Narrative theme: coming of age

Book Synopsis?????A fascinating small town, character-driven novel that delivers the most shocking twist you''ll read this year... - The Book ReviewWHEN LIVES ENTANGLE, WEBS WILL WEAVE...Time: September, 1997.Place: Lebanon, Kansas-quite literally, as marked by a monument, the very middle of middle America.A teacher. A soldier. An immigrant. A joker. A loner. A chancer. A carer.A mosaic of seven regular townsfolk are going about their days, blissfully unaware their lives are about to interweave, interchange and interact; entangling into such a messy web that, together - and unbeknownst to them - their lives end up changing the face of America forevermore.In the mold of movies such as Traffic, Magnolia & The Usual Suspects, In the Middle of Middle America follows multiple characters and allows the reader to become a fly on the wall to observe these seven lives entangling into such a mess that they ultimately lead the reader into a head-spinning twist.

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Book SynopsisFrom Tiffanie DeBartolo, author of God Shaped Hole, How to Kill a Rock Star, and Grace: The Jeff Buckley Story, comes Sorrow, a poignant story about friendship and love, art and music, and how these pursuits can save us from ourselves. Joe Harper has backpedaled throughout his life. A once-promising guitar prodigy, he’s been living without direction since abandoning his musical dreams. Now into his thirties, having retreated from every opportunity he’s had to level up, he has lost his family, his best friend, and his own self-respect. But Joe finds an unlikely path to redemption when he starts working as a carpenter for the bohemian conceptual artist October Danko. The job returns him to his hometown, loaded with bittersweet reminders of his former life, in the shadows of his beloved redwood trees. As Joe’s relationship with October develops, he yearns to take a daring step toward a bold future, but struggles to escape the craven decisions of his past. Sorrow is a stunning, moving novel that explores masculinity and suspended adolescence, all the while begging the questions: Can courage be learned? And is it ever too late to follow your heart?

