Contemporary Fiction Books

Book SynopsisKatharina Hagena, born 1967, studied English and German Literature in Marburg, London and Freiburg, before lecturing at Trinity College Dublin and the University of Hamburg. Her first book What are the wild waves saying? Waterways Through Joyce's Ulysses, was published in 2006. The Taste of Apple Seeds is her first novel. She currently lives in Hamburg.Trade ReviewThis melancholy novel about lifting the layers of history is packed with gorgeous imagery and undertones of buried secrets... Sultry, tragic and intensely atmospheric * The Times *Beautifully phrased, artful and sometimes ingenious... The Taste of Apple Seeds is atmospheric and sensual * Independent *It's easy to see why this riveting gothic saga spent two years on the German bestseller list * Saga Magazine *First love, family secrets and the pain of loss are at the heart of this enchanting read * Good Housekeeping *A tale of perfect unity about three generations of very different women whose lives are intimately connected * Le Monde *

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Book SynopsisChristos Tsiolkas is the author of four novels: Loaded (filmed as Head-On) The Jesus Man, The Slap and Dead Europe. He is also a playwright, essayist and screen writer. He lives in Melbourne.Trade ReviewDead Europe sets sharp realism against folk tale and fable, a world of hauntings and curses against a fiercely political portrait of a society. The energy in the writing, the pure fire in the narrative voice and the fearlessness of the tone make the novel immensely readable, as well as fascinating and original, and establish Christos Tsiolkas in the first rank of contemporary novelists. * Colm Toibin *A novel of the most astonishing and disturbing eloquence ... shocking but beautiful. -- David Marr * Sydney Morning Herald *Breathtakingly good... One of Tsiolkas'sstrengths is the ability to reveal gentleness lying where none might be expected. his prose is... achingly tender and beautiful. -- Ian Syson * The Age *Brilliant ... unsettling ... It can shake you out of complacency, it can make you search your own soul to discover what's lurking there and what you really believe. And it can radically alter your view of the world... This blasphemous, disturbing, in-your-face book does all three. -- Sara Dowse * Canberra Times *

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Book SynopsisBy the author of The Handmaid''s Tale, The Testaments and Alias Grace''One of the most important novels of the 20th century . . . utterly remarkable'' New York Times''I feel it will be different if I look myself. Probably when we get there my father will have returned from wherever he has been, he will be sitting in the cabin waiting for us.''A young woman returns to northern Quebec, to the remote island of her childhood, with her lover and her two friends to investigate the mysterious disappearance of her father. Flooded with memories, she begins to realise that going home means entering not only another place but another time. As the wild island exerts its elemental hold and she is submerged in the language of the wilderness, she sees that what she is really looking for is her own past.''A stunning and satisfying book'' Time Out''Utterly absorbing'' Sunday TimesTrade ReviewUtterly absorbing and satisfying * Sunday Times *Utterly absorbing and satisfying * Sunday Times *One of the most important novels of the twentieth century...utterly remarkable * New York Times *One of the most important novels of the twentieth century...utterly remarkable * New York Times *A deep understanding of human behaviour * Marilyn French *A deep understanding of human behaviour * Marilyn French *A novelist and poet of great gifts * Guardian *A novelist and poet of great gifts * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisBY THE BESTSELLING, PRIZE-WINNING AUTHOR OF THE HANDMAID''S TALE''Clara'', she said, ''do you think I''m normal?''''I''d say you''re almost abnormally normal, if you know what I mean.'' Marian is determinedly ordinary, waiting to get married. She likes her work, her broody flatmate and her sober fiancé Peter. All goes well at first, but Marian has reckoned without an inner self that wants something more, that calmly sabotages her careful plans, her stable routine - and her digestion. Marriage à la mode, Marian discovers, is something she literally can''t stomach . . .Margaret Atwood''s first novel is both a scathingly funny satire of consumerism and a heady exploration of emotional cannibalism.''Written with a brilliant angry energy'' OBSERVER''Atwood has the magic of turning the particular and the parochial into the universal'' THE TIMES''Margaret Atwood not only has a sense of humour, she has wit and style in abundance . . . a joy to read'' GOOD HOUSEKEEPINGTrade ReviewMargaret Atwood is genuinely funny and makes her point engagingly * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH MAGAZINE *Margaret Atwood is genuinely funny and makes her point engagingly * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH MAGAZINE *The novel offers some ironic reflections on marriage, guilt and the relationship between the sexes - classic Atwood territory * GUARDIAN *The novel offers some ironic reflections on marriage, guilt and the relationship between the sexes - classic Atwood territory * GUARDIAN *A subtle and penetrating observer of relationships between men and women * SUNDAY TIMES *A subtle and penetrating observer of relationships between men and women * SUNDAY TIMES *Margaret Atwood not only has a sense of humour, she has wit and style in abundance...a real joy to read * GOOD HOUSEKEEPING *Margaret Atwood not only has a sense of humour, she has wit and style in abundance...a real joy to read * GOOD HOUSEKEEPING *

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Book SynopsisThe daughter of a Welsh gypsy and a crazy bee-keeper, Hazel Woodus is happiest living in her forest cottage in the remote Shropshire hills, at one with the winds and seasons, protector and friend of the wild animals she loves. But Hazel''s beauty and innocence prove irresistible to the men in her orbit. Both Jack Reddin, the local squire and Edward Marston, the gentle minister, offer her human -- and carnal -- love. Hazel''s fate unfolds as simply and relentlessly as a Greek tragedy as a child of nature is drawn into a world of mortal passion in which she must eternally be a stranger.

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Book SynopsisIn this, her second novel, (awarded the 1967 John Llewellyn Rhys Prize) Angela Carter's brilliant imagination and starting intensity of style explore and extend the nature and boundaries of love.

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Book SynopsisINTRODUCED BY MAGGIE O''FARRELL''A great work of literature, the product of a questing, burning intellect'' MAGGIE O''FARRELL ''Even if the themes being explored might seem irrelevant . . . this is not the case'' GUARDIAN''I loved the unnerving, sarcastic tone, the creepy ending'' PARIS REVIEW Based on the author''s own experiences, The Yellow Wallpaper is the chilling tale of a woman driven to the brink of insanity by the ''rest cure'' prescribed after the birth of her child. While she is isolated in a crumbling mansion, in a room with bars on the windows, the tortuous pattern of the yellow wallpaper winds its way into the recesses of her mind. Charlotte Perkins Gilman was America''s leading feminist intellectual of the early twentieth century and a brilliant writer, editor and speaker. The Yellow Wallpaper is her masterpiece.Trade ReviewEven if the themes being explored might seem irrelevant to you today and especially to such young audience, I can assure you that this is not the case * Guardian *A great work of literature, the product of a questing, burning intellect -- Maggie O'FarrellI loved it. I loved the unnerving, sarcastic tone, the creepy ending, the clarity of its critique of the popular nineteenth century * Paris Review *

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Book SynopsisFrom fat girl to thin, from red hair to mud brown, from London to Toronto, from Polish count to radical husband, from writer of romances to distinguished poet - Marian is utterly confused by her life of multiple identiities. She decides to escape to an Italain hill town to take stock of her life. But first, she must organise her own death...

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Book Synopsis''Blow Your House Down is swift, spare and utterly absorbing - you''ll probably read it, as I did, in one tense sitting'' NEW YORK TIMES ''A courageous and disturbing novel'' ELIZABETH WARD, WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD ''Despite its black humour, it is a deeply political book'' BELINDA WEBB, GUARDIAN A serial killer stalks prostitutes with profound and unexpected consequences in this riveting novel from the Booker Prize-winning author of TheGhost Road. A city and its people are in the grip of a killer who is roaming the northern city, singling out prostitutes. The face of his latest victim stares out from every newspaper and billboard, haunting the women who walk the streets. But life and work go on. Brenda, with three children, can''t afford to give up while Audrey, now in her forties, desperately goes on ''working the cars''.And then, when another woman is savagely murdered, Jean,Trade ReviewInspired by the reign of the Yorkshire Ripper, it raised a theme that would later rear its head in the media coverage of the Ipswich murders - how the serial killer is often mythologised with a label, whereas the women are just "prostitutes". Despite its black humour, it is a deeply political book -- Belinda Webb * Guardian *Barker's creative vision is as in touch with the psychologically primordial as Melville's * Harper's *Swift, spare, and utterly absorbing ... [Barker] makes us see her characters from within ... and thereby reveals the full individuality and humanity of women who have got short shrift both in literature and in life -- Katha Pollitt * New York Times Book Review *Mrs. Barker's feminist argument is clear enough - sexual violence puts all women at risk, there are no ''good'' women and ''bad'' women, the victim of a sex crime is herself treated as a criminal * New York Times *A courageous and disturbing novel -- Elizabeth Ward * Washington Post Book World *Barker's talent for gently sifting through the hidden depths of the human psyche is awesome * Nova *Barker's creative vision is as in touch with the psychologically primordial as Melville's * HARPER'S *Swift, spare, and utterly absorbing ... [Barker] makes us see her characters from within... and thereby reveals the full individuality and humanity of women who have got short shrift both in literature and in life * NY TIMES BOOK REVIEW *Barker's talent for gently sifting through the hidden depths of the human psyche is awesome * NOVA *

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Book Synopsis''An enchanting novel, witty, touching and very perceptively written, which will sweep you into wisteria and sunshine'' Santa MontefioreA discreet advertisement in ''The Times'', addressed to ''Those who Apppreciate Wisteria and Sunshine...'' is the impetus for a revelatory month for four very different women. High above the bay on the Italian Riviera stands San Salvatore, a mediaeval castle. Beckoned to this haven are Mrs. Wilkins, Mrs Arbuthnot, Mrs Fisher and Lady Caroline Dester, each quietly craving a respite. Lulled by the Mediterranean spirit, they gradually shed their skins and discover a harmony each of them has longed for but never known.First published in 1922, this delightful novel is imbued with the descriptive power and light-hearted irreverence for which Elizabeth von Arnin is renowned.''Filled with hazy hills and fragrant flora, the novel is a dreamily sensuous description of the glories of Italian spring'' Adam Nicolson, Mail on Trade ReviewAn enchanting novel, witty, touching and very perceptively written, which will sweep you into wisteria and sunshine -- Santa MontefioreFilled with hazy hills and fragrant flora, the novel is a dreamily sensuous description of the glories of Italian spring -- Adam Nicolson * Mail on Sunday *Elizabeth von Armin's most charming novel in every sense: it casts a spell...a sun-washed fairytale * Observer *At one level an escapist fantasy, at another a parable about the liberation of the spirit, this delicious confection will work its magic on all. * 'The Daily Telegraph' *

