The Once and Future Me: A Novel
A captivating debut where a woman teetering between identities embarks on a journey to uncover her true self, challenging the notions of sanity and time as she fights to correct the course of the world and navigate the mystery of her very existence.

When a woman wakes up on a transport bus arriving at Hanover State Psychiatric Hospital, she remembers nothing of her life up to that moment, none of the dark things she’s seen—and done—that have forged her into the steely survivor she is. Dr Sherman tells her she's Dorothy Frasier, a paranoid schizophrenic committed by the state for her violent delusions. And that it’s 1954. She knows none of this is true. The only problem is, despite her fighting skills and uncanny ability to pick locks and find escape routes, she has no idea who she actually is.

Delusional episodes begin to happen more frequently, moments where she finds herself in a broken future with a ragtag team of young scientists urging her to find a doctor in 1954. Apparently, this doctor holds the key to something lying dormant in them all, something they call the Guest. When she’s moved to the Unit, a section of the hospital where Dr. Sherman experiments with electroshock therapy, she knows that she has to get out—until she has a visitor. He’s a man whose concerned, loving face she recognizes, a man her doctor says is Paul Frasier, her doting husband.

Now she is sure of nothing but she needs answers—about the Guest and about Paul, but most importantly about herself. But to find those answers, she will have to face the darkness inside her and use it as she risks her freedom, mind, and ultimately her life in a battle for the truth.

Dark Matter meets Girl, Interrupted with a feminist twist in this gripping psychological thriller perfect for fans of dystopian fiction, time travel, and shows like Black Mirror and Russian Doll.

1146167717
The Once and Future Me: A Novel
A captivating debut where a woman teetering between identities embarks on a journey to uncover her true self, challenging the notions of sanity and time as she fights to correct the course of the world and navigate the mystery of her very existence.

When a woman wakes up on a transport bus arriving at Hanover State Psychiatric Hospital, she remembers nothing of her life up to that moment, none of the dark things she’s seen—and done—that have forged her into the steely survivor she is. Dr Sherman tells her she's Dorothy Frasier, a paranoid schizophrenic committed by the state for her violent delusions. And that it’s 1954. She knows none of this is true. The only problem is, despite her fighting skills and uncanny ability to pick locks and find escape routes, she has no idea who she actually is.

Delusional episodes begin to happen more frequently, moments where she finds herself in a broken future with a ragtag team of young scientists urging her to find a doctor in 1954. Apparently, this doctor holds the key to something lying dormant in them all, something they call the Guest. When she’s moved to the Unit, a section of the hospital where Dr. Sherman experiments with electroshock therapy, she knows that she has to get out—until she has a visitor. He’s a man whose concerned, loving face she recognizes, a man her doctor says is Paul Frasier, her doting husband.

Now she is sure of nothing but she needs answers—about the Guest and about Paul, but most importantly about herself. But to find those answers, she will have to face the darkness inside her and use it as she risks her freedom, mind, and ultimately her life in a battle for the truth.

Dark Matter meets Girl, Interrupted with a feminist twist in this gripping psychological thriller perfect for fans of dystopian fiction, time travel, and shows like Black Mirror and Russian Doll.

14.99 Pre Order
The Once and Future Me: A Novel

The Once and Future Me: A Novel

by Melissa Pace
The Once and Future Me: A Novel

The Once and Future Me: A Novel

by Melissa Pace

eBook

$14.99 
Available for Pre-Order. This item will be released on August 19, 2025

Available on Compatible NOOK devices, the free NOOK App and in My Digital Library.
WANT A NOOK?  Explore Now

Related collections and offers


Overview

A captivating debut where a woman teetering between identities embarks on a journey to uncover her true self, challenging the notions of sanity and time as she fights to correct the course of the world and navigate the mystery of her very existence.

When a woman wakes up on a transport bus arriving at Hanover State Psychiatric Hospital, she remembers nothing of her life up to that moment, none of the dark things she’s seen—and done—that have forged her into the steely survivor she is. Dr Sherman tells her she's Dorothy Frasier, a paranoid schizophrenic committed by the state for her violent delusions. And that it’s 1954. She knows none of this is true. The only problem is, despite her fighting skills and uncanny ability to pick locks and find escape routes, she has no idea who she actually is.

Delusional episodes begin to happen more frequently, moments where she finds herself in a broken future with a ragtag team of young scientists urging her to find a doctor in 1954. Apparently, this doctor holds the key to something lying dormant in them all, something they call the Guest. When she’s moved to the Unit, a section of the hospital where Dr. Sherman experiments with electroshock therapy, she knows that she has to get out—until she has a visitor. He’s a man whose concerned, loving face she recognizes, a man her doctor says is Paul Frasier, her doting husband.

Now she is sure of nothing but she needs answers—about the Guest and about Paul, but most importantly about herself. But to find those answers, she will have to face the darkness inside her and use it as she risks her freedom, mind, and ultimately her life in a battle for the truth.

Dark Matter meets Girl, Interrupted with a feminist twist in this gripping psychological thriller perfect for fans of dystopian fiction, time travel, and shows like Black Mirror and Russian Doll.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781250358660
Publisher: Holt, Henry & Company, Inc.
Publication date: 08/19/2025
Sold by: Macmillan
Format: eBook
Pages: 384

About the Author

Melissa Pace, a Wesleyan University graduate, is a former editor and writer for Elle Magazine, and a past finalist in the Humanitas New Voices fellowship for emerging television and screenwriters. She is a middling soccer player, an erstwhile oil painter but a mother to three incredible grown children. Pace lives in Los Angeles with her husband. The Once and Future Me is her first novel. Connect with her on Instagram @melissadugganpace or online at www.melissapacebooks.com.
From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews