The Two Loves of Sophie Strom
novel · First published 2024
A timeless, heart-wrenching story about love in the face of indoctrination and tragedy - perfect for fans of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, The Lovely Bones, and Life After Life.
Author guide
Sam Taylor Books in Order
Sam Taylor is a British novelist and literary translator, born in 1970. He worked as a journalist and editor at The Observer before becoming a full-time writer and translator. His novels include The Republic of Trees, The Amnesiac, The Island at the End of the World, The Ground Is Burning, published under the pseudonym Samuel Black, and The Two Loves of Sophie Strom. He has also translated numerous works from French into English.
literary fictionhistorical fictiondystopian fictionpsychological fiction
Catalog record updated .
Sam Taylor's Newest Book
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The Republic of Trees
Taylor's first published novel and a representative starting point for his fiction.
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (5)
- The Republic of Trees
novel · 2005
This dark fable tells the story of four English children who run away to the French countryside to establish their own utopian community. All seems well in The Republic of Trees as the children hunt, fall in love and educate themselves in…
- The Amnesiac
novel · 2007
A gripping literary thriller from an exciting new voice in fictionHailed as “one to watch ” by the UK’s Telegraph, Sam Taylor is one of the most imaginative and innovative young writers at work today. With The Amnesiac, his United States…
- The Island at the End of the World
novel · 2009
- The Ground Is Burning
novel · 2011
- The Two Loves of Sophie Strom
novel · 2024
A timeless, heart-wrenching story about love in the face of indoctrination and tragedy - perfect for fans of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, The Lovely Bones, and Life After Life.
Frequently asked questions about Sam Taylor
Who is Sam Taylor?
Sam Taylor is a British novelist and literary translator born in Nottinghamshire, England, in 1970. He now lives in the United States and works in both fields.
What did Sam Taylor do before becoming a full-time writer and translator?
He worked as a journalist and sub-editor at The Observer. In 2001, he moved to southwest France, where he wrote novels, learned French, and raised a family.
Sources: thebookerprizes.com (opens in a new tab)bookblast.org (opens in a new tab)
What does Sam Taylor translate?
Taylor translates French literature into English and has translated more than 60 books, including Laurent Binet’s HHhH and Leïla Slimani’s The Perfect Nanny.
What writers and books influenced Sam Taylor?
Taylor has said that The Lord of the Rings was the first book he remembers loving and that Italo Calvino, especially Baron in the Trees, strongly influenced him as a teenager. He is drawn to fairytale-like stories that combine the real world with a touch of magic.
What awards has Sam Taylor received?
He won the 2017 French-American Foundation Translation Prize for Maylis de Kerangal’s The Heart and the 2021 French–Scott Moncrieff Prize for Hubert Mingarelli’s The Invisible Land. His translation of Laurent Binet’s Civilizations also won the 2022 Sidewise Award for Best Long-Form Alternate History.
Sources: frenchamerican.org (opens in a new tab)societyofauthors.org (opens in a new tab)chicon.org (opens in a new tab)