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Book Synopsis''A modern-day masterpiece'' SUNDAY TIMES''The third, Liza''s England, in many ways the most moving of the trilogy, tracks the life of a northern working-class woman from the beginning of the century to well into Thatcher''s reign, exploding feminist myths as readily as political ones'' BELINDA WEBB, GUARDIAN Dauntless Liza Jarrett, born at the dawn of the twentieth century, is now in her eighties, frail and facing eviction with her cantankerous parrot Nelson, when she is visited by Stephen, a young gay social worker. As she learns to trust him, she recalls her life - her embittered, exhausted mother, her shell-shocked spiritualist husband, her beloved son and chaotic daugter. Their friendship, deepening with the unfolding of their stories, comes to sustain Liza through her last battle and brings new courage to Stephen.Trade ReviewA modern-day masterpiece * Sunday Times *The third, Liza's England, in many ways the most moving of the trilogy, tracks the life of a northern working-class woman from the beginning of the century to well into Thatcher's reign, exploding feminist myths as readily as political ones. Barker's women do not want equality with men - their men are just as powerless as they are, seeking solace only in drinking, fighting and fucking -- Belinda Webb * Guardian *Readers turn to Barker's novels for their plain truths and clear-eyed sense of our history and creation stories * Sunday Times *

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Book Synopsis''It is elegant and flexible, most fluently expressing every shade of human emotion'' SUSAN HILL ''A novel to rival George Eliot or Jane Austen'' THE TIMES ''The most exquisitely written, delicate, passionately felt and haunting book'' ELIZABETH BUCHAN Dedmayne Rectory is quietly decaying, its striped chintz and darkened rooms are a bastion of outmoded Victorian values. Here Mary has spent thirty-five years, devoting herself to her sister, now dead, and to her father, Canon Jocelyn. Although she is pitied by her neighbours for this muted existence, Mary is content. But when she meets Robert Herbert, Mary''s ease is destroyed and years of suppressed emotion surface through her desire for him. First published in 1924, this novel is an impressive exploration of Mary''s relationship with her father, of her need for Robert and the way in which, through each, she comes to a clearer understanding of love.Trade ReviewA novel to rival George Eliot or Jane Austen . . . This beautifully sad and understated story deserves classic status -- DJ Taylor * The Times *It is elegant and flexible, most fluently expressing every shade of human emotion -- Susan HillThe most exquisitely written, delicate, passionately felt and haunting book I have ever read -- Elizabeth Buchanit is elegant and flexible, most fluently expressing every shade of human emotion * Susan Hill *The most exquisitely written, delicate, passionately felt and haunting book I have ever read * Elizabeth Buchan *

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Book SynopsisA captivating debut about defying expectations, hilarious and hopeful in equal measureTrade Review'This fierce young woman's struggle for independence in a city that is way out of step with the time-honoured traditions of the rural village in which she grew up is vivid, witty and utterly absorbing.' Daily Mail'I love this book so much I turned the pages so fast... It's all about the search for independence and being true to yourself and who you really are.' Reese Witherspoon'Mesmerising... This is not a book to read with one eye on a beach volleyball tournament; it’s a story to soak up in silence, on a long, cloudy afternoon when you have time to think.' New York Times'With characters making questionable decisions and a rather brilliant ending, this is a good old-fashion book club read that'll leave you arguing about character motivations and morals.' Stylist'Bursting with warmth, humour and richly drawn characters you can’t help but root for.' Cosmopolitan'A story that kept me tied to the page, told in masterful, seamless prose... Medie depicts a vivid and dazzling Accra, and it's impossible not to root for Afi as she finds her footing within it.' BuzzFeed'A unique and unapologetic marriage story that shines with honesty, humanity, power and grace: once you pick this book up, you won't be able to put it down. Medie's urgent, intimate voice is exactly what the world needs right now.' Mathangi Subramanian, author of A People's History of Heaven'This rich, rewarding debut novel follows a Ghanaian seamstress — forced into an arranged marriage with a wealthy man she has never met — on her journey of self-discovery.' New York Times, Notable Books of 2020'A refreshingly modern Ghanaian love story.' Marie Claire'[A] witty riff on the Cinderella fairytale.' Sainsbury's Magazine'A young Ghanaian woman embarks on a questionable marriage in this entertaining comedy of manners.' i, '30 great books for Easter''Engaging, provocative... A memorable debut from a writer whose frustrations with certain aspects of the culture of her homeland come brilliantly to life.' Irish Times'If you are looking to escape to another country, take a trip to Ghana with His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie... Best of all it's all underpinned by a warm coming-of-age-tale mixed in with a subtle takedown of the patriarchy.' The Sunday Times (South Africa)

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Book SynopsisA searing, gritty debut crime novel with an unforgettable heroine who must make her way in a man's worldTrade Review‘A fascinating glimpse into a world rarely portrayed in fiction.’ -- Guardian, best crime and thrillers‘Bold, addictive and brilliant.’ -- Stylist, best fiction 2021‘This impressive debut is not only about crime, justice, race and prejudice, but also about self-deception, disillusion and how the people you love most can be those you can bear least.’ -- Times and Sunday Times, book of the year‘Compelling and gritty’ -- Cosmopolitan‘Intense drama. The information she imparts is often eye-popping... This impressive debut reveals a world in which monsters exist “in the guise of friends and behind smiling faces”. It is a considerable achievement.’ -- The Times, best crime fiction‘The Khan is strong on illuminating the networks of family and community, giving fresh life to its familiar plot – essentially a Bradford take on The Godfather.’ -- Mail on Sunday, Best New Fiction‘With The Khan, Saima Mir delivers a once-in-a-generation crime-thriller and in Jia Khan has created a female South-Asian protagonist who is fierce, passionate and absolutely compelling. This is not simply black-and-white on the page. It’s blood. It’s emotion. It’s tears, anger, betrayal and revenge. An outstanding debut which deserves to be read widely.’ -- A.A.Dhand, author of Streets of Darkness'A tremendous debut (Jia Khan is a fascinating, multi-layered protagonist). Timely, authentic, immersive and powerful. Hints of The Godfather. SUPERB.' -- Will Dean, author of the Tuva Moodyson mysteries‘It takes guts to pick up the plot of The Godfather, pull it apart and reassemble it in the streets of a small northern city with a passing resemblance to Bradford but that is what Saima Mir has done... An eye-opening look at a world that rarely makes it into fiction… Jia could be coming to our screens soon, but I’m more interested in what Mir does next.’ -- Evening Standard‘When her father is murdered, Jia is plunged into a brutal power struggle among the communities, which — while Akbar was alive — the police counted on him to control… Does Jia become Michael Corleone to survive?’ -- Daily Mail'Blown away by the intricacy of such a clever, complex plot and the sense of unease.' -- Huma Qureshi, author of How we Met'A brilliant debut from an exciting new voice for our times. A thrilling book with a thrilling hero in Jia. Brava.' -- Imran Mahmood, author of You Don't Know Me'It’s an amazing piece of work and very timely at the moment... An amazing sense of place and time. I’m sure it’s going to be a sensational debut.' -- Lesley McEvoy, author of The Murder Mile'Superb. In particular the character development is excellent. I’m going to have to step up my game just to keep up. Damn you, Saima!' -- Khurrum Rahman, author of the Jay Qasim series'Jia is incredibly compelling without being simply likeable. It's a joy to read a book set in northern England that does not veer into cliche. It's so good on motherhood, morality and gender.' -- Nell Frizzell, author of The Panic Years'Saima Mir’s debut, The Khan, traces its lineage to such classics as Mario Puzo’s seminal work The Godfather: it is the story of a British Asian woman hailing from an organised crime family, the daughter of a first generation immigrant, who rejects the family business but is ultimately pulled into the vacuum left by her father’s death. Mir’s novel pulls no punches, taking aim at cultural stereotypes, sacred cows, and the attitudes and morality of the community within which the story is based. The book operates on various levels: crime family saga, character study, and an exploration of clan-run organised crime. A sterling debut.' -- Vaseem Khan, author of The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra‘I found myself hooked not only by the fast-paced crime plot but also by the fact that, for the first time, I had encountered a female South Asian protagonist in literature.’ -- Ghazal Abbasi, Guardian‘A more than promising debut in which a London lawyer reluctantly takes over her father’s criminal organisation… An excellent novel.’ -- Mark Sanderson * The Times Crime Club *'Saima Mir reinvents the gangster genre with dark lyrical prose that explores trauma, being an outsider, white privilege and revenge. Jia Khan is the enigmatic female lead we have been waiting for. I loved this book and can't wait to see whom Jia visits her vicious yet calculated brand of justice on next.' -- LV Hay, author of The Other Twin'A tour de force that grabs you by the lapels and doesn't let you go till the end... Jia Khan is one of the toughest, smartest characters created in years. Don't even THINK about calling her feisty.' -- Eleni Kyriacou, author of She Came To Stay‘This debut crime thriller unapologetically turns the classic genre on its head... Think of a classic crime novel...and your brain will probably take you straight to Mario Puzo’s 1969 classic, The Godfather. Not anymore. After today’s release of British-Pakistani journalist Saima Mir’s debut novel, it’s The Khan (Oneworld) that will dominate... Jia Khan is a fiercely modern anti-heroine – it’s no surprise that The Khan has already been optioned by BBC Studios.’ -- Stylist loves'The Khan is a dark, gripping thriller that subverts the usual "women as victims" narrative of crime fiction. Mir's writing is complex and evocative and The Khan is a fantastic read, sure to catch you in its clutches and not let you go until the final, heart pounding pages.' -- Bookbag‘The crime genre is red-hot right now and the book that burned the brightest was the scorching debut from Saima Mir... The stereotype-smashing protagonist who sets fire to weak images of Muslim females is breathtakingly brilliant and lights up a gripping thriller that had readers hooked.’ -- Eastern Eye, book of the year‘It’s invigorating to hear voices from communities that are out there but don’t often make centre stage in crime fiction. Let’s celebrate The Khan for that insight into British life… The Godfather retold as a feminist tale with the romantic notions of wise guys obliterated. Jia is a strong woman, a fascinatingly original character… A truly outstanding debut novel.’ -- New Books magazine‘This is riveting... I want to be Jia Khan. Heroines like this were not on my radar before!... What a phenomenal read. I’m loving reading this.’ -- Dr Shobna Gulati, author of Remember Me? ‘A unique and compelling read.’ -- The Skinny‘A forceful British debut set in an unnamed city reminiscent of Bradford at the centre of its Pakistani and crime community… Fast moving and involving.’ -- Crime Time‘An intense book, definitely relevant to the contemporary world where women still struggle to hold positions of power, combat racist and sexual attacks and climb the ladder while holding the front at home as conventional homemakers. Saima’s writing is impeccably visual… Mir breaks that glass ceiling and uses a bit of Urdu and Punjabi at some places to give you a sense of belonging, a sense of community. If you enjoy a good Agatha Christie thriller, you’ll enjoy Mir’s venture into the world of Jia Khan.’ -- Asian Voice‘Saima Mir has written an extraordinary debut novel, the exploits of Jia Khan will keep you gripped until the final pages and leave you wanting more. Mir also gives important insights into the British Asian lived experience, which resonate throughout. Not a word is wasted.’ -- Jennifer Smith, British Film Institute'This is an excellent debut and hopefully the start of a fantastic new series! Absolutely loved the ending, great new author to follow right from the beginning, I feel this could be a real eye opener of a series. It’s certainly going to keep you on the edge of your seat. Most definitely recommended.' -- Fiona Sharp, Bookseller'Just fantastic... Take a bow Saima Mir, you have nailed it with your powerful debut thriller, that has blown me away... Wow what a debut.' -- Surjit’s Books Blog‘In the summer blockbuster you’ve been looking for, Mir explores justice, honour and the insidious impact of Britain’s racism with a crime story that centres around the formidable lawyer Jia… she’s slap-bang in a Godfather-esque struggle for control, with grand plot twists that’ll leave your head spinning. Hopefully it’s the first in a series…’ -- Sytlist, Ultimate Reading List

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Book SynopsisHistorical fiction inspired by the War Office response to the Nazi obsession with the occultStep forward Daphne Devine - you are about to change the course of the war ‘A breathtaking historical thriller.’ Erin Kelly, author of The Skeleton Key ''Vivid and thoroughly entertaining... More, please.'' Guardian, best crime and thrillers June 1940. As World War Two rages, Daphne Devine remains in London, performing each night as assistant to stage magician Jonty Trevelyan, aka the Grand Mystique. Then the secret service call. For, aware of Hitler’s belief in the occult, the war office has set up a hidden cohort to exploit this quirk in the enemy’s chain of command. Daphne and Jonty find themselves far from the glitz and glamour of the theatre, deep inside the lower levels of Wormwood Scrubs prison. Here, they

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Book SynopsisSecrets and revenge converge in this chilling tale from a breakout new Latin American voiceTrade Review'A deliciously menacing read which I just couldn't put down. Every word punches hard. This World Does Not Belong to Us treads the fine line between beauty and horror effortlessly.' -- Jan Carson, author of The Raptures'One of the debut novels that most stood out this year in Latin America.' -- New York Times'The disquieting and visceral story of a banished son’s revenge... García Freire unearths a brilliant sense of the miraculous from the swarming and putrid subject matter. The result is beautifully macabre.' -- Publishers Weekly, Starred Review'Visceral prose captures Lucas’s obsession with death, bugs, and other unpleasant aspects of life... There is a strange, unconventional beauty to his morbid world.' -- Foreword Reviews'Ecuadorian writer Natalia García Freire shows an astonishingly mature style in her debut novel.' * El País *'Who would have thought that a novel so overflowing with animals, insects, flowers, and shrubs could teach us so much about ourselves?' -- Latin American Literature Today'Tremendous, a delight.' -- Mónica Ojeda, author of Mandíbula'García Freire takes us to the deepest parts of the human condition.' -- Página Dos'This World Does Not Belong to Us leads the reader into the deepest, darkest regions of human existence, where what is most infected and rotten becomes beautiful and liberating.' -- Toda Literatura'Why do we need to read this book? Because like all good literature, as full of inventions as it may seem, it contains a core of truth about human nature. We need to read this book because we are all parents or children and at some point we have questioned or question what it is to be a father, what it is to be a child.' -- Recordo'Natalia García Freire is unbelievably young to have written a first work of such talent.' -- Relatos en construcción'There's an echo of Juan Rulfo's Pedro Páramo in this novel. The return home, the search for a father or at least the memory of him. The ghosts. Only here, instead of the murmurs, we have a constant buzzing of insects and the noise of animals.' -- María José Navia, author of Sant'I am moved by its tenderness, the shadow of its flight, the kingdom it comes from. Insect and poverty. Larva and death.' -- Dara Scully, author of Animal de Nieve'A brooding tale of broken relationships, betrayal and – just possibly – redemption... A remarkably assured work. In prose that is both poetic and earthy, Natalia García Freire spins her evocation of the natural world and humanity's place in it with care and precision.' -- New Internationalist'Skilful and unnerving... A masterpiece in atmosphere and the power of perspective. García Freire is an author in full control of estimable powers and effectively translated by Victor Meadowcroft, who captures the subtlety at work in the narrative voice, as well as its audacious confidence.' -- Litro Magazine

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Book SynopsisFeverishly energetic and playfully creepy, an unforgettable debut that hurtles through the ghostly secrets of Vietnamese historyTrade Review'A fantastic debut... A wonderfully ambitious novel about death, snakes and female revenge...recounted with a rich, hypnotic lyricism.' The Sunday Times'Loved this epic book – beautiful, brilliant, powerful, and shivery-back-of-the-neck terrifying.' Madeline Miller, author of Circe'Violet Kupersmith’s Build Your House Around My Body weaves together Vietnamese folklore and ghosts into a visceral and brilliant read.' Stylist'Fiction as daring and accomplished as Violet Kupersmith's first novel reignites my love of the form and its kaleidoscopic possibilities.' David Mitchell, author of Cloud Atlas 'I am loving Build Your House Around My Body… it's really difficult to believe this is a debut novel.' Jen Campbell, author of The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night'Build Your House Around My Body is such an innovative, brilliant, haunting and compelling read.' Nguyen Phan Que Mai, author of The Mountains Sing'A book a bit like the creatures within. It has fangs and claws. It horrifies and charms. It is the sort of book you force on your friends, just so you can talk to them about it.' Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of Starling Days'A marvellous, confounding debut that moves from eerie Vietnamese forests to rundown zoos and crowded nightclubs… A hugely impressive debut.' Guardian'A labyrinthine, shape-shifting novel, deep in magical realism territory.’ New Internationalist'Creepy, exciting, moving, insanely funny: a sweat-soaked reading delight... An absolute triumph of storytelling.' Nick Bradley, author of The Cat and the City'Intricately plotted, flamboyantly original... By turns steamy, grisly, comic, horrific, and touching. This literally haunting tale will stay with you long after the last page is turned.' Valerie Martin, author of Property 'Dazzling... I had the sense that Violet Kupersmith’s eerie and electric debut novel was spreading beyond the bounds of the page and seeping into my life... A thrilling read, acrobatic and filled with verve.' New York Times'What a joy to return to the numinously spooky world of [Violet] Kupersmith and find the ghosts of history and family still haunting her pages... Gorgeous, completely original, and quite disturbing, usually all three at the same time.' Karen Joy Fowler, New York Times-bestselling author of Booth

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Book SynopsisA piercingly original debut about the limits of forgiveness, from an award-winning Scottish poet* A Scotsman ''Best Book of 2023'' * From an award-winning Scottish poet, an unforgettable novel about memory and radical forgiveness How far would you go to overcome the limits of your own forgiveness? Quinn is serving a life sentence for a crime he''s convinced he hasn''t committed. Surely the authorities have got it wrong, and when they find his childhood sweetheart, Andrea, his name will be cleared. His parole date is drawing near when he receives an unexpected letter from Andrea''s mother, who invites Quinn to share her home. It soon becomes clear that what appears to be a genuine act of forgiveness is influenced by more complex motivations. As the duo navigate the thorny terrain of guilt, justice and mutual need that underpins their relationship, the story of Quinn''s past is gradually revealed, setting Trade Review'Quite remarkable... Strang is an exceptionally accomplished writer.' -- The Scotsman'Eerie and moving... Quinn is a haunting fable about redemption, rendered in otherworldly, poetic prose.' -- FT'A fascinating fever dream of a book... What a novelistic debut from Em Strang.' -- AL Kennedy, author of We Are Attempting to Survive Our Time'Arresting… [with] a Max Porter-like intensity.' -- Daily Mail'Hypnotically beautiful... It has the rare quality of being precise and gripping while at the same time leaving you radically uncertain as to what has actually happened.' -- Mark Haddon, author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime 'Reads like a fever dream... Delicate and touching... This devastating story [is] one of redemption too.' -- New Statesman'I read it at a sitting, compelled by this strange and beautiful work... An astonishing feat of imagination.' -- Gwen Adshead, author of The Devil You Know'Em Strang's is a true voice, and Quinn is that rarity, an original work of fiction, which excavates trauma and memory and refuses the frameworks placed on it. This book is its own landscape. Strange and powerful.' -- Paul Kingsnorth, author of The Wake, winner of the Gordon Burn Prize'Such graceful prose with not a wasted breath; such grounded sharing from the magma of experience.' -- Alastair McIntosh, author of Soil and Soul'A beautifully constructed and mesmerizing book that makes you think afresh about the enduring residue of pain both for those who have committed acts of violence and those affected by them. A brave and original attempt to answer our culture of dehumanization with a story that rehumanizes at every level.' -- Marina Cantacuzino, author of The Forgiveness Project‘That Em Strang is a poet comes as no surprise. She packs the text with natural imagery and quirky linguistic choices… The novel is compelling and original.’ -- Literary Review'Short but intense… [Strang] clearly realises that her readers are watching out for the first sign of any dash towards the predictable. Her talent lies in the way that she keeps them inside Quinn’s fraying, frightened mind... Imaginative, compelling and refreshingly cliche-free.' -- Books from Scotland'This novel had us gripped from start to finish!' -- Closer 'A subtle and sophisticated exploration of forgiveness and motive.' -- Books from Scotland'Quinn teems with poetic effects... A piece of writing that subverts the novel’s traditional narrative techniques – plot, dialogue, character development – and replaces them instead with the allusive and symbolic devices of an extended prose poem.' -- TLS