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Book SynopsisNOW AN EMMY-NOMINATED HULU ORIGINAL SERIES • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A stunning novel about the transformative power of relationships” (People) from the author of Conversations with Friends, “a master of the literary page-turner” (J. Courtney Sullivan). ONE OF THE TEN BEST NOVELS OF THE DECADE—Entertainment WeeklyTEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR—People, Slate, The New York Public Library, Harvard CrimsonAND BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR—The New York Times, The New York Times Book Review, O: The Oprah Magazine, Time, NPR, The Washington Post, Vogue, Esquire, Glamour, Elle, Marie Claire, Vox, The Paris Review, Good Housekeeping, Town & Country Connell and Marianne grew up in the same small town, but the similarities end there. At school, Connell is popular and well liked, while Marianne is a loner. But when the two strike up a conversation—awkward but electrifying—something life changing begins.A year later, they’re both studying at Trinity College in Dublin. Marianne has found her feet in a new social world while Connell hangs at the sidelines, shy and uncertain. Throughout their years at university, Marianne and Connell circle one another, straying toward other people and possibilities but always magnetically, irresistibly drawn back together. And as she veers into self-destruction and he begins to search for meaning elsewhere, each must confront how far they are willing to go to save the other.Normal People is the story of mutual fascination, friendship and love. It takes us from that first conversation to the years beyond, in the company of two people who try to stay apart but find that they can’t. Praise for Normal People “[A] novel that demands to be read compulsively, in one sitting.”—The Washington Post “Arguably the buzziest novel of the season, Sally Rooney’s elegant sophomore effort . . . is a worthy successor to Conversations with Friends. Here, again, she unflinchingly explores class dynamics and young love with wit and nuance.”—The Wall Street Journal “[Rooney] has been hailed as the first great millennial novelist for her stories of love and late capitalism. . . . [She writes] some of the best dialogue I’ve read.”—The New YorkerTrade Review“[Rooney] has invented a sensibility entirely of her own: sunny and sharp, free of artifice but overflowing with wisdom and intensity. . . . The novel touches on class, politics, and power dynamics and brims with the sparky, witty conversation that Rooney’s fans will recognize.”—Vogue “A future classic.”—The Guardian“Rooney is a tough girl; her papercut-sharp sensibility is much more akin to writers like Rachel Kushner, Mary Gaitskill, and the pre–Manhattan Beach Jennifer Egan. . . . Normal People is a nuanced and flinty love story about two young people who ‘get’ each other, despite class differences and the interference of their own vigorous personal demons. But honestly, Sally Rooney could write a novel about bath mats and I’d still read it. She’s that good and that singular a writer.”—Maureen Corrigan, NPR’s Fresh Air “[Rooney] has written two fresh and accessible novels. . . . There is so much to say about Rooney’s fiction—in my experience, when people who’ve read her meet they tend to peel off into corners to talk.”—Dwight Garner, The New York Times“[Rooney’s] two carefully observed and gentle comedies of manners . . . are tender portraits of Irish college students. . . . Remarkably precise—she captures meticulously the way a generation raised on social data thinks and talks.”—New York Review of Books“Normal People tackles millennial concerns with nineteenth-century wit . . . the millennial generation would no doubt be happy to accept her as its spokesperson were she so inclined.”—Elle“I’m transfixed by the way Rooney works, and I’m hardly the only one . . . like any confident couturier, she’s slicing the free flow of words into the perfect shape. . . . She writes about tricky commonplace things (text messages, sex) with a familiarity no one else has.”—The Paris Review“Funny and intellectually agile . . . [combines] deft social observation—especially of shifts of power between individuals and groups—with acute feeling . . . [Rooney is] a master of the kind of millennial deadpan that appears to skewer a whole life and personality in a sentence or two.”—Harper’s Magazine“Beautifully observed . . . crackles with vivid insight into what it means to be young and in love today.”—Esquire“I went into a tunnel with this book and didn’t want to come out. Absolutely engrossing and surprisingly heart-breaking with more depth, subtlety, and insight than any one novel deserves. Young love is a subject of much scorn, but Rooney understands the cataclysmic effects our youth has on the people we become. She has restored not only love’s dignity, but also its significance.”—Stephanie Danler, author of Sweetbitter“Masterfully done. The quality of Rooney’s writing, particularly in the psychologically wrought sex scenes, cannot be understated as she brilliantly provides a window into her protagonists’ true selves.”—BookPage (starred review)

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A compelling story about loss, adaptability, and courage ... With compassion and delicacy Kline presents a little-known chapter of American history and draws comparisons with the modern-day foster care system." -- Library Journal "In ORPHAN TRAIN, Christina Baker Kline seamlessly knits together the past and present of two women, one young and one old. Kline reminds us that we never really lose anyone or anything or--perhaps most importantly--ourselves." -- Ann Hood, author of The Knitting Circle "I loved this book: its absorbing back-and-forth story, its vivid history, its eminently loveable characters. ORPHAN TRAIN wrecked my heart and made me glad to be literate." -- Monica Wood, author of When We Were the Kennedys "One of the most powerful novels I've ever read...I am compelling all of you, even begging you, to make this novel your next read. You'll be talking about it for years to come!" -- Naples Daily News (FL) "A gem." -- Huffington Post "Absorbing...a heartfelt page-turner about two women finding a sense of home...Kline lets us live the characters' experiences vividly through their skin...The growth from instinct to conscious understanding to partnership between the two is the foundation for a moving tale." -- Publishers Weekly "Kline draws a dramatic, emotional story from a neglected corner of American history." -- Kirkus Reviews "I was so moved by this book. I loved Molly and Vivian, two brave, difficult, true-hearted women who disrupt one another's lives in beautiful ways, and loved journeying with them, through heartbreak and stretches of history I'd never known existed, out of loneliness toward family and home." -- Marisa de los Santos, New York Times-bestselling author of Belong to Me and Falling Together "A lovely novel about the search for family that also happens to illuminate a fascinating and forgotten chapter of American history. Beautiful." -- Ann Packer, New York Times-bestselling author of The Dive from Clausen's Pier and Swim Back to Me "Christina Baker Kline writes exquisitely about two unlikely friends ... each struggling to transcend a past of isolation and hardship. ORPHAN TRAIN will hold you in its grip as their fascinating tales unfold." -- Cathy Marie Buchanan, New York Times-bestselling author of The Painted Girls "Christina Baker Kline's latest wonder, ORPHAN TRAIN, makes for compulsive reading...Meticulously researched and yet full of the breath of life, Kline's novel takes us on an historical journey where survival depends upon one's own steely backbone, and the miracle of a large and generous heart." -- Helen Schulman, New York Times-bestselling author of This Beautiful Life "A poignant and memorable story of two steadfast, courageous women...A revelation of the universal yearing for belonging, for family, for acceptance and, ultimately, the journeys we must all make to find them." -- Kathleen Kent, New York Times-bestselling author of The Heretic's Daughter and The Traitor's Wife "Reminiscent of Elizabeth Strout's Amy and Isabel, this Orphan Train carries us along until the stories of these two women become one." -- Mary Morris, author of, most recently, Revenge "This superbly composed novel tells two parallel stories of suffering and perseverance, capturing the heart and mind equally and remaining mesmerizing through the intensely heart-wrenching conclusion." -- Romantic Times, Top Pick "The intertwined stories in this novel will surely please those looking for a compelling new read." -- Cleveland Plain Dealer "One of the most intriguing, tender novels of 2013...This is a warm, satisfying, and inspirational story." -- The New Maine Times Book Review

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Book SynopsisThe New York Times bestselling author of The Jane Austen Book Club introduces a middle-class American family that is ordinary in every way but one in this novel that won the PEN/Faulkner Award and was a finalist for the Man Booker Prize.   Meet the Cooke family: Mother and Dad, brother Lowell, sister Fern, and Rosemary, who begins her story in the middle. She has her reasons. “I was raised with a chimpanzee,” she explains. “I tell you Fern was a chimp and already you aren’t thinking of her as my sister. But until Fern’s expulsion...she was my twin, my funhouse mirror, my whirlwind other half and I loved her as a sister.” As a child, Rosemary never stopped talking. Then, something happened, and Rosemary wrapped herself in silence. In We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, Karen Joy Fowler weaves her most accomplished work to date—a tale of loving but fallible people whose well-intentioned actions

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Book SynopsisA pulse-pounding psychological thriller based on the popular Dutch tradition of blindfolding and dropping teens and pre-teens in the middle of a forest — and what happens when it goes horribly wrong. Twelve-year old Karin is blindfolded and dropped into the Hoge Veluwe National Forest with three other children. With nothing but a few basic supplies and emergency food, the children are tasked with working together to navigate one of the Netherlands' most beautiful and wild locations and return to where their families are anxiously waiting. Karin quickly finds herself at odds with two of the older teens, and suddenly looks up to see that the other children have vanished. As Karin struggles against the elements to find her way back, she soon realizes that something far more sinister lurks in the woods. Grace, Karin’s mother and an American married to a Dutch husband, has been nervous about this practice from the start. At first she tells herself the space is good for her daughter, but as the hours begin to tick by and the children fail to arrive at their designated campsite, she becomes certain something has gone horribly wrong.  As Karin fights for survival, and Grace hastens to find her daughter, the night culminates in the reveal of a deadly secret—and a shocking confrontation—that will push each of them to her edge.

