Prior Regrets

Paul Starr spent twenty-five years writing this novel, and its story unfolds over two decades. At its center are Mark Prior and Lauren Tesairi, who try to find their way through the crowded, restless streets of Jerusalem and the many colorful characters of North London, all while sorting through memories that time has blurred.

Mark had been out of touch with Lauren for eighteen years, since they parted with a lonely goodbye in a run-down hostel. When she unexpectedly gets in touch, she wakes memories he had long put away. At first he can barely piece together the three intense months they spent together as young travelers, finding their way around Jerusalem and each other through a haze of Sinai hashish, Arabic blues, and the bold, unformed hopes of youth.

When the two reconnect, Lauren shares secrets she has kept hidden for twenty years, and they bring the past rushing back, along with its dreams, innocence, and regrets. Mark now has a settled life with a wife and two sons, yet he wonders whether he can recapture that earlier time, and whether he can change the bleak future that seems to lie ahead for Lauren.