"An original and brisk story in which the big themes of life are addressed in an almost casual way."
(Mohamed Benzakour, Author)
"A lively debut that shows how even a little life can be grand."
(Christiaan Weijts, Author)
"Aren't we all in need of support, of a safe marble playroom when things go wrong? The Roller Coaster Tester is a dazzling ode to everyone's inner Herman."
(Manon Duintjer, Author)
Herman van Dusselen is 32 years old and ‘a little different’. Or anyway, that’s what other people say. Herman loves playing at marbles, thoroughly cleans his house, and sticks to what he knows. He goes to lengths to push away painful memories of the past.
Everything changes when he meets Jeanette in an amusement park in his hometown. His immediate crush on the flamboyant employee of the cotton candy stand forces him to leave his comfort zone and opens up old wounds.
For the first time, Herman is being challenged to discover the world outside his safe and familiar marble playroom. Will Herman embrace life, or will he frantically hold on to the past?
For readers of Graeme Simsion and Jonas Jonasson
A heart-warming and movint debut
A tragicomic story of grief, being different and letting go