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Book SynopsisA NEW YORKER AND LOS ANGELES TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • A masterful and engrossing novel about a single mother’s collapse and the fate of her family after she enters a California state hospital in the 1970s.“A sweeping family epic that took me from one American coast to another…Simpson is so attuned to the family heart.” —Weike Wang, author of Joan Is OkayWhen Diane Aziz drives her oldest son, Walter, from Los Angeles to college at UC Berkeley, it will be her last parental act before falling into a deep depression. A single mother who maintains a wishful belief that her children can attain all the things she hasn’t, she’s worked hard to secure their future in caste-driven 1980s Los Angeles, gaining them illegal entry to an affluent public school. When she enters a state hospital, her closest friend tries to keep the children safe and their mother’s dreams for them alive.

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Book SynopsisDavid Rain is an Australian writer who lives in London. He has taught literature and writing at Queen's University of Belfast, University of Brighton, and Middlesex University, London.Trade ReviewThe more I read The Heat of the Sun, the more I admired it: for its imaginative reach, its emotional power, and the lit-up beauty and exactitude of its writing. I thought it breathtakingly good. * Sue Gee, author of The Mysteries of Glass *

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Book SynopsisGaile Parkin was born and raised in Zambia, and studied at universities in South Africa and England. She has lived in many different parts of Africa, including Swaziland, where When Hoopoes go to Heaven is set. She is currently a freelance consultant in the fields of education, gender and HIV/AIDS.Trade ReviewWith gentle humour and a gift for detail, [Gaile Parkin] brings Rwanda to life, with its physical beauty, food and customs... [Baking Cakes in Kigali] is fluent and deeply moving * Independent *With a lightness of touch, and a cast as colourful as one of Angel's cakes, debut novelist Parkin deftly uncovers the joys and sorrows of the survivors. Fans of Precious Ramotswe will love this * Marie Claire *

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Book SynopsisAn epic debut novel telling the story of a young man's unquenchable spirit, perfect for fans of Cormac McCarthy and True Grit.Trade ReviewTotally brilliant -- Dan SnowLangdale is excellent at delineating landscapes both natural and human . . . She puts it on the page with such detail and self-confidence that I believe every word -- Jane Smiley * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisThe bestselling debut novel from YouTube sensation Oli WhiteTrade ReviewWe loved this book...if you've ever wondered what it's like to have YouTuber fame overnight, this book tells all. We laughed and cried but enjoyed it from beginning to end. * Nickelodeon UK *Love, family, cyberbullying, and illness...amazing...may remind readers of novels by John Green * Orlando Sentinel *Best New Book of July * B&N Teen Blog *Amazon reader reviews'This book is amazing! I couldn't put it down, I had to keep reading!''I love the book. Good job Oli'.'Really recommended 10/10''A really enjoyable read''Absolutely love this book' * : *

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Book Synopsis** THE #1 BESTSELLER!**The thrilling sequel to YouTube sensation Oli White''s smash-hit debut GENERATION NEXT. *Contains exclusive bonus content, including a Q&A with Oli!*School has finished for good, and Jack and his friends - Ella, Austin, Ava and Sai - are giving their online social media platform, Generation Next, the ultimate relaunch: a stage takeover at the world''s biggest music festival. When you''re interviewing famous stars and streaming the footage all over the globe, what could possibly go wrong? The takeover is the gang''s most epic task yet, and when they meet TV producer Ethan, he seems like the perfect person to help out. Everyone loves Ethan: he''s smart, talented and a natural addition to the group. But Jack isn''t so sure. Ethan seems to be hiding something... and why can''t the rest of GenNext see it? If Jack isn''t careful, his dreams for Generation Next - and his relationships with Ella and his closest frTrade ReviewPraise for Generation Next * : *We loved this book...if you've ever wondered what it's like to have YouTuber fame overnight, this book tells all. We laughed and cried but enjoyed it from beginning to end. * Nickelodeon UK *Love, family, cyberbullying, and illness...amazing...may remind readers of novels by John Green * Orlando Sentinel *Amazon reader reviews'This book is amazing! I couldn't put it down, I had to keep reading!''I love the book. Good job Oli'.'Really recommended 10/10''A really enjoyable read''Absolutely love this book' * : *

