Ever-Afters

Percival O'Reilly is a boy who cannot stay dead. Whether it is drowning in the icy River Ribble, a fatal fall, or a crushing blow, his body possesses a miraculous and terrifying "mending" ability. Each time he dies, he briefly visits a lush, ethereal jasmine garden where he sees a girl who feels more familiar than his own breath.

Josephine Darling, the daughter of a local landowner, is that girl. While Percy is a "Constant"-the same boy who never ages past his prime and never stays in the grave-Josephine is a "Changeling." She is an ancient soul trapped in a cycle of reincarnation. She dies, ages, and is reborn, but her spirit is magnetically pulled back to Percy in every lifetime.

The story begins with their childhood meeting in 1843, where a shared secret bonds them: Josephine is the only one who witnesses Percy's first "return." As they grow older, their bond deepens through Percy's poetry and Josephine's fierce protection of his secret. However, the 1800s is an era of deep superstition. The village of Ribbleton, led by the bitter Silas Crowther, begins to view Percy's "luck" as witchcraft. When they realize they cannot kill Percy, they turn their malice toward the only thing that makes his immortality worth living: Josephine.