Surreal Historical Fiction Novella
Unthreaded by H.B. Cavalier
Ebook and paperback available now
Unthreaded is a historical fiction novella, narrated posthumously, that offers a surreal glimpse of interwar and wartime London via the spirit realm.
Synopsis
Our narrator has been many things before: an ancient priestess, a medieval monk, a Brahmin bureaucrat. But it’s the short, peculiar life of Reuven B. that left a mark. A permanent misfit twice displaced by conflict, Reuven never failed to find creative solutions to his problems. In the no man’s land between chronic illness and optimism, peace and war, orthodox Judaism and the love of another man, Reuven mastered the art of synthesizing opposites and following his heart.
But he never truly mastered himself.
With a ghost for a guide, Unthreaded offers an offbeat tour of interbellum London and an uncommon view of two world wars – a haunting backdrop for a tale of loss, secrecy, and human fragility. Both brutal and sensitive, Reuven’s posthumous musings reveal the private trauma of political upheaval and the delirium of a soul turned against itself. Amid the scraps of a torn life, we find a past rarely seen, a darkness seldom faced, and a queer brand of mysticism that stitches the fabric of existence into something a little more comfortable.
Unthreaded is H.B. Cavalier’s second book, following the darkly comedic magical realism novel Farewell, Everything, published under the pseudonym Véva Perala.
What readers are saying
I would highly recommend this story to historical fiction lovers.… This story was unlike anything I had read within the genre and I loved it!
– Evelyn Hadley, Reedsy Discovery
A compellling yarn set during the first half of the 20th century, seamlessly incorporating the tumultuous events and political upheaval of the era.… Cavalier’s narrative hooks you in from the first page and refuses to let go until the end.
– Pikasho Deka, Readers’ Favorite
At times disturbing and at times inspiring, there is an effective mix of realistic and mystical elements … the author bends reality so that readers can see it more clearly.
– Maria Victoria Beltran, Readers’ Favorite
A truly excellent posthumous dive into the story of an intense and beautiful life. Highly recommended.
– Basho, Goodreads
Buy (or find) a copy
Ebook
Price: $3.99
Ebook available for download from Lulu, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, Kobo, and more.*
Roaming Copy
Price: FREE
Starting May 13, 2022, we are distributing 100+ paperback copies to Little Free Library locations in Oregon, Washington, and elsewhere across the U.S.
* Purchases from Lulu.com support the author most through a larger royalty share, so buying from Lulu is appreciated. Or please buy the paperback through Bookshop.org (), an online bookstore with a mission to financially support independent bookstores.
We donate profits to charity
Twenty percent of the net profits from sales of Unthreaded will be donated to the following 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations: Refugees International and the Trevor Project.
Book resources
Press + media
View media kit downloads and press release: “Take a haunting tour of interwar London in Farewell, Everything author’s second book, Unthreaded.”
Publication details
| Title | Unthreaded |
| Author | H.B. Cavalier |
| Published | March 8, 2022 (minor revision: March 8, 2024) |
| Paperback | 176 pages Pocket Book (4.25 x 6.875 x 0.46 inches) ISBN 978-1-73408-662-1 View paperback on Lulu |
| Ebook | EPUB ISBN 978-1-73408-663-8 View ebook on Lulu |
| Genres | Fiction > Historical > General Fiction > LGBT > General Fiction > Literary |
| Words | Word count is approx. 27,500 |
| Keywords | 1920s, 1930s, antisemitism, blitz, death, depression, disease, england, europe, gay, genocide, ghost, great britain, grief, holocaust, illness, immigrant, immigration, insanity, interbellum, interwar period, jewish, judaism, lgbt, london, love, metaphysical, mysticism, near-death experience, paranormal, political, queer, racism, refugee, reincarnation, religion, romance, sewing, sexual assault, spirit realm, spirituality, strange, suicide, supernatural, surreal, trauma, war, weird, world war i, world war ii |
Find and discover
| Lulu Spotlight | Nowhere Press and H.B. Cavalier at Lulu.com |
| Reedsy Discovery | Unthreaded and H.B. Cavalier at Reedsy.com |
| Goodreads | Unthreaded and H.B. Cavalier at Goodreads.com |
| LibraryThing | Unthreaded and H.B. Cavalier at LibraryThing.com |
| We ❤ It | Unthreaded collection (mood board of the novella) at weheartit.com |
| YouTube | Unthreaded playlist (soundtrack to the novella) at youtube.com |