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Book SynopsisA stunning, heart-breaking literary debut with the feel of a big American classic.Trade ReviewA work of abundant talent * New York Times *A beautiful, evocative novel with an amazing sense of place and an understated, dark sensibility. A brilliant debut. I loved it! * Jenni Fagan, author of The Panopticon *A novel this good is a rare thing. Elegiac and timeless, THE BARROWFIELDS is an unforgettable evocation of an American saga gone wrong. Reading it is like cracking open the tattered first edition of a classic you somehow missed but just pulled from your father's bookshelf. * David Gilbert, author of & Sons *THE BARROWFIELDS knows that the worst hauntings happen not in old houses but in troubled minds. The psychological landscape is craggy in this vivid update on Southern Gothic steeped in gorgeous vernacular and full of characters ready to walk off the page. A narrator cultivated from birth like a hothouse flower to redeem his father's thwarted ambitions finds the ruthless strength to escape the gravity of a doomed life, but at great cost. Revelations abound about family secrets as the dextrous narrative shifts between viscerally urgent and beautifully languorous. Lewis goes down to the depths and back up in this powerfully hopeful book, and the reader is helpless in his hands. * Matthew Thomas, author of We Are Not Ourselves *Majestic and rich with the textures of life, Phillip Lewis's THE BARROWFIELDS is one of the great discoveries of the year. This is adebut so assured in its sense of place and history that it will leave you in awe of what Lewis has accomplished here: a sorrowful, beautiful ode to the bond of family, the ghosts that haunt us, and the stories that shape us.' * Paul Yoon, author of Snow Hunters *Beautifully written and deeply moving, THE BARROWFIELDS is a novel that centers on a man conflicted between his love of family and his devotion to literature. Phillip Lewis is a very talented writer, and his debut deserves a wide and appreciative readership. * Ron Rash, New York Times bestselling author of Serena and Above the Waterfall *In this charming, absorbing, and assured debut novel, a young man tries to make sense of his father's life and the passions that unite them-namely, a devotion to literature and a rueful nostalgia for their Appalachian homeland. . . . Lewis evokes his settings beautifully, and his prose is bracingly erudite. This debut has the ability to fully immerse its readers. * Publishers Weekly *Stunning . . . rich in character and place, steeped in literature and music, and fraught with family drama. . . . With clear echoes of Poe and Wolfe, THE BARROWFIELDS also gives a nod to Richard Russo by reflecting an appreciation for the eccentricities of regional characters. . . . Lewis has put Old Buckram firmly on the map. * Shelf Awareness *In his evocative debut about disenchantment and identity, Lewis captures the longing of a southerner separated from his home, his family, and his ambition... Like fellow North Carolinian Thomas Wolfe, Lewis tackles the conflicting choice between accepting one's roots and rejecting the past, and he does so with grace, wit, and an observant eye. * Booklist *

