Claire North's book that made me wan a do-over

What if you could live your life again?

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August didn’t just tell a good story. It got under my skin and stayed there.

It made me think in the quiet moments. Not about time travel (which I absolutely love), but about memory. About mistakes. About whether I’d change anything if I had the chance to start again.

The premise that hooked me

Harry August is born, lives a full life, dies, and is born again. Same year. Same body. Same family. But with one major difference: he remembers everything.

This isn’t a story about loops and paradoxes. It’s slower, deeper, and strangely elegant. Over the course of many lives, Harry learns from his mistakes, shifts his path, and tries to use his knowledge for good. Then one day, he’s warned that the future is collapsing. And it’s happening faster with every life.

The weight of memory

This book doesn’t race. It lingers. The tone is introspective, thoughtful, and a little cold (tbh) in the way real reflection often is.

What struck me was how flawed Harry is. He isn’t out to save the world in some grand gesture. He just tries to do a little better. And reading that made me pause.

I started thinking about the things I would undo. The moments I rushed. The people I hurt. The time I let slip past without noticing.

And the more I read, the more I wished I could try again. Just once.

If this book were a candle 

At Wax & Words, we imagine stories through scent. This one feels like a quiet evening. A half-finished letter. A place you used to know.

The fragrance wouldn’t be sweet or loud. I think it should sit in the air with calm certainty.

Top Notes: Bergamot, Black Tea, and Violet Leaf
Heart Notes: Tobacco, Ink Accord, and Cedarwood
Base Notes: Leather, Amber, and Oakmoss

A candle for slow reflections about life, regrets, but with optimism . Something that burns softly while the story flows around you.