Once Upon Tomorrow

Three girls. Three fates. Three interwoven stories. Spanning a hundred years from the present to the future, three girls on the cusp of life search for truth and connection amid family dysfunction, climate change and the march of new technology in this exquisite verse novel from the award-winning author of Grace Notes.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE YOUNG ADULT BOOK AWARD, QUEENSLAND LITERARY AWARDS 2026

Three girls. Three fates. Three interwoven stories. Spanning a hundred years from the present to the future, three girls on the cusp of life search for truth and connection amid family dysfunction, climate change and the march of new technology in this exquisite verse novel from the award-winning author of Grace Notes.

Miri, an eighteen-year-old hopeful Jungian student, discovers she's pregnant in 2025.
Aleita, sixteen, shelters in the library, the one place free of jolts to her digital implant in 2125.
Interwoven between them stands Sylvie, spinning tapestries to save her life and the kingdom. Sylvie exists in the pages of a mysterious fairytale titled The Girl at the Threshold.

Miri, Aleita and Sylvie each need to make a choice in their search for the truth. All three are connected through time by heartbreak, a desperate need to save the environment and a search for family and community.
An expansive verse novel about the parallel journeys of three extraordinary girls carving out their own histories - and each other's.

'Once Upon Tomorrow is an ambitious but captivating novel that explores the bonds of women and craft, technology activism, climate change and psychology, and it will appeal to readers who enjoy verse novels, literature, fairytales, handcrafts and authors such as Cath Crowley and Pip Harry' Books+Publishing

'Comer weaves an ambitious, luminous feminist fable about what matters most - family, agency, creativity and hope' PIP HARRY

'A fiercely intelligent, profound and groundbreaking work, Once Upon Tomorrow takes the YA verse novel form into territory few authors have explored, achieving poetic and narrative brilliance in the process. Karen Comer is undoubtedly one of our finest contemporary writers' ROBBIE COBURN

'A narrative that feels both complex and deeply intimate . every line feels intentional and poignant . It is rare to find a book that feels like a total discovery, but this one completely captured my heart. It is a stunning, lyrical exploration of connection that showcases the very best of Australian fiction' Readings

Praise for Karen Comer's award-winning debut, Grace Notes:

'Perfect for any young reader who's ever felt left on the outside' Books+Publishing

'A masterful debut!' Lorraine Marwood

'This beautiful story strikes the perfect tone' Nicole Hayes

'A classic in the making' Danielle Binks

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