Contemporary Fiction Books

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Book SynopsisLonglisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2019, a powerful, well-researched, fictional account exploring the trokosi tradition for the curious and the open-minded.Abeo Kata lives a comfortable, happy life in West Africa as the privileged nine-year-old daughter of a government employee and stay-at-home mother. But when the Katas' idyllic lifestyle takes a turn for the worse, Abeo's father, following his mother's advice, places the girl in a religious shrine, hoping that the sacrifice of his daughter will serve as atonement for the crimes of his ancestors. Unspeakable acts befall Abeo for the fifteen years she is enslaved within the shrine. When she is finally rescued, broken and battered, she must struggle to overcome her past, endure the revelation of family secrets, and learn to trust and love again. In the tradition of Chris Cleave's Little Bee, Praise Song for the Butterflies is a contemporary story that offers an educational, eye-opening account of the practice of ritual servitude in West Africa. Spanning decades and two continents, Praise Song for the Butterflies is an unflinching tale of the devastation that children are subject to when adults are ruled by fear and someone must pay the consequences."Abeo is unrelenting - a fiery protagonist who sparks in every scene. Bernice L. McFadden has created yet another compelling story, this time about hope and freedom." Nicole Dennis-Benn, author of Here Comes the SunTrade ReviewAbeo is unrelenting-a fiery protagonist who sparks in every scene. Bernice L. McFadden has created yet another compelling story, this time about hope and freedom. * Nicole Dennis-Benn, author of Here Comes the Sun *

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Book SynopsisEighteen-year-old Merricat may, or may not be, a mass murdererSix years ago everyone in the Blackwood family was poisoned by sugar laced with arsenic everyone, that is, apart from Merricat and her elder sister Constance. They live in peaceful, ordered isolation, away from prying eyes in the nearby village, until one day boorish cousin Charles arrives with designs on their father's fortune. Whether by practical or magical means, Merricat will do whatever is necessary to protect their home.

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Book SynopsisAlan Bennett's classic story about Queen Elizabeth II What would happen if the Queen became a reader of taste and discernment rather than of Dick Francis? The answer is a perfect story. The Uncommon Reader is none other than HM the Queen who drifts accidentally into reading when her corgis stray into a mobile library parked at Buckingham Palace. She reads widely (JR Ackerley, Jean Genet, Ivy Compton Burnett and the classics) and intelligently. Her reading naturally changes her world view and her relationship with people like the oleaginous prime minister and his repellent advisers. She comes to question the prescribed order of the world and loses patience with much that she has to do. In short, her reading is subversive. The consequence is, of course, surprising, mildly shocking and very funny.Trade ReviewFor all its hilarity The Uncommon Reader has a heartfelt tone. It offers a lament on old age, some thoughts on reticence and a backward glance at a life wasted. * Sunday Times *An exquisitely produced jewel of a book. * The Times *Pure gold ... you would be hard put to find a defter satire on British philistinism ... the dialogue is priceless. * Mail on Sunday *Light, fresh, witty and warm. * Daily Telegraph *Alan Bennett's The Uncommon Reader would make a perfect stocking filler for just about anyone. -- Monica Ali * Guardian *Testament to Bennett's extraordinary skill - genius even -- Nicholas Lezard * Guardian *Wonderfully subversive * Independent *

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Book SynopsisAlaa, a Palestinian, is haunted by his grandmother's memories of being displaced from Jaffa. Ariel, Alaa's friend, is a liberal Zionist. When all Palestinians have suddenly vanished, Ariel begins searching for clues. Between their stories are the people of Jaffa and Tel Aviv café patrons, radio commentators, flower-cutters.

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Book SynopsisTHE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING SEQUEL TO NINTH HOUSETHE GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST FANTASY OF 2023__________________Wealth. Power. Murder. Magic. Alex Stern is back and the Ivy League is going straight to hell.Galaxy ''Alex'' Stern is determined to break Darlington out of hell - even if it endangers her future at Lethe and at Yale.But Alex is playing with forces far beyond her control, and when faculty members begin to die off, she knows these aren''t just accidents.Something deadly is at work in New Haven, and if Alex is going to survive, she''ll have to reckon with the monsters of her past and a darkness built into the university''s very walls. Thick with history and packed with Bardugo''s signature twists, Hell Bent brings to life an intricate world full of magic, violence, and all too real monsters.PRAISE FOR NINTH HOUSE:''Imposs

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Book SynopsisThe Richard and Judy Book Club Pick The #1 eBook Bestseller Uncover the secrets that lie beneath Notting Hill; the captivating new mystery from Sunday Times bestseller Eve Chase now in paperback! ''A clever mystery that kept me gripped. I loved every word'' Claire Douglas''Passionately emotional, dreamily written and dripping with boho glamour'' Daily Mail''A book you want to race back to'' Lisa Jewell''A wonderful twisty novel of family and secrets'' Kate Morton''Moody, evocative, with a dream-like quality no other author can master'' Gillian McAllister''Lush, evocative, nostalgic; gripping. A true treat of a book'' Sarah Vaughan''Impossible to forget'' Publishers Weekly, starred review*****Present day Paris: Maggie Parker receives a call. The new owners of her family's old Notting Hill home are digging up the basement. They've no idea what might lie beneath . . .London, twenty-one years earlier: teenaged Maggie, babysitting her little brother, waits in vain for her mother to come home after a night out. Seeking clues to her mother's mysterious disappearance, she''s drawn away from the neighbourhood's grand terraces and into its hustling backstreets - and the arms of someone else living on their wits.Over two decades later, the clock is ticking on a secret set to shatter Maggie's grown-up life. But the draw of the past is irresistible . . . *****Praise for The Midnight Hour:''Evocative, beautifully written and absolutely gripping, The Midnight Hour is sensational' Rosie Walsh''A gripping tale of family secrets'' Woman''s Own''I was up all night reading'' Elizabeth Fremantle''Engrossing, atmospheric and beautifully written'' Anna Mazzola''A plot as tightly sprung as a Swiss watch'' Veronica Henry''Absorbing and compulsive . . . a brilliantly imagined and beautifully written story'' Hazel Gaynor''An exquisitely-written, immersive mystery'' Tammy Cohen''I adored every word'' Gill Paul''So vivid, it''s like a time machine'' Tasmina Perry

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Book SynopsisMORE THAN 100 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE**Pre-order FREED, 'Fifty Shades Freed' as told by Christian**When literature student Anastasia Steele interviews successful entrepreneur Christian Grey, she finds him very attractive and deeply intimidating.Trade ReviewThe cream of the crop. * Independent *Not only reviving the book market, but also reader’s marriages. * Daily Mail *Revolutionised the genre of erotic fiction. * Observer *One of the publishing sensations of the year. * Stylist *A social-media literary phenomenon. * Observer *

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Book SynopsisThe #1 New York Times bestselling Hopeless series continues with this heartwarming conclusion that illustrates the power of following a difficult journey to discover what happens next.Friends Daniel, Six, Holder, Sky, and Breckin are planning to celebrate the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday with a Friendsgiving dinner at Sky's parents' house.But things have been off within the tightknit group and when Daniel reaches out to Six to ask the hard questions he hasn't dared to bring up since they last spoke about their shared secret, he's dismayed to learn that it's this very secret bringing a cloud over the holiday. Suddenly, Daniel must do everything he can to find answers for the one person he loves the most in the world, but will this search only lead to despair.From an author who has joined 'the ranks of such luminaries as Jennifer Weiner and Jojo Moyes' (Library Journal), this moving and unputdownable novel will stay with you lo

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Book Synopsis The first-ever graphic novel adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize–winning postapocalyptic classic, The Road, approved and authorized by McCarthy and illustrated by acclaimed cartoonist Manu Larcenet'Superb. A suitably dark graphic treatment of McCarthy’s postapocalyptic masterpiece.' (Kirkus) The story of a nameless father and son trying to survive with their humanity intact in a postapocalyptic wasteland where Earth’s natural resources have been diminished, and some survivors are left to raise others for meat, The Road is one of Cormac McCarthy’s bleakest and most prescient novels. Dedicated to his son, John Francis McCarthy, McCarthy’s The Road is one of his most personal novels. Ranked 17th on The Guardian’s 100 Best Novels of the 21st century, it was the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for literature, and the James Tait Black Memorial

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Book SynopsisThey say boys don''t cry.But Finn''s seen his Da do it when he thinks no one''s looking, so that''s not true.And isn''t it OK to be sad, when bad things happen?They say boys don''t cry, but you might . . .''It''s so beautiful.'' MARIAN KEYES ''Unforgettable.'' DONAL RYAN ''Authentic to the bone.'' KIT DE WAAL It will break your heart in a million different ways.'' LOUISE O''NEILL ''Powerful and poignant.'' RUTH HOGAN ''Hilarious and heartbreaking.'' LOUISE NEALON Readers love Boys Don''t Cry:''Boys Don''t Cry broke my heart and mended it again on almost every page.'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''I cared about the characters as if they were people I knew.'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''Finn, Joe, Ma and Da are going to stay with me for a long time.'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''A story of families, communities and loss, and I loved every single word.'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''Finn and Joe have taken up permanent residence in my heart.'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''The story was so beautifully told, the emotion spilled through the pages.'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Book Synopsis''Claire North brings a powerful, fresh and unflinching voice to ancient myth - darkly fascinating, raw and breathtaking'' Jennifer Saint, author of Sunday Times bestseller Ariadne***A Sunday Times Historical Fiction Book of the Year***This is the story of Penelope of Ithaca, famed wife of Odysseus, as it has never been told before. Beyond Ithaca''s shores, the whims of gods dictate the wars of men. But on the isle, it is the choices of the abandoned women - and their goddesses - that will change the course of the world.''The greatest power we women can own is that which we take in secret.''Seventeen years ago, King Odysseus sailed to war with Troy, taking with him every man of fighting age from the isle of Ithaca. None of them has returned, and the women of Ithaca have been left behind to run the kingdom. Penelope was barely into womanhood when she wed Odysseus. While he lived, her position was secure. But now, years on, speculation is mounting that her husband is dead, and suitors are beginning to knock at her door. No one man is strong enough to claim Odysseus''s empty throne - not yet. But as everyone waits for the balance of power to tip, Penelope knows that any choice she makes could plunge Ithaca into bloody civil war . . .From the multi award-winning Claire North comes a daring, exquisite and moving tale that breathes life into ancient myth, and tells of the women who stand defiant in a world ruled by ruthless men. It''s time for the women of Ithaca to tell their tale . . . ''Everything I''ve wanted in a retelling: a vibrant cast, full of suspense, told with a phenomenal narrative voice - this is an absolute masterpiece'' Sarah Bonner, author of Her Perfect Twin''Told in the arresting voice of the goddess Hera . . . Ithaca conjures up a world in which women, abandoned by their men, must weave their own destinies'' The Times''Richly poetic . . . This is an impassioned plea for the lost, disenfranchised queens of ancient Greece, a love letter to the silenced women of history'' Booklist''Claire North has set a new standard for Ancient Greek retellings. Absolutely sublime'' Hannah Lynn, author of Athena''s ChildThe Songs of Penelope series:IthacaHouse of OdysseusThe Last Song of PenelopeTrade ReviewClaire North brings a powerful, fresh and unflinching voice to ancient myth - darkly fascinating, raw and breathtaking' -- Jennifer Saint, author of SUNDAY TIMES bestseller ARIADNEEverything I've wanted in a retelling: a vibrant cast, full of suspense, told with a phenomenal narrative voice - this is an absolute masterpiece * Sarah Bonner, author of HER PERFECT TWIN *Told in the arresting voice of the goddess Hera . . . Ithaca conjures up a world in which women, abandoned by their men, must weave their own destinies * THE TIMES *Claire North has set a new standard for Ancient Greek retellings. Absolutely sublime * Hannah Lynn, author of ATHENA'S CHILD *Richly poetic . . . This is an impassioned plea for the lost, disenfranchised queens of ancient Greece, a love letter to the silenced women of history * BOOKLIST *Full of cunning and intrigue * WOMAN & HOME *A gorgeous, emotive feminist retelling of the classic Greek myth of Penelope * BELFAST TELEGRAPH *Like Penelope at her loom North both weaves and unweaves, teasing out the threads of Homeric myth to recombine them into something unique, wonderful and urgently contemporary -- M. R. Carey, author of THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTSThere is something fateful about The Songs of Penelope trilogy: that this voice would come to this story, a pairing so perfect it was worth waiting a few thousand years for. North's writing is evocative, vibrant and delightfully witty - capable of rending your heart in two or clutching at your sides with only a few words from a scathing and surprisingly ardent godly-narrator. * Bea Fitzgerald, author of GIRL, GODDESS, QUEEN *The queen of the gods narrates a crackling tale of secrets and intrigue... this is a ground-up view of Greek myth populated by spying maids, crafty merchants, and conniving queens. It's taut, suspenseful, and full of Hera's delightfully dyspeptic attitude. A thoroughly enjoyable exploration of Penelope's side of the ancient story * KIRKUS *This is a story as entertaining as it is thought-provoking, as witty as it is intelligent. If you're going to delve into Greek retellings, let it absolutely be this one * THE FANTASY HIVE *North's novels are always complex and intricately weaved, and Ithaca is no exception. Narrated by Hera, it immerses you in Penelope's story and the wider tales of other women, both goddesses and slaves, as well as Penelope's son and her suitors . . . This fascinating and multi-layered novel won't disappoint. * CULTUREFLY *The book shines and is clearly written for the women, telling the stories the poets won't. These characters are given depth; they are entertainingly and deeply flawed, ultimately grappling with their own place in a patriarchal society . . . North has penned a beautiful character study, offering a nuanced take on feminism, power dynamics and the identity of mothers. The groundwork laid for the sequels leaves relationships to be repaired and characters to face further growth. We are given a closing montage in Ithaca for the future to come in what is sure to be an insightful, original and assumption-cutting series * BOOKREPORTER *I cannot recommend this novel highly enough. As an added bonus, I've also just discovered some wondrous news; a sequel called House of Odysseus is set to follow. This won't be the last we see of Penelope. How very splendid. I cannot wait for more * THE ELOQUENT PAGE *Ithaca introduces the many, many characters beautifully and really lays the groundwork for an enjoyable and poignant series * BRITISH FANTASY SOCIETY *North's talent shines out -- SUNDAY TIMESNorth goes from strength to strength -- GUARDIANAn original and even dazzling writer -- KIRKUS

