How Not to Die Alone

　　當無意間脫口而出的謊言，越滾越大……

　　不小心虛構了一整個家庭的單身男子，要怎麼鼓起勇氣告訴全世界：其實我沒有老婆也沒有小孩，我單身，今年42歲，我不想孤獨而死啊！



　　安卓(Andrew)僅僅是出於一時之間大腦短路，於是在面試被問到是否有小孩時，脫口而出，虛構了一整個家庭：他的家裡有他(那是當然)，以及……一個太太與兩個小孩。天知道他根本是個孤單的中年男人，過著其實他覺得沒什麼不好的獨居生活，唯一的親人是和他關係並不親近的姐姐。



　　但就是……這樣了。而且安卓正式被雇用後，也找不到可以澄清謊言的機會。接下來的五年，他過得如坐針氈，面對同事們善意的詢問，老闆日常的關心，無不追得他無地自容。



　　但謊言引發的效應，沒有最棘手，只有更棘手。當新同事佩姬(Peggy)闖入安卓的世界，他深深被佩姬吸引，但佩姬已婚的身分、和安卓「已婚」的身分，以及安卓的社交障礙，都讓一切變得萬分複雜。



　　而他的工作，是必須拜訪孤獨死的離世者的家，搜尋他們的遺物，找出他們是否有親屬可以通知。在工作的過程中，安卓也逐漸思考了孤單的生活，是否真的就是他想要的。而他一直以來選擇孤獨的真實原因，也慢慢浮現。



　　安卓必須作出決定，講出事實，展開新生活，還是放棄辛苦建立的友誼，持續打安全牌，走在謊言裡，不見天日。



　　面對佩姬，安卓該如何解釋這一切呢？ (文/博客來編譯)

Smart, darkly funny, and life-affirming, How Not to Die Alone is the bighearted debut novel we all need, for fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, it's a story about love, loneliness, and the importance of taking a chance when we feel we have the most to lose.

"Wryly funny and quirkily charming."--Eleanor Brown, author of The Weird Sisters

Sometimes you need to risk everything...to find your something.

Andrew's been feeling stuck.

For years he's worked a thankless public health job, searching for the next of kin of those who die alone. Luckily, he goes home to a loving family every night. At least, that's what his coworkers believe.

Then he meets Peggy.

A misunderstanding has left Andrew trapped in his own white lie and his lonely apartment. When new employee Peggy breezes into the office like a breath of fresh air, she makes Andrew feel truly alive for the first time in decades.

Could there be more to life than this?

But telling Peggy the truth could mean losing everything. For twenty years, Andrew has worked to keep his heart safe, forgetting one important thing: how to live. Maybe it's time for him to start.

About the Author

Richard Roper

　　Richard Roper is a nonfiction editor at Headline, where he works with authors such as James Acaster, Joel Dommett, Andrew O'Neill, and Frank Turner. How Not to Die Alone is inspired by an article he read about people whose job it is to follow up after people die alone. It is his debut novel.