You Are Here is a new novel by celebrated British author David Nicholls that follows a man and a woman as they hike through England’s countryside, coast to coast. Told in chapters of alternating narration, the novel offers two perspectives of a burgeoning friendship; on one side we get Michael’s story, and on the other we get Marnie’s. Michael, a high school geography teacher who has recently separated from his wife, is the logistics planner behind the hike—he needs a cleanse of sorts after a rough year, and figures a week-long walk might be the answer. Although he means to walk by himself, his over-protective friend Cleo turns it into a group trip, inviting herself and various other friends keen for a bit of nature. Marnie, who’s never met Michael (and has never even worn a pair of hiking boots), accepts Cleo’s invite with some trepidation. A freelance copywriter who spends most of her days inside her London flat, Marnie will admit that she’s been feeling lonely. Ever since lockdown, Marnie hasn’t had the same energy to keep up with friends and finds herself having conversations with her houseplants more often than she’d like. As the group walks through valleys and moors, Michael and Marnie slowly gravitate towards each other, surprising themselves with a mutual fondness. Nicholls documents each step with his trademark wit and tenderness, showing how beautiful it can be when you find what you need in unexpected places.

When Nicholls—the genius behind the 2009 bestseller and popular Netflix series One Day—writes a love story, you know it’s going to be a good one. From the idyllic setting of the Lake District to the endearingly relatable personalities of Michael and Marnie to the rhythmic framework of the walk, everything in the novel conspires to make you feel more open. At one point, Marnie mentions how people tend to talk more freely with one another while walking—something about the forward motion and less eye contact—and Nicholls seems to mirror that phenomenon with his writing; I felt pleasantly lulled into falling in love with these characters and their story. There’s not really any big climax, and though Michael and Marnie share their past and current heartaches, the most dramatic things that happen are some really bad bouts of weather and various moments of miscommunication (but, oh, how heartbreaking those moments are once you’ve become invested!). Instead, the novel sets out to capture what it’s like getting to know someone and slowly falling in love with someone after, maybe, you’ve given up trying. It’s quiet and brilliant and comforting—I absolutely loved You Are Here.

I’d recommend this book to…

• Anyone who loves a well-written novel that’s unfussy in its brilliance… it’s similar in style to Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
• Anyone looking for something tender, hopeful, and hilariously realistic… it’s similar in tone to Good Material by Dolly Alderton
• Anyone interested in the healing power of nature and companionship… it’s similar in theme to The Salt Path by Raynor Winn