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Book Synopsis''CLAIRE NORTH BRINGS A POWERFUL, FRESH AND UNFLINCHING VOICE TO ANCIENT MYTH'' Jennifer Saint, author of Sunday Times bestseller AriadneFrom the author of the critically acclaimed Ithaca - A Sunday Times Historical Fiction Book of the Year - comes an exquisite and gripping new tale that breathes life into ancient myth. This is the story of Penelope of Ithaca, famed wife of Odysseus, as it has never been told before.On the isle of Ithaca, Queen Penelope maintains a delicate balance of power. Many years ago, her husband, Odysseus, sailed to war with Troy and never came home. In his absence, Penelope uses all her cunning to keep the peace - but this is shattered by the arrival of Orestes, king of Mycenae, and his sister Elektra.Orestes''s hands are stained with his mother''s blood. Not so long ago, the son of Agamemnon took Queen Clytemnestra''s life on Ithaca''s sands. Now, racked with guilt, he is slowly losing his mind.Penelope knows destruction will follow in his wake as surely as the Furies circle him. His uncle, Menelaus, the battle-hungry king of Sparta, longs for Orestes''s throne - and if he can seize it, no one will be safe from his violent whims.Trapped between two mad kings, Penelope fights to keep war from Ithaca''s shores. Her only allies are Elektra and Helen of Troy, Menelaus''s enigmatic wife. And watching over them all is the goddess Aphrodite, who has plans of her own.Each woman has a secret. And their secrets will shape the world.Praise for the Songs of Penelope series:''Darkly fascinating, raw and breathtaking'' Jennifer Saint, author of Sunday Times bestseller Ariadne''Richly poetic . . . This is an impassioned plea for the lost, disenfranchised queens of ancient Greece, a love letter to the silenced women of history'' Booklist''Penelope is proving to be an outstanding epic hero in her own right. A sensational retelling'' Elodie Harper, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Wolf Den''Everything I''ve wanted in a retelling: a vibrant cast, full of suspense, told with a phenomenal narrative voice - this is an absolute masterpiece'' Sarah Bonner, author of Her Perfect Twin''Conjures up a world in which women, abandoned by their men, must weave their own destinies'' The Times''Claire North has set a new standard for Ancient Greek retellings. Absolutely sublime'' Hannah Lynn, author of Athena''s ChildThe Songs of Penelope series:Ithaca House of OdysseusThe Last Song of Penelope

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Book SynopsisNow a major motion picture: the Booker-shortlisted Irish author''s last novel: a ''masterpiece'' (Observer) - ''wise and compelling ... elegiac and graceful'' (David Mitchell) - by ''one of the greatest writers of our era'' (Hilary Mantel) Joe and Kate Ruttledge have come to Ireland from London in search of a different life. In passages of beauty and truth, the drama of a year in their lives and those of the memorable characters that move about them unfolds through the action, the rituals of work, religious observances and play. We are introduced, with deceptive simplicity, to a complete representation of existence - an enclosed world has been transformed into an Everywhere.''McGahern brings us that tonic gift of the best fiction, the sense of truth - the sense of transparency that permits us to see imaginary lives more clearly than we see our own.'' John Updike''I have admired, even loved, John McGahern''s work since his first novel

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Book SynopsisI have never read a text which goes even half as far as this one in expressing the particular poignancy which lay at the heart of the impressionist movement. I say this as an art critic. As a novelist I would simply like to pay my tribute to the mastery of language, portraiture and storytelling which Figes has now at her command. - John BergerA small masterpiece - Susan Hill A luminous prose poem - Joyce Carol OatesThis shimmering novel is an extraordinary portrait of a day in the life of an artist at work and at home. In prose as luminous as the colours Monet is using to portray his garden, Eva Figes guides us from dawn (midnight blueblack growing grey and misty') through midday (the sun was high now shrinking what little shadow remained, fading colours, the pink rambler roses on the fence by the railway track looked almost white') to evening (the tide of shadows rising as the sunset glow faded outside.') Monet's wife, grieving for a lost

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN''S PRIZE FOR FICTIONWith an introduction by Megan Nolan, bestselling author of Acts of Desperation and Ordinary Human Feelings''Siri Hustvedt''s most ambitious, most rewarding novel. It mesmerises, arouses, disturbs''Salman Rushdie''Defiantly complex and frequently dazzling''Sunday Times''A big, wide, sensuous novel - clever, sinister, yet attractively real''GuardianIn 1975 art historian Leo Hertzberg discovers an extraordinary painting by an unknown artist in a New York gallery. He buys the work, tracks down its creator, Bill Wechsler, and the two men embark on a life-long friendship.This is the story of their intense and troubled relationship, of the women in their lives and their work, of art and hysteria, love and seduction and their sons - born the same year but whose lives take very different paths.PRAISE FOR SIRI HUSTVEDT:''One of our finest novelists''Oliver Sacks''Reading a Hustvedt novel is like consuming the best of David Lynch''Financial Times''Few contemporary writers are as satisfying and stimulating to read as Siri Hustvedt''Washington PostTrade ReviewBreathtaking * James Urquhart, Independent *A love story with the grip and suspense of a thriller. It makes you ponder human existence with a peculiar mixture of stoicism and wonder. * Noonie Minogue, Times Literary Supplement *Defiantly complex and frequently dazzling ... she has created a conceptually exciting work that demands we think, but which still allows us room to feel. * Alex Clark, Sunday Times *Substantial, moving and beautifully written * Christian House, Independent on Sunday *A big, wide, sensuous novel - clever, sinister, yet attractively real * Julie Myerson, Guardian *A consummately intelligent novel, highly literate but also intensely moving. * Jackie McGlone, Scotsman *Riveting ... erudite and immensely detailed ... a rich, densely textured and utterly absorbing novel * Lesley Glaister *Subtle, compassionate, wise, and supremely intelligent, it's a striking achievement. * Kieron Corless, Time Out *Hustvedt ranks amongst the finest American writers working today * Jennifer O'Connell, Sunday Business Post *a powerful novel of love, loss and longing, exquisitely written * Anne Donovan, Sunday Herald *

