Tasked with stealing the secrets of his competition, Jack instead finds himself falling for the quiet, mysterious boy behind the otherworldly magic.
• A Lush Historical Setting: Step into the spectacle and wonder of the 1909 Seattle World's Fair, where magic and ambition collide on the world stage.
• Found Family: Torn between loyalty to the woman who gave him a life and the boy offering him a future, Jack must decide where his heart truly belongs.