Leonard Cohen

A man who shares his name with a famous singer must grapple with his identity, purpose, and love.

Leonard Cohen: A Novel centres on an everyman named Leonard Cohen—a would-be artist, a would-be lover, and a would-be tragic figure. He is haunted by the greatness of his namesake. Leonard struggles to compete, to be more than a punchline in his own mind. His greatest struggle is to write a single song as great as even the least of the legendary Leonard Cohen's songs.

At the heart of Leonard's journey is Daphne. Their meeting on a Greek island unfolds as a contemporary fable of Daphne and Apollo. Yet, even with Daphne, Leonard is overshadowed by the other Leonard Cohen, whom he fears is the real Apollo. The ancient myth haunts their destined love affair, and Leonard’s life evolves into a mystery, a miracle, and a myth all its own.

Once upon a time, Apollo fell hard for Daphne, who ultimately turned herself into a laurel tree. No less a fate awaits the protagonists of this slender yet universal novel, where art, love, and fame intertwine fatefully.