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Book SynopsisSUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER A once-in-a-generation series, Ali Smith''s Seasonal Quartet is a tour-de-force about love, time, art, politics, and how we live now. ''Her best yet, a dazzling hymn to hope, uniting the past and present with a chorus of voices'' Observer What unites Katherine Mansfield, Charlie Chaplin, Shakespeare, Rilke, Beethoven, Brexit, the present, the past, the north, the south, the east, the west, a man mourning lost times, a woman trapped in modern times? Spring. The great connective. With an eye to the migrancy of story over time, and riffing on Pericles, one of Shakespeare''s most resistant and rollicking works, Ali Smith tells the impossible tale of an impossible time. In a time of walls and lockdown Smith opens the door. The time we''re living in is changing nature. Will it change the nature of story? Hope springs eternal.Discover all four instalments: Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer. Ali Smith''s new novel, Companion piece, is available now.*****''An astonishing accomplishment and a book for all seasons'' Independent''Smith is a masterful storyteller . . . Savour it'' Evening Standard''Infectious in its energy and warmth'' Daily TelegraphTrade ReviewLuminous, generous, hope-filled... The third book in Ali Smith's seasonal quartet is her best yet, a dazzling hymn to hope, uniting the past and present with a chorus of voices... [Ali Smith] is lighting us a path out of the nightmarish now * Observer *Is there a writer so critically acclaimed and universally beloved? ...Autumn, Winter and Spring are stories of the unlikely connections human beings can make and the cost exacted when those connections are broken. They are state of the nation novels which understand that the nation is you, is me, is all of us: the nation is our choices, our fears, our losses... [Ali Smith] is the national novelist we need in 2019 * New Statesman *An astonishing accomplishment and a book for all seasons * Independent *Smith is a masterful storyteller... Spring is political but Smith is more concerned with the human fallout of current affairs then the machinations of elites... Through her account of unlikely friendships, Smith brings human values to the fore. Savour it, because there is just one instalment left * Evening Standard *Spring weaves a story around the most pressing issues of our time... [A] bubbling, babbling brook of a book...Smith tells stories in a voice you can't help but listen to * The Times *A powerful vision of lost souls in a divided Britain... As Smith's Seasonal Quartet moves towards completion her own role in British fiction looks ever more vital. The final page proclaims spring 'the great connective'. It's not a bad description of Smith herself * Guardian *Beguiling... The eagerly awaited third instalment * Financial Times *Infectious in its energy and warmth * Daily Telegraph *Just when things were starting to look really bad, along comes the third instalment in Ali Smith's seasonal quartet to lift us out of the gloom... An extraordinary embodiment of the ways in which storytelling connects us... The work of Katherine Mansfield and Rilke, Greek myths and the propulsive lyricism of spring itself, thread together in narratives of loss and rejuvenation * Daily Mail *The third of her exceptional Seasonal quartet, which riffs back and forth with Autumn and Winter to expound on the importance of hope to move us beyond the darkest of times * I paper *The most compelling and coherent of the three books... Smith, as always is interested in how a story gets told, and who gets to tell it * Sunday Times *Ali Smith is one of our greatest living novelists, the Virginia Woolf of our times. * The Observer *

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book Synopsis''One of the greatest European prose writers'' Philip RothIn the autumn of 1965, Bohumil Hrabal bought a weekend cottage in the countryside east of Prague. There, until his death, he tended to an ever-growing, unruly community of cats. This is his confessional, tender and shocking meditation on the joys and torments of his life with them; how he became increasingly overwhelmed by the demands of the things he loved, even to the brink of madness.''Dark and strange ... It begins with warmth and fluffiness, but soon descends into Dostoevskian horror'' Daily Telegraph''The Czech master exposed the animal within us'' New YorkerTrade ReviewOne of the great prose stylists of the 20th century; the scourge of state censors; the gregarious bar hound and lover of gossip, beer, cats and women -- Parul SehgalHrabal, to my mind, is one of the greatest European prose writers -- Philip RothHrabal was, for all his eccentricity, a major figure in 20th-century world literature -- Jonathan CoeThe very best writer -- Milan KunderaA most sophisticated novelist, with a gusting humor and a hushed tenderness of detail -- Julian BarnesA stunningly revealing, occasionally deranged exploration of self, with cat ownership the frame through which that exploration is presented, by one of postwar Europe's greatest writers -- Kevin O'Rourke * Michigan Quarterly Review *

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Book SynopsisA TIMES and INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER WINNER OF THE IRISH NOVEL PRIZE Soon to be a major BBC film starring Sir Lenny Henry, Malachi Kirby, Monica Dolan, Olivia Williams and Christopher Eccleston. It''s 1981, a year of riots and royal weddings. The Dukes of Hazzard is on TV. Curly Wurlys are in the shops. And trying to find a place in it all is nine-year-old Leon. He and his little brother Jake have gone to live with Maureen. They''ve lost one home, but have they found another? Maureen feeds and looks after them. She has wild red hair and mutters swearwords under her breath when she thinks they can''t hear. She claims everything will be okay. But will they ever see their mother again? Who are the couple who secretly visit Jake? Between the street violence and the street parties, Leon must find a way to reunite his family . . . ''Startlingly funny. Balances the gritty with the feel good'' Observer ''Vivid and endearing - a very powerful book'' Emma Healey, bestselling author of Elizabeth is Missing ''Authentic and beautiful, urgent and honest, this novel makes room in your heart'' Chris Cleave, bestselling author of The Other Hand SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA FIRST NOVEL AWARD & THE DESMOND ELLIOT PRIZETrade ReviewTender and heart-breaking -- Rachel Joyce, bestselling author of 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry'A beautiful story told with compassion, urgency and wit -- Stephen Kelman, author of the Booker-shortlisted 'Pigeon English'Vivid and endearing - a very powerful book -- Emma Healey, bestselling author of 'Elizabeth is Missing'Leon is pure goodwill in a wicked world, and he won't leave you when you put this unique book down. Authentic and beautiful, urgent and honest, this novel does what only the best do: it quietly makes room in your heart. At the end of the story I couldn't bear to close the book on Leon. I felt I was abandoning him. I wanted to talk about it straight away with someone else who'd read it, and I know a great many readers will feel the same. -- Chris Cleave, bestselling author of 'The Other Hand'Beautiful and heartbreaking - I cried buckets of tears for Leon and his family -- Cathy Rentzenbrink, author of 'The Last Act of Love'The unforgettable story of a boy struggling to belong, and the author captures both his mindset and the period impeccably. Heartbreaking and uplifting - just read it * Daily Mail *Everything in My Name Is Leon rings true. It's an everyday story and this actually makes it more powerful: these are the lows and joys of real life. Someone will be living them as you read * Emerald Street *Beguiling, tender, funny, compassionate ... entirely heartbreaking without being bleak * Sunday Express *