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Book SynopsisA hauntingly beautiful debut for fans of Isabel Allende and Kazuo IshiguroTrade Review'Once inside this decaying mansion, [Anaïs] and we are transfixed by a series of spectres from the Echeverrías' history. Lickorish Quinn's best sentences… flow through present participles that conjure sights and sounds… strange, and spectacular.' Sunday Telegraph'A heady blend of Isabel Allende and Gabriel García Márquez, in which stories and visions proliferate dizzyingly in all directions, this is an impressive first outing.' Daily Mail'An absolute must-read. I was glued to its pages from the first to the last and am still struggling to believe that such an accomplished creation is Quinn's debut… A wonderfully immersive experience.' Literary Flits'Lickorish Quinn's magnificent debut enchants from first page to last... A breath-taking writer of singular voice.' Patrick Flanery, author of Absolution'A mesmerising feat of imagination and a masterful debut.' Paul Lynch, Booker Prize-winning author of Prophet Song'An innovative and precisely imagined exploration of identity, family, ghosts, and the intersection between personal and national history. It swept me away.' Clare Fisher, author of All the Good Things'The Dust Never Settles is ambitious, fascinating and endlessly inventive – a time-bending, kaleidoscopic fever dream in which the living coexist with the dead, and the past with present.' Luiza Sauma, author of Everything You Ever Wanted'Always colourful, its magical realism beautifully realised, this novel brims with Peruvian folklore and history as Anaïs negotiates ghosts from the past and comes to terms with long-buried secrets.' Daily Mail'A marvelous, vertiginous work that mercilessly conveys the post-colonial state.' Caoilinn Hughes, author of The Wild Laughter'Karina Lickorish Quinn is the new face of magic realism... Like its title, The Dust Never Settles will stay floating inside the reader, impossible to forget or unsee.' Laia Jufresa, author of Umami

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Book SynopsisA richly drawn collection of stories that brings contemporary Botswana to lifeTrade Review'A terrific collection, deeply rooted in place, sharply observed, comic, fierce, with a fine sense of the tragedy and absurdity of life. I hope it attracts the wide readership it deserves.' -- Monica Ali, author of Brick Lane and Love Marriage'A good short story is a bit of alchemy, showing us so much in so few pages. Gothataone Moeng's debut collection does this over and over, each story surprising with its music, its warmth, its command of language.' -- Rumaan Alam, author of Leave the World Behind‘These mouth-wateringly sensory, satisfyingly complex stories, set in rural and urban Botswana…. Not the glance or sharp epiphany in these stories but the long kiss, with the heart as totem, questions in their wake.’ -- Irish Times'These brilliant stories are set in modern Botswana, but delve into age-old longings. Moeng unfurls the luminous inner life of her characters (girls and women for the most part) as they go about their ordinary days, hearts and heads brimful of new wants and desires, but keenly aware of old traditions and family expectations.' -- Daily Mail'Moving and impressive. Gothataone Moeng is a true writer and true observer of human universals.' -- Maggie Gee, author of The Red Children'It was a joy to discover the Tswana life in these pages and it is as familiar as kinship. Call and Response teems with life's twists, surprises and shocks and reminds us of our shared humanity. Moeng is generous in detail and humour. She is an exciting voice to join in African conversations.' -- Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi, author of The First Woman'A beautiful collection. What sharply observed vignettes – linked by striking figures, vivid details, a wry and ruminative mood, and deep insight into the vicissitudes of family life.' -- Namwali Serpell, author of The Furrows'Lyrical and poignant... The author brings insightful prose and a distinctive voice to these layered stories, demonstrating deep knowledge of her characters and care for their worlds. Moeng is a new force in the literary landscape.' -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)'The debut of a major talent.' * Souvankham Thammavongsa, author of How to Pronounce Knife *'The publication of Call and Response is cause for celebration. Big-hearted and clear-eyed in their evocation of her beloved Botswana, these radiant stories contain the stuff of life: joys and sorrows, the wisdom of generations, the ceremonies of the everyday. A gorgeous, vital work of literature.' * Yoon Choi, author of Skinship *'These stories—set mainly in the author’s hometown of Serowe and the Botswanan capital of Gaborone—illuminate the inner lives of girls and women of varying ages. Idiomatic phrases add texture to the prose, elegantly describing the characters' lives and their internal conflicts... A lovely debut brimming with deeply felt and well-rounded stories.' -- Kirkus (starred review)'Moeng paints beautiful vignettes of modern Botswana, exposing readers to communities and traditions of her home country while exploring dichotomies and relational tensions familiar to all readers. Her beautiful, lyrical prose and memorable characters make this collection a delight to read.' -- Booklist'This luminous collection of short stories plumbs the depths of women’s interior lives, deftly juxtaposing the quotidian with the universal… Moeng writes with lush, heartfelt intensity that illuminates contemporary Botswana for readers who value complex female characters navigating a rapidly changing world.' -- Library Journal'The stories in Moeng’s debut collection are grounded in her experience of life in Botswana. Focused on everyday life and families there, the book incorporates both unique and universal themes of relationships, infidelity, loss, sexuality, community, opportunity and love.' -- Ms Magazine, 'Most Anticipated Feminist Books of 2023''In Gothataone Moeng’s precise, delightfully detailed collection, Call and Response, we witness the challenges women of all ages face in a modernizing postcolonial Botswana where elements from the old life still remain… Moeng’s stories pulsate with life and accumulate to build a full, rich world.' -- New York Times Book Review'These nine unhurried, fully realized tales may brim with their protagonists’ yearnings, familial rivalries, regrets and disappointments, but reading them is pure pleasure… Completely unforced and fascinating. Rich, thronging with life, Call and Response is a collection to be treasured.' -- New Internationalist'Although Moeng is young, her prose is mature – spare and subtle, with both universal and local appeal. Beautifully crafted, they somehow echo US author Elizabeth Strout’s stories. They pull the reader, seemingly effortlessly, into the intimacy of a character, focusing on details and everyday life which open onto wider issues.' -- The Africa Report

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Book SynopsisA deliciously twisty psychological thriller debutTrade Review‘A twisty, chilling look at the lengths one woman will go to get what she wants.’ * Observer, Thriller of the Month *'This compelling debut novel is dark, twisty and full of suspense.' * Heat, **** *‘Original, unsettling and full of secrets, The Coffin Club is a compelling debut with a superbly twisted end.’ -- Sarah Clarke, author of A Mother Never Lies'Sutherland… ratchets up the tension in her debut novel, until the hair-raising denouement. Taut and emotionally involving.' * Saga magazine *‘Slippery as an eel, dark and twisted, The Coffin Club’s tale of death, deceit and desire is deliciously compelling.’ -- Sabrina Broadbent, author of You Don’t Have to be Good‘A riveting, deeply disquieting thriller. Original, seamlessly put together and an experience you will never emotionally recover from.’ -- Sarah Goodwin, author of Stranded‘This is a spine-tingling, unputdownable page-turner, and a remarkable debut. I was gripped the whole way through.’ -- Lucy Martin, author of Stop at Nothing‘A dark and gripping debut with sinister undertones from the very first page. I loved it.’ -- Sophie Flynn, author of All My Lies‘A psychological thriller that spins around a couple of modern themes, touching on mental health and even migration and Brexit. The characters are plausible and intriguing and the reveals are clever and satisfying.’ -- CrimeTime‘A perfect “romantic-noir” – a crime story wrapped up in a love story. The characters draw you in to their world and make you root for them, until a creeping sense of dread make you cower as you wonder where the fatal blow is going to come from. Well-crafted and chilling!’ -- S E Moorhead, author of Witness X‘Brilliantly addictive psychological thriller... Twisty, dark, definitely unputdownable. A fantastic debut!’ -- Louise Fein, author of People Like Us‘The minute I started it I was absolutely hooked… This is a terrific debut and I for one cannot wait to see what this author comes up with next. It’s an absolute 5 * read without a doubt if I could give it more I would.’ -- Jackie's Reading Corner‘It is a testimony to the writer’s skill that one becomes lost in the emotion and pathos of the story to such an extent that it is easy to forget that the novel consists entirely of a monologue… A great debut novel that explores love, loss, friendship, motherhood and betrayal. It is engrossing throughout and ends with a shocking and unexpected twist. Enjoyable and highly recommended.’ -- Mystery People‘This’ll keep you guessing.’ -- Peterborough Telegraph‘A dark tour de force.’ -- Woman’s Own

