Lanta
In another life, he married a man
A Standalone Novel
One moonlit kiss on Ko Lanta. Twenty-six years of consequences.
Direct links:- Audiobook: Barnes & Noble , Kobo
- Hardcover: Amazon
- Large Print: Amazon
- Paperback: Amazon
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Blurb
A winter flight from England lands Lester on Ko Lanta, where the 1990s heat presses close and the sea keeps its own counsel. He’s twenty-five, meant to shepherd a bachelor trip and keep the peace. Instead he meets Silom, a young boatman who reads tides better than he trusts promises, and a single kiss under a moonlit sky shifts both men’s bearings. The island’s coves and currents feel like a map of what can be spoken and what must be carried in silence.
Around Lester and Silom move the people who sharpen the stakes: Michael, the gilded friend who can’t give what Lester needs; Lyla, a sister for whom poise is proof of love; Mama and Uncle, whose work keeps Silom’s world afloat; and Kamil, a friend whose flamboyance meets a community’s limits. Lester wants the courage to be honest; Silom wants a love he doesn’t have to hide. Between them stand class, culture, an ocean, and the futures their families demand.
If the tide keeps pulling them back together, what will each man risk when staying means loss and leaving means regret?
Content boundaries: some on-page consensual intimacy, one scene of homophobic violence with brief blood detail, and occasional strong language.
A complete standalone.
Why you’ll love it: sun-drenched setting, slow-burn longing, and a bittersweet, cross-cultural romance about work, kinship, and the long memory of place.
Behind the Pages
The childhood home of one of my dear friends sits on the east coast of Lanta—an old wooden house where the walls, beams, and pillars breathe memories. Stepping onto the back deck facing the sea feels like walking into a story. This became Silom’s house in my book—a place he’d rather not be tied to, yet always finds himself returning to, time and time again.
We (my husband and I) were lucky to have a local guide who never minded the odd requests of an unknown novelist—taking us to hidden corners, places untouched by crowds yet rich with quiet charm. And a Chao Lay boatman who showed us what life on Lanta truly means—his free-diving lesson was nothing short of astonishing. On the days we wandered alone, the island revealed its secrets. The encounter with the stingray was… let’s just say, closer than expected, and one we’ll be talking about for years.
Lives unfold on Lanta—good and bad, ordinary and wondrous, and sometimes touched by magic.
I hope you discover a little of that magic too, in the hush of the sea breeze, in the warmth of the people, and between the quiet spaces of the story.
Jern Tonkoi
Reviews
Lanta is a story that quietly broke my heart and then pieced it back together again. Spanning 26 years, it follows Silom’s life and love—his struggles, his losses, and the way longing can linger like an echo across decades. It’s a sad, tragic story at times, yet achingly realistic, reflecting the experiences of so many LGBTQ+ people whose lives are shaped by silence, distance, and societal expectations.
This author took me by surprise. The quiet, yet strong writing style by this new to me author drew me in from the start.
Audiobook: Story = 5 stars. Narration = 5 stars. --It's never too late for a new life on Lanta.-- That pretty much says it all. This was a story of the life and love of a young man that spanned 26 years. A sad, tragic life full of loss that is so realistic for so many lgbt people. This gave me Call me by your name vibes but with a much better HEA. I went into this thinking it would just be ok but I absolutely loved it. So many emotions wrapped up in one book that you can feel fly off the page. It was refreshing to hear what life is like outside of North America. Not to say these things don't happen here too but I found this distinction in plot to be extra interesting.
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