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Book SynopsisAN IRISH TIMES BEST IRISH BOOK OF THE 21ST CENTURY SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZESHORTLISTED FOR THE KERRY GROUP IRISH NOVEL OF THE YEAR AWARDLONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2022Vivid and memorable.' SARAH MOSS''Luminous.'' Observer''I utterly ADORED it.'' MARIAN KEYESHe handed the easel to the boatman, reaching down the pier wall towards the sea.Mr Lloyd has decided to travel to the island by boat without engine the authentic experience.Unbeknownst to him, Mr Masson will also soon be arriving for the summer. Both will strive to encapsulate the truth of this place - one in his paintings, the other by capturing its speech, the language he hopes to preserve.But the people who live on this rock three miles long and half-a-mile wide have their own views on what is being recorded, what is being taken and what is given in return. Soft summer days pass, and the islanders are forced to question what they value and what they desire. As the autumn beckons, and the visitors head home, there will be a reckoning.''Beautifully written.' STELLA, The Telegraph''The Colony contains multitudes. . . with much of it just visible on the surface, like the flicker of a smile or a shark in the water.'' The TimesThe Colony is a novel about big, important things.' Financial Times''Beautiful, haunting and incredibly powerful book.'' FÍONA SCARLETTTrade Review'I've always believed that good fiction can go to the beating heart of human reality in ways more likely to resonate with a reader than any textbook. A good novel strengthens empathy as well as the imagination and encourages us to see another world from a perspective that travels beyond our own interests. And this novel is better than good. Its beautifully realised lament for lost language and cultural sustainability has universal relevance.' - Canberra Times'Intelligent and provocative . . . What a relief it is to find a novel that treats the reader as a grown-up, that is fresh without chasing literary fashion, provocative but not shouty, and idiosyncratic but fully satisfying from the strange comedy of its opening pages to its decisive conclusion . . . The Colony contains multitudes - on families, on men and women, on rural communities - with much of it just visible on the surface, like the flicker of a smile or a shark in the water.' - The Times'Austere and stark . . . a story about language and identity, about art, oppression, freedom and colonialism. The Colony is a novel about big, important things.' - Financial Times'A vivid and memorable book about art, land and language, love and sex, youth and age. Big ideas tread lightly through Audrey Magee's strong prose.' - SARAH MOSS'The Colony: so brilliant in its quiet tragedy, so revealing in its precision. It haunts me.' - TSITSI DANGAREMBGA'A careful interrogation, The Colony expertly explores the mutability of language and art, the triumphs and failures inherent to the process of creation and preservation.' - RAVEN LEILANI'The Colony is brimming with ideas about identity and soul; a canny, challenging, and never less than engrossing read.' - LISA MCINERNEY'The Colony is a brilliant and thoughtfully calibrated commentary about the nature and balance of power. There is violence here, but, most impressively, Audrey Magee captures that more insidious cruelty-the kind masked as protection, as manners.' - MARY BETH KEANE'Audrey Magee has written a lyrical, rich, and emotionally powerful novel. The Colony comes alive like a brooding and beautiful canvas painted off the Irish coast.' - DOMINIC SMITH

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Book SynopsisThe sole survivor of a murderous ambush, a Belfast police detective is forced into a desperate search for a mysterious informer that takes him to a holy island on Lough Derg, a place shrouded in strange mists and hazy rain, where nothing is as it first appears to be. A keeper of secrets and a purveyor of lies, the detective finds himself surrounded by enemies disguised as pilgrims, and is drawn deeper into the mysteries of the purgatorial island, where he is forced to confront a series of disturbing secrets and ghosts in his own life. Haunting and unsettling,Turncoat probes the legacy of the Troubles, the loss of collective memories and the moral consequences for the individual. It is a story of guilt, survival and the terrible price of self-knowledge, told through the voice of a detective with a double life. Descending into paranoia, he uncovers a sinister panorama of cover-ups and conspiracies. The closer he edges to the truth, the deeper he is drawn into the currents of power, violence and guilt engulfing his country...Trade ReviewTurncoat is one of the most powerful and thought provoking novels on the Troubles and it's legacy I've read * Crime Time *Unexpected, thought-provoking, and unsettling, there is more to this book than initially meets the eye -- Liz Robinson * LoveReading *Quinn provides a haunting and poetic exploration of what it means to seek refuge and find understanding of the self * Crime Reads *

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Book SynopsisElaine Risley, a painter, returns to Toronto to find herself overwhelmed by her past. Memories of childhood - unbearable betrayals and cruelties - surface relentlessly, forcing her to confront the spectre of Cordelia, once her best friend and tormentor, who has haunted her for forty years. 'Not since Graham Greene has a novelist captured so forcefully the relationship between school bully and victim...Atwood's games are played, exquisitely, by little girls' LISTENER An exceptional novel from the winner of the 2000 Booker PrizeTrade ReviewI read this when I was about sixteen and remember its menace. It is about the potential toxicity in female friendships, which is a contentious issue. Atwood is never pigeonholed, she's wry and has a poet's eye -- Jessie Burton, author of The MiniaturistI read this when I was about sixteen and remember its menace. It is about the potential toxicity in female friendships, which is a contentious issue. Atwood is never pigeonholed, she's wry and has a poet's eye -- Jessie Burton, author of The MiniaturistNot since Graham Greene or William Golding has a novelist captured so forcefully the relationship between school bully and victim...Atwood's power games are played, exquisitely, by little girls * LISTENER *Irrestistible...This book is about life for all of us. She is one of our finest novelists. Read it * THE TIMES *Atwood's taut and exquisite use of language makes all her books irresistable... * THE WEEK *Margaret Atwood charts the psychological process of memory as compulsion and memory as a healing act through the character of Elaine Risley, an artist who returns to her home town of Toronto for a retrospective of her work. Elaine's visit triggers though * - Chris Kellett, From 500 Great Books by Women, AMAZON.CO.UK REVIEW *