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Book SynopsisStunningly honest and bursting with wit, Someday Maybe is the story of grief and resilience that you won't be able to stop talking aboutTrade Review'At turns bitingly funny and heart-breakingly gutting.' -- Bolu Babalola, bestselling author of Love in Colour'Simultaneously moving, witty and restorative.' -- Daily Mail'A love story in retrospect, heartbreaking in its inevitability but also shot through with moments of joy and humour as Eve searches for answers.' -- Stylist'A book about suicide may not sound heartwarming, but this one about a woman struggling to go on after losing her husband strikes the perfect balance between gut-wrenchingly sad and surprisingly funny. It’s a great rainy-day read about the love that rallies around us in tragic times — and a reminder that light can come from the most unexpected sources.' -- Good Housekeeping'This tender novel about grief triumphs in its reflections on how we are buoyed by the families we are born into, and the ones we make along the way.' -- Ayobami Adebayo, author of A Spell of Good Things‘An exploration of one young woman’s grief, Someday, Maybe is equal parts sorrow and joy, and debut writer Nwabineli is one to watch.’ -- Red Magazine, Book of the Month'A beautiful and heartbreaking meditation on the layers of grief and love, the complicated expressions of human suffering and the courage it takes to let go of the past.' -- Derek Owusu, author of That Reminds Me'An intimate, stunning novel. This book will stay with me for a long time.' -- Jade Bentil, author of Rebel Citizen'Onyi Nwabineli's graceful prose carries you through this moving meditation on grief, memory and community. Someday, Maybe is an astonishing debut, rich in both heartbreak and humour.' -- Jendella Benson, author of Hope & Glory'Incisive and witty, this deeply moving debut about the many faces of grief took me on an oscillating journey of emotions. I couldn't put it down. Each richly developed character leaps off the page with vivid dimension through Onyi's razor-sharp voice. Fresh and original contemporary fiction from the diaspora I've long yearned for.' -- Lọlá Ákínmádé Åkerström, internationally bestselling author of In Every Mirror She's Black'Someday, Maybe is an honest and profoundly stirring portrait of loss. Onyi Nwabineli peels back the veneer of sympathy and expectation to reveal the effects a young widow's grief can have on her family, on her circle of friends, and even on the strangers she encounters. Eve's emotional paralysis is heartbreaking to witness but at its heart, Someday, Maybe is a beautifully written love letter to the resiliency of the human spirit. A stunning debut.' -- Xio Axelrod, author of The Girl With Stars in her Eyes'A touching debut... Eve's family are lovingly written: they gossip, chide her in Igbo and prescribe a bitter leaf soup to heal her broken heart. They also contribute to the surprising perkiness of this novel, in which sensitive observations about the nature of grief are set against humour. Even when Eve is in the depths of despair, deluding herself with hopes that Quentin might come home, she is witty. I was reeled in by her chatty voice and stayed for the tender, touching depiction of grief and family.' -- The Sunday Times'Most touching is the way Eve grows to emotional maturity as the story goes on, swapping rage for grace and hurt for healing.' -- FT'It's hard to believe that this outstanding novel is a debut. Poignant and heartfelt… A beautifully drawn story that shows us how to help those who are grieving.' -- Prima, Book of the Month, October 2022'Nwabineli's exceptional debut is a heartfelt and moving portrayal of grief and recovery in all its messiness... This is an excellent choice for book clubs and for readers who enjoy thought-provoking, deeply emotional fiction.' -- Booklist (starred review)'Someday, Maybe is a powerful debut novel about young love, profound loss, and the possibility of hope. Onyi Nwabineli is an author to watch.' -- Brenda Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of The House on Blueberry Lane'A powerful tale of a London widow whose photographer husband died by suicide... The genuine displays of emotion and sharp narrative will keep readers turning the pages.' -- Publishers Weekly'A perceptive, painstaking interrogation of loss and depression... Nwabineli's first novel is a clear-eyed, compassionate take on grief.' -- Shelf Awareness'A satisfying read and testament to our human ability to heal.' -- San Francisco Chronicle'If you are someone who gravitates toward emotional gut punch reads, allow me to introduce you to this spectacular debut.' -- BuzzFeed'A devastating and powerful story about loss, love, and healing... An emotional journey packed with heartbreak, grief, and beautiful memories.' -- She Reads, 'Best Fiction Books Coming in 2022''Expect Nwabineli to emerge as a fresh new voice in contemporary fiction.' -- Reader's Digest, 'Most Anticipated Books of 2022''Fuelled by inventive use of language and driven by sharp wit, the book conjures up a raw, living reality of sorrow, loss, and love… The author accomplishes a difficult task with Someday, Maybe – creating a genuine, living, breathing portrait of the meeting place of youth and death… A funny, realistic elegy to love.' -- Irish Examiner'An unconventional story told through the eyes of Eve, a recent widow in a British-Nigerian family. Nwabineli deftly explores themes of marriage, loss and perseverance in what makes for a heart-filled debut novel.' -- Hunger Magazine'Nwabineli deftly weaves Eve’s Igbo heritage into the story, incorporating phrases, food and traditions... Both respectful and honest... Nwabineli turns clichés into quirky, imagery-laden metaphors.' -- Associated Press'Exploring themes of grief, mental illness, and irrevocable love, Someday, Maybe is a heartrending tale about a young Nigerian woman who loses her husband too soon. Keep the box of tissues close!' -- Brittle Paper, '100 Notable African Books of 2022''Here is so much warmth and spirit in Nwabineli’s words. She captures the tidal force of emotions that come with grief with such eloquence and compassion... Here is so much warmth and spirit in Nwabineli’s words. She captures the tidal force of emotions that come with grief with such eloquence and compassion.' -- Em's Shelflove'Someday, Maybe is able to capture the volatile world of grieving, embracing how it acts with chaos and complete irrationality but also welcoming the lighter moments in which we can find relief… This novel is ultimately about the resilience of the human spirit, the strength of family and community, the transformative power of love and life long journey of healing.' -- Bad Form

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Book SynopsisA gripping new novel by bestselling author Mary ChamberlainTrade ReviewPraise for The Hidden: ‘A powerful and raw, elegantly written, character piece dealing with inhumanity and endurance, firmly grounded in real events.’ Herald ‘Recent novels such as The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society have taken the occupation as their subject, but none so potently as Mary Chamberlain’s The Hidden.’ Sunday Times ‘A heart-breaking yet hope-filled tale.’ Woman's Own magazine'I galloped through this beautifully written epic tale, unable to put it down. The Lie is full of tension and twists, but it's also a poignant portrait of what it means to be a mother. We follow the plights of two sisters from WW2 until the 2000’s, very different women, both struggling to survive in a world that refuses or begrudges them power and agency because of their sex. The Lie is a fascinating look at women’s evolving role in history, and an emotional, heart-stopping read.' Saskia Sarginson, author of The Twins'In The Lie, Mary Chamberlain expertly weaves together the different timelines, whilst simultaneously unpicking the nature of women’s relationships. Chamberlain is a brilliant storyteller and this tightly-plotted tale of tough choices and hard truths doesn’t disappoint.' Sonia Velton, author of Blackberry and Wild Rose'A gripping, absorbing mystery about the true meaning of family, and a fascinating exploration into the huge social changes that impacted ordinary lives, particularly those of women, during the 20th century.' Sarah Day, author of Mussolini's Island'Not only is The Lie a fascinating and deftly-written novel of sisterhood and secrets exploring women’s untold stories, but it's the first book I’ve read in which Rick Astley is thanked in the Acknowledgements.' Anna Mazzola, author of The Clockwork Girl'No-one honours the hidden stories of women who’ve lived through wartime like Mary Chamberlain. The Lie is a testament to all those who’ve had to hide their truth - a compelling, poignant and heartfelt tale about the quiet devastation that is caused when the secrets of the past surface in the present.' Lianne Dillsworth, author of Theatre of Marvels 'A deftly written and executed novel, interesting and provoking. It demonstrates the challenges facing women who wanted to make their way in a word where the rules and conventions were drawn up by men.' * Historical Novel Society *

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Book SynopsisHow do you find peace after a devastating loss?A search for solace takes a dark turn in this electrifying debut.Trade Review'It's hard to believe The Weight of Loss by Sally Oliver is a debut novel because the writing and pacing are so confident and assured. Compulsive and deeply unsettling. Don't start it if you have stuff to do!' -- Clare Chambers, author of Small Pleasures'I love Sally Oliver's writing... I found the whole thing addictive.' -- Helen Fisher, author of Space Hopper'Daring, unsettling and original, The Weight of Loss is a debut to savour. Sally Oliver writes with startling intensity.' -- Victoria Gosling, author of Before the Ruins'The Weight of Loss is a wrenching, viscerally weird novel of grief, longing and mortality. Perceptive, erudite and powerful, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about how much I loved it!' -- Leon Craig, author of Parallel Hells'Intelligent, addictive, and unsettling. Sally Oliver is a thoughtful, gorgeous writer, and this layered exploration of trauma, family, and selfhood will linger.' -- Julia Fine, author of What Should Be Wild'A deeply unsettling story, told at a brilliantly controlled pace and rendered in luminous prose. It's like the love child of early Ian McEwan and Nicola Barker.' -- Ali Millar, author of The Last Days'An affecting portrait of a young life shaped by grief, set against an unnerving, surreal medical backdrop, somewhere between My Year of Rest and Relaxation and A Cure for Wellness... A remarkable, thought-provoking, vivid book.' -- Will Wiles, author of Plume'The Weight of Loss is a beautifully written and intensely felt novel. Its subject matter – grief and mortality – is timeless, but its method, a startling combination of emotional realism and gothic horror, feels brand new.' -- Ian McGuire, author of The Abstainer'Strangely ethereal, yet entirely solid and compelling, this is a unique novel that talks with startling clarity and composure about the in-between spaces, the possibilities of being, and the connection between the living and the dead.' -- Alice Ash, author of Paradise Block'A...reflective but ultimately engrossing thriller with a strong emotional core.’ * Bookbag *'The Weight of Loss ripples with visceral language that conceals an ominous underbelly, ever threatening to burst free... Oliver’s prose is quite captivating. She writes with a poetic precision, deftly balancing sections with words charged with sexual and fatalistic tension in equal parts.' -- Chicago Review of Books'Gripping, gory and addictive... An exploration of grief and trauma in a weird health retreat where all is not as it seems.' -- Amanda Craig, author of The Golden Rule'I started reading The Weight of Loss without knowing what to expect. And I was delighted to be gripped from the very first page - a very curious and compelling opening scene - and I finished the novel in 3 days. It is addictive reading, carrying the reader along through a clever narrative structure and raising many intriguing questions. The last fifty pages are intense and I was swept along by the strangeness of the story. But it is both strange and somehow very real at the same time: I've never read anything quite like it. Beautiful!' -- Lucy Ashe, author of Clara & Olivia

