Chloe Michelle Howarth

We are so incredibly thrilled to host Chloe as she tours her wonderful debut novel, Sunburn, a queer coming-of-age novel set in 1990s Ireland.

Growing up in the southwest of Ireland, Chloe was constantly inspired by her homeland - the dramatic landscapes, the rich and varied culture, and, perhaps most of all, the people. From her inquisitive and curious mind, enhanced by her fantastic literary talent, comes Sunburn. It is an astute and tender portrayal of first love, adolescent anxiety, and the realities of growing up in a small town where tradition holds people tightly in its grasp.

Sunburn tells the story of Lucy, a young girl who feels alienated from those around her. Despite her fierce friendships, she's always felt this way, and the conventional path of marriage and motherhood doesn't appeal to her at all. Not even with handsome and doting Martin, her closest childhood friend.

Lucy begins to make sense of herself during a long hot summer, when a spark with her school friend Susannah escalates to an all-consuming infatuation, and, very quickly, to a desperate and devastating love. When her relationship with Susannah changes, Lucy’s world changes, too.