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Book SynopsisAnaïs Nin''s Little Birds is published in Penguin Modern Classics.Anaïs Nin''s second volume of erotic short stories after Delta of Venus, Little Birds is broader in scope, encompassing the entire breadth of human sensuality. Each of the 13 stories captures a moment of pure desire, in all its complexity and paradoxical simplicity.Anaïs Nin (1903-77), born in Paris, was the daughter of a Franco-Danish singer and a Cuban pianist. Her first book - a defence of D. H. Lawrence - was published in the 1930s. Her prose poem, House of Incest (1936) was followed by the collection of three novellas, collected as Winter of Artifice (1939). In the 1940s she began to write erotica for an anonymous client, and these pieces are collected in Delta of Venus and Little Birds (both published posthumously). During her later years Anaïs Nin lectured frequently at universities throughout the USA, in 1974 and was elected to the United States National Institute of Arts and Letters.If you enjoyed Little Birds, you might like Nin''s Delta of Venus, also available in Penguin Modern Classics.''One of the most extraordinary and unconventional writers of this century''The New York Times Book Review

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Book Synopsis*ORIGINAL COVER COLLECTION EDITION*Book five in the sensational Magnolia Parks Universe series!How many loves do you actually get in a lifetime? Everyone knows by now that Magnolia Parks and BJ Ballentine are in the stars, but is that enough? Magnolia and BJ are reeling from a devastating loss as they try to plan what''s been dubbed ''the wedding of the century''. As family tensions mount and their respective pasts begin catching up to them, they finally have to look the truth in the eye: Can they learn to trust and be with one another again, or will they die trying?This edition is part of the original cover collection. READERS LOVE THE MAGNOLIA PARKS UNIVERSE ''Magnolia and BJ have embedded themselves into my DNA.'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''This book gave drama, love triangles, toxicity, chaos and I ate up every single moment.'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''TikTok made me do it, 1000% lived up to the hype.'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''Hands down the most emotional romance book I have ever read and therefore my favourite'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''Ridiculously addictive ... My heart broke a million times'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''This book will tear your heart out!'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''Never have I felt more emotions reading a single book before. The angst and pure rollercoaster of emotions was real! Jessa Hastings had me crying by 10%.'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ MAGNOLIA PARKS UNIVERSE SERIES 1 - Magnolia Parks 2 - Daisy Haites 3 - Magnolia Parks: The Long Way Home 4 - Daisy Haites: The Great Undoing 5 - Magnolia Parks: Into the Dark (OUT NOW!)

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Book SynopsisLee Child is one of the world's leading thriller writers. He was born in Coventry, raised in Birmingham, and now lives in New York. It is said one of his novels featuring his hero Jack Reacher is sold somewhere in the world every nine seconds. His books consistently achieve the number-one slot on bestseller lists around the world, and are published in over one hundred territories. He is the recipient of many prizes, most recently the CWA's Diamond Dagger for a writer of an outstanding body of crime fiction.Jack Reacher, the first Jack Reacher movie starring Tom Cruise, was based on the novel One Shot, and the second is Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.Trade Review"'Reacher is as dyed-in-the-wool an American action man as Hollywood could hope for...manages that tough trick of seeming at once battle-hardened, footloose, sexy and compassionate: the sort of ladies' man that Peter Millar, The Times" The Times "'Within a short space of time, Child has gleaned enviable recognition for his tautly written thrillers...This tale will ensure that many a train stop is missed'" The Good Book Guide "'In three novels Lee Child has established a franchise with his maverick drifter, the ex-US military cop Jack Reacher, and shown that, for an Englishman, he can produce passable American. His fourth, The Visitor, offers an efficient mix of hard-boiled style with lots of lip and a revivial of the classic locked-room mystery...Tight plotting, pace and high mileage'" Guardian "'Relentlessly fast-paced and beautifully structured...Amply fulfils the promise of its predecessors. Reacher is the sort of hero no woman could help falling for, and he looks destined to have a very long life'" Daily Mail "'A thumping good read...This is an excellent thriller of the Patricia Cornwell variety. Gripping and well-constructed...Impossible to put down'" Daily Express

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2023 SHORTLISTED FOR THE DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE 2023 SHORTLISTED FOR THE JHALAK PRIZE 2023 SHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS BOOK OF THE YEAR (DISCOVER) 2023 SHORTLISTED FOR THE REPUBLIC OF CONSCIOUSNESS PRIZE 2023 LONGLISTED FOR THE AUTHORS' CLUB BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD 2023 AN OBSERVER BEST DEBUT NOVEL OF 2022 I'M A FAN tells the story of an unnamed narrator's involvement in a seemingly unequal romantic relationship. With a clear and unforgiving eye, Sheena Patel makes startling connections between power struggles at the heart of human relationships to those in the wider world, offering a devastating critique of social media, access and patriarchal systems.Trade ReviewA fast, fizzing cherry bomb of a debut... mining the darkest depths of coercion, seduction and abuser dynamics... Like a sociopathic ex who's stalking your Twitter, I'M A FAN will stick with you for a very long time * Observer *Like Pop Rocks in your mouth. Burnt coffee on your tongue. Frostbitten fingers. It's been a long while since my heart raced over the prospect of turning a page in a book. Sheena Patel is an evil genius of a writer -- CHLOE CALDWELLPure fire from start to finish. Sheena Patel is the future -- Niven Govinden, author of Diary of a FilmA brutal, brilliant debut... The desperate, cornered strength of the narrative voice in I'M A FAN is like nothing else I've read * Guardian *Mesmerising, powerful, and finely observed -- Olivia Sudjic, author of Asylum RoadExhilarating, disturbing... Race, class and privilege are mercilessly deconstructed * Financial Times *Digs its nails deep into the contradictions of power and status with a brutally steady gaze. It's rare to find a book so thrillingly unafraid to offend, so willing to forgo niceties, so full of verve and bristling with insight -- Alexandra Kleeman, author of You Too Can Have a Body Like MineI'm a Fan digs its nails deep into the contradictions of power and status with a brutally steady gaze. It's rare to find a book so thrillingly unafraid to offend, so willing to forgo niceties, so full of verve and bristling with insight -- ALEXANDRA KLEEMANA blistering and dizzying journey into obsession, social media, race and class... Mercilessly sharp -- Sophie MackintoshAn addictive, intensely interior debut. I blazed through this book... You'll cringe, you'll laugh, you'll want to burn it all down. A scathing ode to the psychos and shitheads -- Rachel Yoder