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisIt's hard to plan your future when the ghosts of your childhood won't leave you alone...Trade Review'A triumphant ode to resilience, friendship and love. Marie-Claire's writing sparkles, reminiscent of Adichie's Purple Hibiscus.' -- Bisi Adjapon, author of The Teller of Secrets'A vivid, deeply felt exploration of intergenerational trauma... Stella is an utterly unique heroine who you'll find yourself rooting for from page one.' -- Angela Chadwick, author of XX'A bittersweet rites-of-passage novel… [Amuah's] interrogation of trauma is powerful… A heartfelt debut.' -- Observer'In One for Sorrow, Two for Joy, Marie-Claire Amuah accomplishes an extraordinary rendering of the horror of domestic violence from the perspective of a nine-year-old child. Amuah's haunting story of the tragedy of violence is authentic, poignant and alive. This is an accomplished debut and I look forward to reading more from Marie-Claire.' -- Cherie Jones, author of How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House'Wow! One for Sorrow, Two for Joy is an evocative and gorgeously narrated story that broke my heart and stitched it back together again even stronger by the end. I laughed and cried and hurt and healed in the course of reading Stella's deeply-felt story. I loved this book so much. Intense and beautiful and heartbreaking!' -- Buki Papillon, author of An Ordinary Wonder'Brilliant. I loved it! One for Sorrow, Two for Joy is a rollercoaster of emotions throughout. I loved how the writing grew as Stella did. From the jump I felt invested and protective of Stella and all the Stellas out there! I got lost in it and couldn't put it down. Here’s to resilience and friendship!' -- Jamz Supernova, BBC Radio 1Xtra DJ'A dazzling debut...brimming with compassion.' -- Damian Barr's Literary Salon, Book of the Week'A beautiful, brave and deeply moving debut that explores the complexities of intergenerational trauma, belonging and love through a tender yet powerful voice. In One for Sorrow, Two for Joy, Amuah has crafted an important and sweeping story with skill and compassion. Stella, as well as her friends and family, will stay with me for a long time.' -- Sussie Anie, author of To Fill a Yellow House'This is a beautifully written account of domestic violence and intergenerational trauma, and the resilience and hope that can break its power.' -- Debut Digest, Editor's Pick'There are so many words to describe this beautiful book, and on reflection, one of them is 'generous'. It's such a generous, sometimes painful portrayal of a beautiful soul. I really enjoyed it and Stella is definitely still with me.' -- Jeffrey Boakye, author of I Heard What You Said‘Stella is caught between an abusive home life and a cold-hearted world. The story chronicles her struggle, growth, and fight for survival.’ -- Brittle Paper, '100 Notable African Books of 2022'

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Book Synopsis* The literary debut that everyone is talking about *Trade Review'A firecracker debut. Seriously impressive... The writing is incandescent, the range of styles and voices remarkable... There’s so much dazzling stuff here.' -- The Sunday Times'Inventive, heartbreaking and acutely funny.' -- Observer'Here is something new, a first novel with the wisdom and tenderness of a masterwork; an unflinching look at the down-and-outs that continue to rise and rise. The Rabbit Hutch is addictive, mesmerizing and unforgettable.' -- Marlon James, author of Black Leopard, Red Wolf'Every now and again a debut novel comes along which is so accomplished you almost suspect the writer's name is a pseudonym for a mischievous literary veteran. Sure-footed, richly imagined and highly original, you could say The Rabbit Hutch is 2022's The Secret History… a profound novel full of clever, thought-provoking ideas.' -- The Big Issue'Original and incisive... Breathtaking, compassionate and spectacular.' -- The Irish Times'Throughout, tension is mixed with hilarity, heartbreak with hope. It all makes for a gripping, memorable debut full of peculiar wonders.' -- Mail on Sunday'Philosophical, and earthy, and tender and also simply very fun to read.' -- Rivka Galchen, author of Little Labours'Gunty writes with a keen, sensitive eye about all manner of intimacies.' -- Raven Leilani, author of Luster'Just when everything seemed designed for a brief moment of utility before its planned obsolescence, here comes The Rabbit Hutch, a profoundly wise, wildly inventive, deeply moving work of art whose seemingly infinite offerings will remain with you long after you finish it. Each page of this novel contains a novel, a world.' -- Jonathan Safran Foer, author of Everything is Illuminated'The Rabbit Hutch balances the banal and the ecstatic in a way that made me think of prime David Foster Wallace. It's a story of love, told without sentimentality; a story of cruelty, told without gratuitousness. Gunty is a captivating writer.' -- Guardian'Author Tess Gunty has the scope and acuity of David Foster Wallace, without the obscurantism and wilfully slow pace... Brilliant.' -- Financial Times, The Best Debut Fiction round-up'Strange, exuberant... Stylish.' -- The Times

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Book SynopsisA haunting, a love story, a mystery and an unforgettable tale of a young girl's search for belonging combine in this dazzling South African novel

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Book SynopsisA haunting, a love story, a mystery and an unforgettable tale of a young girl's search for belonging combine in this dazzling South African novelTrade Review'Grand and gorgeous and brave... A novel that is an ambitious delight, with rich characters and some exceptionally lovely writing.' New York Times'In lively, beautiful prose that seems to almost dance across the page, Khan expertly repackages gothic and supernatural tropes into a richly imagined coming of age treat.' Daily Mail'Filled with wonder and colour... I was enthralled and completely swept away.' Yangsze Choo, bestselling author of The Night Tiger'With its shades of The House of Spirits and Rebecca, is one of the best books I've read this year... Gorgeous.' Sarah Addison Allen, NYT-bestselling author of Garden Spells'A dark and heady dream of a book, which reveals itself in layers as a gothic horror, a tragic romance, and a classic coming-of-age tale. Hauntingly gorgeous.' Alix E. Harrow, author of The Ten Thousand Doors of January'A cracking novel... Shubnum Khan unfolds a devastating history woven into the present with mastery and poise.' Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi, author of The First Woman'An utterly intoxicating novel that hums with life... Full of mirth and full of gore. Its pages will leave you breathless, haunted.' Karina Lickorish Quinn, author of The Dust Never Settles'Lush, sweeping, gloriously eerie... Shubnum Khan is a writer of rare and luminous imagination.' Violet Kupersmith, author of Build Your House Around My Body 'Shubnum's magical storytelling creates a dark and luscious mood, where every character is expertly given life. Rich with family and community, this is a novel full of redemptive love.' Melody Razak, author of Moth'South African novelist Khan blends gothic tropes with Indian mythology in her poignant [UK] debut... Playful and evocative.' Publishers Weekly'Beautiful, just beautiful... Filled with everything that makes for an absorbing read: love, intrigue, conflict, mystique, and so much character.' Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu, author of the City of Kings trilogy'The Djinn Waits A Hundred Years is a cinematic spectacular, rife with doomed love and vengeful spirits and a lurking violence always waiting to pounce. Shubnum Khan has written a gorgeous gothic mystery, a fascinating meditation on the nature of forgiveness and time.' Julia Fine, author of Maddalena and the Dark

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Book SynopsisDancing to the rhythm of Jazz Era San Francisco, On the Rooftop is a stunning story of ambition, success, and three sisters who long to pursue their own dreamsTrade Review'Beautiful, moving, and truly unforgettable!' Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies'It will get inside your heart, break it wide open and stay there for a long time.' Good Housekeeping'In On the Rooftop, Margaret Wilkerson Sexton’s mellifluous third novel, readers have a front-row seat to a timeless drama about a mother with dreams that don’t quite line up with her daughters’ realities... Riveting.' New York Times'An utterly original and brilliant story about learning how to mother children who have very different dreams and how to encourage them to reach for the stars.' Reese Witherspoon'The kind of expansive, lush novel that envelops with charm while provoking with its fierce intelligence.' Kaitlyn Greenidge, author of Libertie'The exceptional storytelling hooks you in and before you know it, you're rooting for every single one of the characters. Their dreams become yours.' Melody Razak, author of Moth'In this stellar novel, Margaret Wilkerson Sexton takes us deeply into the dynamics of mothers and daughters, their individual—and collective—dreams and struggles.' Luis Alberto Urrea, author of The House of Broken Angels'Richly observed and beautifully written, On the Rooftop weaves the lives of its characters together into a story bursting with music and feeling.' Charles Yu, author of Interior Chinatown'A creative exploration of family, community and resilience... On the Rooftop is a quiet page turner that can serve as a beacon of hope in any trying time.' BookPage (starred review)'Narrating duties rotate among Vivian and each of her daughters, illuminating the stressors and conflicting values that the women must navigate as they try to find themselves within their singing family, their Black community, and their unjust country. Once again, Sexton delivers.' Booklist'A powerful drama set during a pivotal moment in US history.' Real Simple'A showstopper of a third novel… On the Rooftop is a powerhouse novel that reflects both how high we can fly and how quickly we can be knocked down.' San Francisco Chronicle'This novel about The Salvations, a trio of singing sisters, hits the right note… A great exploration of ambition and success.' Sunday Post (Dundee)

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Book Synopsis'I once had a family. At least, the earliest version of me did.'