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Book SynopsisMeet 10-year-old Zac – a boy on a mission – in Katy Regan’s Little Big Man . . .You can't see the truth from the outside, that's what I've worked out. Ten-year-old Zac has never met his dad, who allegedly did a runner before he was born. But when his mum lets slip that he’s the only man she’s ever loved, Zac turns detective and, roping in his best friend, hatches a plan to find his father and give his mum the happy-ever-after she deserves. What he doesn’t realize, though, is that sometimes people have good reasons for disappearing . . .Little Big Man is a story about family secrets and fierce, familial love. It's about growing up and being accepted; grief and lies, and the damage they can do. Most of all though, it’s about a little boy determined to hunt down the truth; a boy who wants to give the Dad he’s never met a second chance to be a father – and his mum a second chance at love.Trade ReviewKaty Regan broke my heart and put it back together again with Little Big Man . . . Humour, poignancy, secrets, love – everything you could ask for from a book -- Lucy DiamondA beautifully written love story, with authentic, compelling characters. You’ll love Katy Regan’s new book -- Clare MackintoshA big-hearted, brilliantly pitched tale about family, love and finding your place in the world * Heat *As uplifting as it is heart-breaking in places, this sweeping story of one boy’s courage will effortlessly win your heart -- Rowan ColemanBeautifully written and brimming with people to love and root for, Little Big Man had me from the first page. Zac's voice is arresting, compelling and completely original – I absolutely loved this book -- Lisa JewellWith exquisitely drawn characters you’ll fall in love with, Little Big Man packs a huge emotional punch * The Sun, Fabulous magazine *Katy Regan's writing is effortlessly emotional and authentic, and Little Big Man had me hooked from the first page. Zac's voice is wonderful – vulnerable and tough and entirely convincing. It's a heartfelt novel about love, family, and self-belief, and I loved it -- Julie CohenSometimes you just need to read a novel that lets you sob. Little Big Man is that sort of novel. And Zac, its brave yet bullied 10 year old narrator, is an absolute TRIUMPH -- Sarah VaughanPoignant, funny and heartbreaking with a story that stays with you long after you have put it down * Psychologies magazine *Delightful, heart-wrenching, poignant, and absolutely real, Katy Regan has created a uniquely brave and beautiful voice. She writes with tremendous acuity and tenderness, with a story that you will not be able to stop reading -- Jane GreenAn extraordinary and wonderful book. A real 'just-one-more-page-before-bedtime' story . . . Lovely, clever and incredibly touching -- Milly JohnsonIt is Zac's bright, observant voice which pulls you into his world and exposes the truth – that love and loss make grown-ups do the silliest things * Sunday Express *A towering achievement: wise, funny, sad, deeply human – a perfectly timed reminder of the fundamental values of love and family . . . A book that provokes tears and sorrow as skilfully as it delivers deep belly laughs. It kept me up all night and will stay with me for years to come -- Rosie WalshFunny, sweet and brilliantly written -- this book totally stole my heart -- Eve ChaseA beautiful story about growing up and keeping those we love close to us . . . A heartfelt tale of courage, grief and familial love * Candis magazine *From the moment I started reading I couldn't put it down and I felt bereft when I finished. It's a beautiful, warm story about love, family and friendships, which will leave you laughing one minute and heartbroken the next . . . I was expecting a good story, but this exceeded all my expectations, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it -- Clare SwatmanConvincing and endearing . . . A compelling, provocative and astute story of families and long-hidden secrets * Daily Express *Juliet and her son Zac lodged themselves in my heart from the very first page, and are still there now. Katy Regan makes friends of her characters, and I couldn’t put Little Big Man down until I’d uncovered all their bittersweet, painfully real secrets, wrapping around their Grimsby family like fishing nets. Regan's writing is smart, funny and full of emotional truths that linger; Juliet’s brave and redemptive lifestory will stay with me for a long, long time. This is a wonderful one-sitting treat of a novel -- Lucy DillonHeartwarming * Bella *A touching, funny and original story of a little man with a big heart, with a cast of authentic characters that’ll have you laughing and crying in equal parts -- Jimmy Rice, co-author of The Best Thing That Never Happened to Me and The Night That Changed EverythingTouching * Sunday Mirror *