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Book Synopsis*A NUMBER 1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER* *Jane Garvey and Fi Glover's book club pick* Violette Toussaint is the caretaker at a cemetery in a small town in Bourgogne. Her daily life is lived to the rhythms of the hilarious and touching confidences of random visitors and her colleagues—three gravediggers, three groundskeepers, and a priest. Violette’s routine is disrupted one day by the arrival of police chief Julien Seul, wishing to deposit his mother’s ashes on the gravesite of a complete stranger. Julien is not the only one to guard a painful secret: his mother’s story of clandestine love breaks through Violette’s carefully constructed defences to reveal the tragic loss of her daughter, and her steely determination to find out who is responsible. The funny, moving, intimately told story of a woman who believes obstinately in happiness, Fresh Water for Flowers brings out the exceptional and the poetic in the ordinary. A delightful, atmospheric, absorbing tale. “An appealing indulgence in nature, food and drink, and, above all, friendships.”—The Guardian What readers are saying: “I'd read this book over and over again” “One of those books that you don’t want to end” “Absolutely amazing story” “This is one of the BEST BOOKS EVER WRITTEN!” “A really moving story of hope love and determination” “this is one of the most life-affirming books I have read”Trade Review“A beautiful, intensely atmospheric bittersweet dream of a book.” * Matt Haig *"Beautifully written and compelling to read.” * TLS (Book of the Year) *“Valerie Perrin’s delightful Fresh Water for Flowers is a funny and moving story of one woman’s belief that everything will turn out right.” * Stylist *"The story fluctuates between extremes with stylish elegance. It is melancholic and yet ebullient...What may on the surface of it appear gloomy and morose, in Perrin's hands is an appealing indulgence in nature, food and drink, and, above all, friendships." * The Guardian *“A tender and poignant exploration of love, loss, and redemption.” * Publishers Weekly *“A triumphant celebration of life and love.” * ForeWord Reviews *“Breathtaking.” * Unidivers *“A bad, bad, bad case of love at first read. This is a splendid, moving book.” * C'est au programma *“An insightful novel, a book whose droll and endearing characters will bring you from tears to laughter.” -- Michel Bussi“The balance between laughter and tears is spot on.” * Lire *“Thundering applause. And, believe us, the word ‘thunder’ is not too strong.” * La Marseillese *“A million seller in its native France, Perrin’s novel sees the world through the eyes of Violette, a cemetery caretaker, and the people who pass through her care, living and dead, with their stories and secrets.” * The New European *“This book is exquisitely composed and utterly devastating in places, packed with meaningful meditations on life, death and love, and may leave you longing to adopt some of Violette’s considered routines – while also hoping to avoid the heartbreak which led her to this more thoughtful way of life... place this right at the top of your wishlist.” * Cambridge Edition Magazine *“This is a novel set in a place of death, but Violette makes it a place of life, hope and memory.” * The Book Trail *

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Book SynopsisWhat happens when we leave the places we’re from? What do we lose, who do we become, and what parts of our pasts are unshakeable? Linda Mannheim’s second short story collection tells the stories of twelve people who have relocated – both voluntarily and involuntarily. Opening with the Miami-set thriller 'Noir', these exquisitely rendered stories will leave you reeling. This Way To Departures is a deeply affecting portrait of American society and the constant search for a place to call 'home'.

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZERECIPIENT OF THE PRIX FEMINA ÉTRANGERSHORTLISTED FOR THE GOVERNER GENERAL''S AWARD''The most singular book ... a psychodrama that is both timeless and up-to-the-minute.'' Guardian''A classic, but with contemporary urgency thumping through it.'' Claire-Louise Bennett''A novel of deep insight and scarring honesty.'' IndependentA woman invites a famed artist to the remote coastal landscape where she lives. Drawn to his paintings, she believes his vision may penetrate the mystery at the centre of her life. But as a long, dry summer sets in, his provocative presence soon twists the patterns of her secluded household.

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Book Synopsis''A stunning piece of speculative fiction'' The i''A haunting novel about love, survival and everything in between ... one to get excited about'' Stylist, Best Modern Dystopia---But she isn''t here, no one is here. And I have a terror of being alone, in this building, in London, in the world.Neffy is a young woman running away from grief and guilt, and the one big mistake that has derailed her career. When a debilitating new virus sweeps across the globe, volunteering in a vaccine trial offers her a way to make up for her past. But then, the virus mutates, and the future she had dreamed for herself is gone.As the London streets outside the medical unit fall silent, and food begins to run out, Neffy must decide where safety lies. Might she find solace by revisiting her own heady memories of the past? Can she trust the strangers trapped inside with her - despite her growing suspicions? Or is her best chance of a futurTrade ReviewFollowing her award-winning novel Unsettled Ground, Fuller has returned with a piece of stunning speculative fiction * The i *A haunting novel about love, survival and everything in between ... one to get excited about * Stylist, Best Modern Dystopia *A thought-provoking and utterly compelling novel from a writer we always look forward to reading * Glamour *Haunting and unsettling, moving and thoughtful, with horror lurking at the edges, this is a subtle, elegant novel. Claire Fuller is a huge talent * Lucy Atkins, author of Magpie Lane *Claire Fuller is such an interesting and original writer and she has produced another literary page-turner ... Compulsive and thoroughly convincing. Terrific! * Clare Chambers, author of Small Pleasures *Fuller is an excellent writer and she neatly conveys boredom as well as dread (no mean feat) -- Anthony Cummings * Daily Mail *Stunning ... A page-turning, topical, edge-of-your-seat story that resonates with the reader on an emotional level, and leaves them thinking about it for a long time afterwards * Louise Morrish, author of Operation Moonlight *A gripping page-turner, this apocalyptic tale is given warmth and depth by the portrayal of Neffy, a young woman with a complicated past to which she returns to escape the horrors of the present * Woman and Home *A taut and atmospheric read, an exploration of captivity, sacrifice and survival in a post-apocalyptic world ... Asks important, resonant questions of life in extremis ... Fuller writes brilliantly ... The superb ending ties everything together with a moving, tragic cohesiveness * Irish Times *A woman once undone by empathy now finds that it could be her salvation in Claire Fuller's stunning postapocalyptic novel ... Sobering and evocative, The Memory of Animals is a novel about who we choose to be when the lights go out * Foreword *Wonderful, sorrowful, haunting, tender, elegiac * Barney Norris, author of The Undercurrent *Claire Fuller is my favourite story-teller. I read The Memory of Animals in one sitting, swept up by the thriller-like pace and the sheer joy of reading a great story. Yet, in the book's aftermath, I was haunted by Neffy's fumbling humanity in the face of loss and fear, and how courage isn't always obvious - even to those who find it. Fuller's books come in at the eyes, but they settle right behind the heart. * Melanie Finn, author of The Hare *A riveting exploration of agency, allegiance and choice * Marie Claire *Fuller's latest work is thought-provoking and unsettling, and somehow strikes a further warning note to a world already in crisis * Irish Independent *Claire Fuller is a fascinating writer, and The Memory of Animals is further evidence of her powers. Her story is one of survival, but her subject is humanity itself. With immense skill, she shines a light on the dark heart of our existence - the beauty and brutality of human behaviour. This is an unforgettable novel * Kathleen MacMahon, author of Nothing But Blue Sky *A story you'll both recognize from our collective recent past, and a thrilling departure from our reality * Good Housekeeping USA, The Best Books of 2023 so far *Full of jeopardy and strangeness but also laced with Fuller's trademark generosity and compassion. A startling and satisfying book * Julie Myerson, author of Nonfiction *Fuller excels in examining the everyday moments at the heart of a life ... A memorable meditation on how the human struggle to survive in captivity is not so different than that of our animal kin * Kirkus *A haunting novel of second chances set in a near-future pandemic ... Intricately structured ... The entwined pain and pleasure of memory is at the heart of Neffy's story, as is the hard work of establishing trust and finding forgiveness, particularly for oneself. This is a pandemic novel, yes, but one that radically transcends the label * Publishers Weekly, Starred Review *Brave, unflinching and beautiful * Beth Underdown, author of The Witchfinder's Sister *Claire Fuller strikes the perfect balance between beauty and melancholy * Clare Mackintosh, author of Hostage *The way she writes (with empathy but never sentimentality) moves my heart * Elizabeth Day, author of Magpie *A creeping tale of isolation and the dangerous allure of memory * Liz Earle Wellbeing *[A] post-Covid psychological thriller ... takes faintly distubing turns through grimly familiar territory to suggest that what makes us heroic, or not, hinges on unexpected things * Mail on Sunday *Compelling ... A riveting, don't-miss account of what some may see as the reality to come; long-time Fuller readers will relish this completely engrossing story, which questions what we value most * Library Journal *Compelling ... A timely read ... Fuller is on strong form in evoking the terrors faced by those who are not just marginalised but entirely forgotten by society * Daily Express *There's a haunted elegance to Fuller's vision of a fallen world ... Sensuous * Lit Hub, 28 Novels You Need To Read This Summer *