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Book SynopsisA brand new collection from the master of the spine-tingling taleTrade Review'Both noirish and sinister, with violence broiling beneath the calm... Schweblin, at her best, has a knack for eeriness.' -- Sunday Telegraph'[Schweblin's] particular genius lies in the fact that there’s something inherently savage and ungovernable about her work.' -- Financial Times'A quiet, off-centre gem... Disquieting and dark it may be, but it is lifted with sly humour and sharp observation.' -- Marie Claire'The Argentine writer Samanta Schweblin loves Franz Kafka and Elizabeth Strout. It’s hard to conceive of two more different writers. But imagine a fusion between their styles — dreamlike surrealism and taut domestic drama — and you’ll have some idea of Schweblin’s uniquely weird storyscapes.' -- The Sunday Times'Schweblin seems capable above all else of helping us reconsider what stories can be while always making them feel tense, uncomfortable, exhilarating.' -- Los Angeles Times'Schweblin’s characters lose themselves in webs of greed, loss and violence, and their unsettling tales remind us that we are all shaped by the physical spaces that we inhabit and come from.’ -- Monocle'Seven Empty Houses... takes aim at the place we feel safest: home. Darker and more tinged with terror than her breakthrough novel, Fever Dream, this is Schweblin at her sharpest and most ferocious.' -- New York Times Book Review'Samanta Schweblin writes at the very end of the possible. Her stories are mesmerising, exquisitely crafted and deeply unsettling. Each sentence is as precise and invasive as an expertly wielded scalpel.' -- Jan Carson, author of The Raptures‘These seven eerie, uneasy stories seem peculiarly pertinent to the present post-pandemic financial crisis mood of uncertainty… the stories may be spare and pared back, but their cumulative effect is a heightened sense of fear and a disrupted sense of safety.’ -- Daily Mail‘These curiously addictive, tightly wound stories are as compelling as they are alienating... An original and provoking contribution to the literature of unease.’ -- Guardian'Seven Empty Houses sneaks dread like a cursed gift through its pages. In Megan McDowell's translation from the original Spanish, Schweblin's prose is pared to a fine edge… The collection's power is in its capacity to speak to the danger that is waiting, if you would only peer in through the keyhole.' -- Big Issue'Schweblin's newest collection may be her most unsettling... Spectacular and strange... The most disquieting realization of all is perhaps the fact that any of these scenarios could arrive at any moment.' -- Washington Post'Uniquely satisfying.' -- LitHub'The Argentinian author of Fever Dream deftly manipulates expectations in stories of secrets and buried resentments... Part of the pleasure of Schweblin's fictions is how she subverts expectations... Her fractured worlds make compelling reading.' -- Observer'Savage and surreal, the inhabitants of these fictions are on a journey deep into the self – but what they discover is not what they, or the reader might expect... Schweblin’s narrators are gloriously unreliable; her stories have the scope of cinema.' -- The Irish Times'The sinuous, sinister tales that make up Seven Empty Houses are set in the intimate sphere, precisely where we might expect to feel most protected. But the houses of the title are not homes, and some of them do not even belong to their occupants... Marvellously apprehensive.' -- TLS

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Book SynopsisStunningly honest and bursting with wit, Someday Maybe is the story of grief and resilience that you won't be able to stop talking aboutTrade Review'At turns bitingly funny and heart-breakingly gutting.' -- Bolu Babalola, bestselling author of Love in Colour'Simultaneously moving, witty and restorative.' -- Daily Mail'A love story in retrospect, heartbreaking in its inevitability but also shot through with moments of joy and humour as Eve searches for answers.' -- Stylist'A book about suicide may not sound heartwarming, but this one about a woman struggling to go on after losing her husband strikes the perfect balance between gut-wrenchingly sad and surprisingly funny. It’s a great rainy-day read about the love that rallies around us in tragic times — and a reminder that light can come from the most unexpected sources.' -- Good Housekeeping'This tender novel about grief triumphs in its reflections on how we are buoyed by the families we are born into, and the ones we make along the way.' -- Ayobami Adebayo, author of A Spell of Good Things‘An exploration of one young woman’s grief, Someday, Maybe is equal parts sorrow and joy, and debut writer Nwabineli is one to watch.’ -- Red Magazine, Book of the Month'A beautiful and heartbreaking meditation on the layers of grief and love, the complicated expressions of human suffering and the courage it takes to let go of the past.' -- Derek Owusu, author of That Reminds Me'An intimate, stunning novel. This book will stay with me for a long time.' -- Jade Bentil, author of Rebel Citizen'Onyi Nwabineli's graceful prose carries you through this moving meditation on grief, memory and community. Someday, Maybe is an astonishing debut, rich in both heartbreak and humour.' -- Jendella Benson, author of Hope & Glory'Incisive and witty, this deeply moving debut about the many faces of grief took me on an oscillating journey of emotions. I couldn't put it down. Each richly developed character leaps off the page with vivid dimension through Onyi's razor-sharp voice. Fresh and original contemporary fiction from the diaspora I've long yearned for.' -- Lọlá Ákínmádé Åkerström, internationally bestselling author of In Every Mirror She's Black'Someday, Maybe is an honest and profoundly stirring portrait of loss. Onyi Nwabineli peels back the veneer of sympathy and expectation to reveal the effects a young widow's grief can have on her family, on her circle of friends, and even on the strangers she encounters. Eve's emotional paralysis is heartbreaking to witness but at its heart, Someday, Maybe is a beautifully written love letter to the resiliency of the human spirit. A stunning debut.' -- Xio Axelrod, author of The Girl With Stars in her Eyes'A touching debut... Eve's family are lovingly written: they gossip, chide her in Igbo and prescribe a bitter leaf soup to heal her broken heart. They also contribute to the surprising perkiness of this novel, in which sensitive observations about the nature of grief are set against humour. Even when Eve is in the depths of despair, deluding herself with hopes that Quentin might come home, she is witty. I was reeled in by her chatty voice and stayed for the tender, touching depiction of grief and family.' -- The Sunday Times'Most touching is the way Eve grows to emotional maturity as the story goes on, swapping rage for grace and hurt for healing.' -- FT'It's hard to believe that this outstanding novel is a debut. Poignant and heartfelt… A beautifully drawn story that shows us how to help those who are grieving.' -- Prima, Book of the Month, October 2022'Nwabineli's exceptional debut is a heartfelt and moving portrayal of grief and recovery in all its messiness... This is an excellent choice for book clubs and for readers who enjoy thought-provoking, deeply emotional fiction.' -- Booklist (starred review)'Someday, Maybe is a powerful debut novel about young love, profound loss, and the possibility of hope. Onyi Nwabineli is an author to watch.' -- Brenda Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of The House on Blueberry Lane'A powerful tale of a London widow whose photographer husband died by suicide... The genuine displays of emotion and sharp narrative will keep readers turning the pages.' -- Publishers Weekly'A perceptive, painstaking interrogation of loss and depression... Nwabineli's first novel is a clear-eyed, compassionate take on grief.' -- Shelf Awareness'A satisfying read and testament to our human ability to heal.' -- San Francisco Chronicle'If you are someone who gravitates toward emotional gut punch reads, allow me to introduce you to this spectacular debut.' -- BuzzFeed'A devastating and powerful story about loss, love, and healing... An emotional journey packed with heartbreak, grief, and beautiful memories.' -- She Reads, 'Best Fiction Books Coming in 2022''Expect Nwabineli to emerge as a fresh new voice in contemporary fiction.' -- Reader's Digest, 'Most Anticipated Books of 2022''Fuelled by inventive use of language and driven by sharp wit, the book conjures up a raw, living reality of sorrow, loss, and love… The author accomplishes a difficult task with Someday, Maybe – creating a genuine, living, breathing portrait of the meeting place of youth and death… A funny, realistic elegy to love.' -- Irish Examiner'An unconventional story told through the eyes of Eve, a recent widow in a British-Nigerian family. Nwabineli deftly explores themes of marriage, loss and perseverance in what makes for a heart-filled debut novel.' -- Hunger Magazine'Nwabineli deftly weaves Eve’s Igbo heritage into the story, incorporating phrases, food and traditions... Both respectful and honest... Nwabineli turns clichés into quirky, imagery-laden metaphors.' -- Associated Press'Exploring themes of grief, mental illness, and irrevocable love, Someday, Maybe is a heartrending tale about a young Nigerian woman who loses her husband too soon. Keep the box of tissues close!' -- Brittle Paper, '100 Notable African Books of 2022''Here is so much warmth and spirit in Nwabineli’s words. She captures the tidal force of emotions that come with grief with such eloquence and compassion... Here is so much warmth and spirit in Nwabineli’s words. She captures the tidal force of emotions that come with grief with such eloquence and compassion.' -- Em's Shelflove'Someday, Maybe is able to capture the volatile world of grieving, embracing how it acts with chaos and complete irrationality but also welcoming the lighter moments in which we can find relief… This novel is ultimately about the resilience of the human spirit, the strength of family and community, the transformative power of love and life long journey of healing.' -- Bad Form

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Book SynopsisThe dark, atmospheric, feminist offspring of The Hunting Party, Squid Game and Misery. Trade Review'A wild ride from page one... A five-star read that’s intelligent, accomplished and exciting. I dare you to put it down.' Janice Hallett, author of The Twyford Code'Horror builds slowly to a chilling climax in Julia Bartz's best-selling debut.’ Daily Mail, Must Reads'Julia Bartz’s shrewd, suspenseful debut takes the typical writer’s anxieties and obsessions and transforms them into a pulse-pounding, impossible to put down thriller... Bonkers in the best way, and it left me with a brutal case of author envy.' Layne Fargo, author of They Never Learn'A wild ride into the pressures of publishing that is equal parts nightmare and erotic fantasy as five would-be writers are pulled deeper into the secrets of Blackbriar and its inhabitants... Captures the hunger to have our stories told and the desperate measures some will take to cut through the noise.' Jennifer Fawcett, author of Beneath The Stairs' A sexy, thrilling, compulsive mediation on art and competition amongst women who ought to be sisters, only something malignant gets in the way. I couldn't put it down.' Sarah Langan, author of Good Neighbours'Night Film meets The Secret History in Julia Bartz’s bold, brilliant, and genuinely scary debut. The Writing Retreat masterfully delivers everything thriller readers crave: palpable atmosphere, sinister characters, full-body chills, jaw-dropping twists, and stay-up-all-night suspense. I am obsessed with this book. I never wanted it to end.' Megan Collins, author of The Family Plot‘Darkly satirical and action-packed, The Writing Retreat brings a breath of fresh air to the locked room mystery... The writing is flawless and the plot adeptly woven. An absolutely splendid debut!’ Wendy Walker, author of Don't Look For Me‘The Writing Retreat will keep you up all night with its intriguing premise and gasp-worthy twists... The very definition of a page turner, and a remarkable debut from a gifted writer.’ Kirthana Ramisetti, author of Dava Shastri's Last Day'An audacious psychological thriller debut... Boldly drawn characters complement Bartz’s gleefully twisted plot.... Sara Gran fans, take note.' Publishers Weekly 'One to Watch.' Evening Standard'Propulsive and spine-chilling, The Writing Retreat kept me on the edge of my seat from the very first page. Julia Bartz is an electric, intelligent storyteller, brilliantly blending nail-biting suspense and razor-sharp psychological insight. I could not put this book down!' Erin Carlson, author of I'll Have What She's Having'The book's pacing - a slow roll of dread and horror, especially in the first half - is exceptional. Bartz hits all the gothic highlights, but, far from feeling stale, they work. A perfect winter night's haunting.' Kirkus, starred review'Stomach-clenchingly thrilling from beginning to end... Highly recommended for fans of authors like Ruth Ware and Riley Sager.' Booklist, starred review‘An intoxicating, inclusive psychological thriller, packed with chills that seep into your bones.’ Crime Monthly‘Intelligent, accomplished and exciting… and a lot more besides. Read it and see. You won’t regret it.’ Mystery People'An impressive first novel by a new American author combines all the heady thrills of the best of domestic thrillers with a closed environment murder setting, peppered with a gently satirical look at writers and writing... An ebullient, fun cocktail of in-jokes, gothic turns and breathless suspense that had me chortling.' Maxim Jakubowski, Crime Time

