Haley Tanner

Funny, heartbreaking, rich and wise, this is a story with the power to cast a spell all of its own.Vaclav and Lena seem destined for each other. They first meet as children at their English class in Brooklyn. Vaclav dreams of becoming a famous magician with Lena as his lovely assistant. But then Lena disappears; it seems that life can play cruel tricks too. Vaclav says goodnight to Lena every night for seven years to keep her safe, and then discovers why she was taken from him. Is their connection strong enough to survive the truth, or is happily ever after only an illusion?

NAMED BY THE NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION AS A 5 UNDER 35 AUTHOR Vaclav and Lena seem destined for each other. They meet as children in an ESL class in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. Vaclav is precocious and verbal. Lena, struggling with English, takes comfort in the safety of his adoration, his noisy, loving home, and the care of Rasia, his big-hearted mother. Vaclav imagines their story unfolding like a fairy tale, or the perfect illusion from his treasured Magicians Almanac. But one day, Lena does not show up for school. She has disappeared from Vaclav and his familys lives as if by a cruel sleight of hand. For the next seven years, Vaclav says goodnight to Lena without fail, wondering if she is doing the same somewhere. On the eve of Lenas seventeenth birthday he finds out. In Vaclav & Lena, Haley Tanner has created two unforgettable young protagonists who evoke the joy, the confusion, and the passion of having a profound, everlasting connection. Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Readers Circle for author chats and more. Praise for Vaclav & Lena Wonderful and wrenching . . . Vibrant characters, believable romance and dark undertones make for a moving tale.The New York Times From the moment they meet, Vaclav and Lena make magic together. . . . Through all the twists and turns of the book, the most enduring theme of the novel is love.NPR Haley Tanners assured narrative voice finds new ways to describe emotion and character, stunning the reader again and again with small shocks of awareness. This book is sad, funny, true, and shot through with grace.Judy Blundell, National Book Awardwinning author of What I Saw and How I Lied Highly recommended . . . Tanners captivating debut novel is a love story of unusual innocence and intensity [and] a suspenseful, literary work that is hard to put down.Library Journal A debut to savor . . . Tanners charming story unfolds as gracefully as a flower.People The magic Tanner makes is as dazzling as it is profound.Booklist

«Una novel·la que ha captivat tothom qui l?ha llegit.» Jason ArthurEn el petit univers dels emigrats del barri de Brooklyn, Vaclav i Lena formen un estrany duo. Ell, amb deu anys, és un mag amateur,

Señorasy señores, he aquí, con todos vosotros, el gran mago Vaclav, el hombre que os va a enamorar con sus trucos de magia#Así pasa las tardes el pequeño Vaclav en un piso de Brooklyn, ensayando juegos e imaginando un publico entregado, siempre dispuesto a aplaudir, aunque de momento la realidad sea otra: quien lo mira y lo escucha es su amiga Lena, una niña timida que muchas veces calla lo que siente. Desde la cocina, la madre de Vaclav observa a los dos niños mientras prepara unos platos que le recuerdan Rusia, la tierra de la que todos proceden. La mujer se ha empeñado en que su hijo se integre de la mejor manera en el nuevo mundo que los ha acogido, y de ahi que Vaclav hable perfectamente el ingles, mientras Lena busca y no encuentra los sustantivos y los verbos que cuenten su dolor. Luego, un dia, de repente Lena desaparece y cuando volvamos a encontrarla sera ya una joven con una nueva vida, pero aun con ganas de saber mucho mas de lo que sabe sobre su pasado. Vaclav, que ahora tiene diecisiete años, decide recurrir a uno de sus juegos de magia para ayudar a esa chica que fue, es y sera la mujer de su vida. Esta esplendida novela es un ejercicio de descubrimiento de lo que nos es ajeno a traves de la palabra, porque solo cuando aprendemos a poner nombre a las cosas y a los sentimientos, estos empiezan a tomar forma. Y, palabra a palabra, llegaremos tambien a plantearnos algo nuevo acerca de la verdad o, mejor dicho, acerca del poder sanador de una mentira bien contada, que se acerca a la verdad pero deja abiertas las puertas para seguir viviendo.