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Book Synopsis*INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER**AN OBSERVER DEBUT OF 2022**AS FEATURED ON FRONT ROW*''Incredibly moving. Exquisitely crafted. BONNIE GARMUS, author of Lessons in Chemistry ''Moving... We were consumed by this story of healing and hope.'' Woman & Home''A crescendo of pain and beauty that took my breath away. Brava!'' MIRANDA COWLEY HELLER, author of The Paper Palace ''I LOVE IT! Utterly and completely brilliant.'' JOANNA CANNON, author of A Tidy Ending''It''s a long time since I''ve read a debut novel that moved me so much.'' RACHEL JOYCE, Miss Benson''s Beetle''It''s utterly magnificent and had to pull car over twice to cry. Intricate cobweb of love, family and friendship, so delicately wrought. Beautiful. A masterclass in character.'' VERONICA HENRYWhen we go through something impossible, someone, or something, will help us, if we let them . . .It is October 1966 and William Lavery is having the night of his life at his first black-tie do. But, as the evening unfolds, news hits of a landslide at a coal mine. It has buried a school: Aberfan.William decides he must act, so he stands and volunteers to attend. It will be his first job as an embalmer, and it will be one he never forgets.His work that night will force him to think about the little boy he was, and the losses he has worked so hard to forget. But compassion can have surprising consequences, because - as William discovers - giving so much to others can sometimes help us heal ourselves.What readers are saying:***** ''One stunning read to remember.'' ***** ''Beautifully written . . . I would recommend this book to all.''***** ''Utterly heartbreaking and uplifting . . . I loved it.''***** ''Tremendous.''

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Book Synopsis'An extraordinary novel... as beautiful and as wrenching as anything I've ever read' Emily St. John MandelA dark past. An impossible journey. The will to survive.Franny Stone is determined to go to the end of the earth, following the last of the Arctic terns on what may be their final migration to Antarctica.As animal populations plummet, Franny talks her way onto one of the few remaining boats heading south. But as she and the eccentric crew travel further from shore and safety, the dark secrets of Franny's life begin to unspool.Haunted by love and violence, Franny must confront what she is really running towards - and from.From the west coast of Ireland to Australia and remote Greenland, this is an ode to the wild places and creatures now threatened, and an epic, moving story of the possibility of hope against all odds.______________READERS LOVE MIGRATIONS:'Wrenchingly beautiful''Visceral, heart-breaking''Simply phenomenal''Raw and gripping''Riveting''Here's your next favourite''A story...about love, passion, wandering'*Previously published as The Last Migration*Trade ReviewCompulsive stuff, driven at a cracking pace by the power of the elements and the fierce will of its single-minded narrator * Stephanie Cross, Daily Mail *The Last Migration is as beautiful and as wrenching as anything I've ever read. This is an extraordinary novel by a wildly talented writer * Emily St. John Mandel, author of Station Eleven *There's a brooding lushness to this novel's prose that belies its stark premise... this keening lament of an adventure is compelling * Hephzibah Anderson, Observer *An adventure of a wilder sort * Vogue, US *A fascinating hybrid of nature writing and dystopian fiction... gripping... by merging cli-fi and nature writing, the novel powerfully demonstrates the spiritual and emotional costs of environmental destruction * Economist *

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Book SynopsisMargaret Atwood (External Editor) Margaret Atwood is the author of more than fifty books of fiction, poetry and critical essays. Her novels include Cat's Eye, The Robber Bride, Alias Grace, The Blind Assassin and the MaddAddam trilogy. Her 1985 classic, The Handmaid's Tale, was followed in 2019 by a sequel, The Testaments, which was a global number one bestseller and shared the Booker Prize. Her most recent publications are the poetry collections Dearly and Paper Boat; Burning Questions, a selection of essays; and Old Babes in the Wood, a volume of short stories.Atwood is a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour, and has won numerous awards including the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Imagination in Service to Society, the Franz Kafka Prize, the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, the PEN USA Lifetime Achievement Award and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. She has also worked as a cartoonist, illustrator, librettist, playwright and puppeteer. She lives in Toronto, Canada.Douglas Preston (External Editor) Douglas Preston has published 39 books of fiction and nonfiction, of which 32 have been New York Times bestsellers, some reaching the #1 position. Two of his novels, co-written with Lincoln Child, were chosen in a National Public Radio poll of readers as being among the 100 greatest thrillers ever written. His recent nonfiction book, The Lost City of the Monkey God, was named a notable book of the year by the New York Times, the Boston Globe, and National Geographic magazine. In addition to books, Preston writes about archaeology and paleontology for the New Yorker Magazine. He worked as an editor for the American Museum of Natural History in New York and taught nonfiction writing at Princeton University. He is the recipient of numerous writing awards in the U.S. and Europe, and he served as president of the Authors Guild from 2019 to 2023.

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Book SynopsisEleven-year-old Martin has nothing but the shirt on his back, and a black rooster which is both a protector and a friend. The villagers steer clear of the boy, finding him strange; far too smart and kind. They would rather mistreat him than acknowledge his talents. When Martin meets a travelling painter and seizes the chance to leave the village with him, he is led into a terrible world which, thanks to his compassion and understanding, he is able to resist, becoming a saviour for those even more innocent than he is. An eleven-year-old boy with all the wisdom of the world shows us that with common sense, courage and a pure heart, we can change the world.

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