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Book SynopsisA piercingly original debut about the limits of forgiveness, from an award-winning Scottish poetTrade Review'Quite remarkable... Strang is an exceptionally accomplished writer.' -- The Scotsman'Eerie and moving... Quinn is a haunting fable about redemption, rendered in otherworldly, poetic prose.' -- FT'A fascinating fever dream of a book... What a novelistic debut from Em Strang.' -- AL Kennedy, author of We Are Attempting to Survive Our Time'Arresting… [with] a Max Porter-like intensity.' -- Daily Mail'Hypnotically beautiful... It has the rare quality of being precise and gripping while at the same time leaving you radically uncertain as to what has actually happened.' -- Mark Haddon, author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime 'Reads like a fever dream... Delicate and touching... This devastating story [is] one of redemption too.' -- New Statesman'I read it at a sitting, compelled by this strange and beautiful work... An astonishing feat of imagination.' -- Gwen Adshead, author of The Devil You Know'Em Strang's is a true voice, and Quinn is that rarity, an original work of fiction, which excavates trauma and memory and refuses the frameworks placed on it. This book is its own landscape. Strange and powerful.' -- Paul Kingsnorth, author of The Wake, winner of the Gordon Burn Prize'Such graceful prose with not a wasted breath; such grounded sharing from the magma of experience.' -- Alastair McIntosh, author of Soil and Soul'A beautifully constructed and mesmerizing book that makes you think afresh about the enduring residue of pain both for those who have committed acts of violence and those affected by them. A brave and original attempt to answer our culture of dehumanization with a story that rehumanizes at every level.' -- Marina Cantacuzino, author of The Forgiveness Project‘That Em Strang is a poet comes as no surprise. She packs the text with natural imagery and quirky linguistic choices… The novel is compelling and original.’ -- Literary Review'Short but intense… [Strang] clearly realises that her readers are watching out for the first sign of any dash towards the predictable. Her talent lies in the way that she keeps them inside Quinn’s fraying, frightened mind... Imaginative, compelling and refreshingly cliche-free.' -- Books from Scotland'This novel had us gripped from start to finish!' -- Closer 'A subtle and sophisticated exploration of forgiveness and motive.' -- Books from Scotland'Quinn teems with poetic effects... A piece of writing that subverts the novel’s traditional narrative techniques – plot, dialogue, character development – and replaces them instead with the allusive and symbolic devices of an extended prose poem.' -- TLS

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Book SynopsisA richly drawn collection of stories that brings contemporary Botswana to lifeTrade Review'A terrific collection, deeply rooted in place, sharply observed, comic, fierce, with a fine sense of the tragedy and absurdity of life. I hope it attracts the wide readership it deserves.' -- Monica Ali, author of Brick Lane and Love Marriage'A good short story is a bit of alchemy, showing us so much in so few pages. Gothataone Moeng's debut collection does this over and over, each story surprising with its music, its warmth, its command of language.' -- Rumaan Alam, author of Leave the World Behind‘These mouth-wateringly sensory, satisfyingly complex stories, set in rural and urban Botswana…. Not the glance or sharp epiphany in these stories but the long kiss, with the heart as totem, questions in their wake.’ -- Irish Times'These brilliant stories are set in modern Botswana, but delve into age-old longings. Moeng unfurls the luminous inner life of her characters (girls and women for the most part) as they go about their ordinary days, hearts and heads brimful of new wants and desires, but keenly aware of old traditions and family expectations.' -- Daily Mail'Moving and impressive. Gothataone Moeng is a true writer and true observer of human universals.' -- Maggie Gee, author of The Red Children'It was a joy to discover the Tswana life in these pages and it is as familiar as kinship. Call and Response teems with life's twists, surprises and shocks and reminds us of our shared humanity. Moeng is generous in detail and humour. She is an exciting voice to join in African conversations.' -- Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi, author of The First Woman'A beautiful collection. What sharply observed vignettes – linked by striking figures, vivid details, a wry and ruminative mood, and deep insight into the vicissitudes of family life.' -- Namwali Serpell, author of The Furrows'Lyrical and poignant... The author brings insightful prose and a distinctive voice to these layered stories, demonstrating deep knowledge of her characters and care for their worlds. Moeng is a new force in the literary landscape.' -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)'The debut of a major talent.' * Souvankham Thammavongsa, author of How to Pronounce Knife *'The publication of Call and Response is cause for celebration. Big-hearted and clear-eyed in their evocation of her beloved Botswana, these radiant stories contain the stuff of life: joys and sorrows, the wisdom of generations, the ceremonies of the everyday. A gorgeous, vital work of literature.' * Yoon Choi, author of Skinship *'These stories—set mainly in the author’s hometown of Serowe and the Botswanan capital of Gaborone—illuminate the inner lives of girls and women of varying ages. Idiomatic phrases add texture to the prose, elegantly describing the characters' lives and their internal conflicts... A lovely debut brimming with deeply felt and well-rounded stories.' -- Kirkus (starred review)'Moeng paints beautiful vignettes of modern Botswana, exposing readers to communities and traditions of her home country while exploring dichotomies and relational tensions familiar to all readers. Her beautiful, lyrical prose and memorable characters make this collection a delight to read.' -- Booklist'This luminous collection of short stories plumbs the depths of women’s interior lives, deftly juxtaposing the quotidian with the universal… Moeng writes with lush, heartfelt intensity that illuminates contemporary Botswana for readers who value complex female characters navigating a rapidly changing world.' -- Library Journal'The stories in Moeng’s debut collection are grounded in her experience of life in Botswana. Focused on everyday life and families there, the book incorporates both unique and universal themes of relationships, infidelity, loss, sexuality, community, opportunity and love.' -- Ms Magazine, 'Most Anticipated Feminist Books of 2023''In Gothataone Moeng’s precise, delightfully detailed collection, Call and Response, we witness the challenges women of all ages face in a modernizing postcolonial Botswana where elements from the old life still remain… Moeng’s stories pulsate with life and accumulate to build a full, rich world.' -- New York Times Book Review'These nine unhurried, fully realized tales may brim with their protagonists’ yearnings, familial rivalries, regrets and disappointments, but reading them is pure pleasure… Completely unforced and fascinating. Rich, thronging with life, Call and Response is a collection to be treasured.' -- New Internationalist'Although Moeng is young, her prose is mature – spare and subtle, with both universal and local appeal. Beautifully crafted, they somehow echo US author Elizabeth Strout’s stories. They pull the reader, seemingly effortlessly, into the intimacy of a character, focusing on details and everyday life which open onto wider issues.' -- The Africa Report

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Book SynopsisTrade Review'An absolute page turner, full of unexpected twists and turns. I really could not put it down.' Celia Rees, author of Pirates!'A story of seafaring derring-do with a wonderful twist.' Mail on Sunday'Irresistible... A breathless adventure that will stay with you long after the final page has been read.' Julie Walker, author of Bonny & Read'A feast for the sea-loving senses... This is more than just a pirate's tale: it's a story of abandoning convention in favour of self-discovery and exploring the sort of freedoms only the sea can offer.' Sarah Penner, author of The Lost Apothecary'A wild ride. I loved this book.' Christina Baker Kline, author of The Exiles'A True Account is a compelling tale of pirates, treasure hunting and wild adventure, wonderfully told in vivid detail. Sailing the high seas with Hannah Masury was an absolute thrill!' Sophie Keetch, author of Morgan is My Name'Hannah Masury’s pirate tale reads like a fever dream, told in a voice so authentic and with such vivid, authoritative detail, it compels belief that this must indeed be a true account.' Peter Nichols, author of A Voyage for Madmen'Katherine Howe richly evokes the social world of docks, ships, and seafaring outlaws, producing, in my view, one of the best 'pirate novels' ever written ― even better than ones by Daniel Defoe!' Marcus Rediker, author of Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age'Right from the very start of this book, I found myself caught up in Hannah's world. It is so vivid… I certainly felt like I'd been on a wild adventure whilst reading it [and] I really enjoyed the ride.' Bookbag'A fiendish twist pulls its strands apart and braids them back together with the burnished patina of real historic discovery... A True Account belongs on the shelf beside Treasure Island.’ Lit Hub'Dazzlingly fun historical fiction... A wild voyage of satisfying twists and an even more satisfying ending.' ABC News 'A suspenseful, swashbuckling adventure filled with fiendish characters and historical detail.' Library Journal'Never less than intriguing. One of the real strengths of the novel is the portrait of two complex and powerful women. This is an insightful and thought-provoking feminist retelling of history.' CrimeTime FM'There is no one I trust more with historical fiction than Katherine Howe, whose work always manages to capture not only the prosaic details of the past, but the lived experience of it… [a] swashbuckling story.' CrimeReads, 'Best Historical Fiction of 2023'

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Book SynopsisFrom aNew York Times-bestselling author comes this daring account of one woman's adventure among the most feared sea rovers of all time, perfect for fans of Kate Mosse and Jess Kidd'An absolute page turner, full of unexpected twists and turns.' Celia Rees, author of Pirates!She was one of the most terrifying seafarers of all time. This is her story. The Golden Age of Piracy is drawing to a close when Hannah Masury watches the public hanging of the infamous William Fly in a Boston town square. Rumours about the location of Fly's buried treasure are rampant, and when Hannah finds a clue as to where it might be hidden, she decides it's time to take the future into her own hands.Two centuries later in a dusty university archive, Professor Marian Beresford is captivated by Hannah's story and the many unanswered questions she left behind. Hannah was determined to take her secrets with her to the grave, but in Marian, she might finally have met her match.A True Account is the page-turning s

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