"From M. J. Hyland, the Man Booker short-listed author of Carry Me Down, comes a psychologically probing and deeply moving account of a man at odds with the world." "Patrick Oxtoby is an outsider longing to find his niche. When his fiancee breaks off their engagement, Patrick leaves home and moves to a remote seaside village. But in spite of his hopes for a new and better life, Patrick struggles to fit in or make the right impression. He can't shake the feeling that his new friends are conspiring against him, further splintering his already fragile personality and prompting him to take a chilling and desperate course of action." "This Is How is a mesmerizing and meticulously drawn portrait of a man whose unease in the world leads to his tragic undoing. With breathtaking wisdom and an astute insight into the human mind, Hyland's latest is a masterpiece that arouses horror and sympathy in equal measure."--BOOK JACKET.