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Book SynopsisFor fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Joanna Nadin's The Talk of Pram Town tells a story about mothers, daughters and second chances . . .'Beautifully written and deliciously clever - the characters will stay with you for a long time and you’ll find joy on every page.' – Matson Taylor, author of Richard and Judy Book Club pick, The Miseducation of Evie EpworthIt’s 1981. Eleven-year-old Sadie adores her beautiful and vibrant mother, Connie, whose dreams of making it big as a singer fill their tiny house in Leeds. It’s always been just the two of them. Until the unthinkable happens.Jean hasn’t seen her good-for-nothing daughter Connie since she ran away from the family home in Harlow – or Pram Town as its inhabitants affectionately call it – aged seventeen and pregnant.But in the wake of the Royal Wedding, Jean gets a life-changing call: could she please come and collect the granddaughter she’s never met?We all know how Charles and Diana turned out, and Jean and Sadie are hardly a match made in heaven – but is there hope of a happy ending for them?Trade ReviewBeautifully written and deliciously clever - the characters will stay with you for a long time and you’ll find joy on every page. Really can’t recommend it enough -- Matson Taylor, author of Richard & Judy Book Club pick, The Miseducation of Evie EpworthFabulous on mothers and daughters, guilt and ambition and what it means to be alienated from the life you’ve always known * Daily Mail *Another triumph . . . I absolutely loved it -- Kate Eberlen, author of Miss You and Only YouI adored The Talk Of Pram Town. A brilliantly written, emotional and honest novel set in Essex and Leeds about mothers and daughters, dreams and dark secrets. It pulled at my heartstrings and the characters stayed inside my head long after I had finished reading. Highly recommend this wonderful book -- Jenny Quintana, author of The Missing Girl and The Hiding PlaceAn enchanting, heartfelt and nostalgic read -- Prima, on The Queen of Bloody Everything

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Book Synopsis'A beautiful and evocative novel about grief, about growing up, about losing and winning. The people and places in this book will stay with me for a long time.' – Sally RooneyA 'Book of the Year' in The Economist, The Independent, The Week, The New York Times and The GuardianA deeply moving novel about grief, sisterhood, squash and a teenage girl's struggle to transcend herself.Eleven-year-old Gopi has been playing squash since she was old enough to hold a racket. When her mother dies, her father enlists her in a quietly brutal training regimen, and the game becomes her world. Slowly, she grows apart from her sisters. Her life is reduced to the sport, guided by its rhythms: the serve, the volley, the drive, the shot and its echo.But on the court, she is not alone. She is with her pa. She is with Ged, a thirteen-year-old boy with his own formidable talent. She is with the players who have come before her. She is in awe.An unforgettable coming-of-age story, Chetna Maroo’s first novel is a moving exploration of the closeness of sisterhood, the immigrant experience, and the collective overcoming of grief.'With this gorgeous debut, Maroo blows most of the competition off the court.' – The Times'Stunning . . . Spare, tender, brilliantly achieved . . . A novel that unfolds in silences . . . and dares to leave much unsaid.' – The GuardianTrade Review'Western Lane is a beautiful and evocative novel about grief, about growing up, about losing and winning. The people and places in this book will stay with me for a long time.' -- Sally RooneyA slim, subtle debut novel of grief and growing up that conjures a powerful panoply of emotions * The Economist, 'The Best Books of 2023' *Stunning . . . Spare, tender, brilliantly achieved . . . A novel that unfolds in silences . . . and dares to leave much unsaid. * The Guardian *A deeply evocative debut about a family grappling with grief, conveyed through crystalline language -- The Judges of the Booker PrizeThis gorgeous tale about a family reeling from loss stands out from the debut crowd… This quiet, elegantly compressed coming-of-age novel . . . operates most powerfully in the gaps outside the plot . . . Few novelists write this simply and richly. With this gorgeous debut, Maroo blows most of the competition off the court. * The Times *Maroo’s quiet sentences contain multitudes on cultural tensions and grief, on the wordless love between a father and a daughter. * The Telegraph *Terrific . . . A symphony of emotion . . . A bold book and a quietly brilliant one * The Economist *The beauty of Maroo’s novel lies in [its] unfolding, the narrative shaped as much by what is on the page as by what’s left unsaid . . . In this graceful novel, the game of squash becomes a way into Gopi’s grief and her attempts to process it. * The New York Times *Melancholy is only one of the moods of this short but brimming book. Squash is also a channel for Gopi’s rage; for connections with other players and her longsuffering father; and for a joyous kind of freedom of expression. The novel ends with the tournament, as it must, and Ms. Maroo’s writing achieves its most graceful rhythms and prescient insights. You’ll want to applaud. * The Wall Street Journal *A vivid depiction of grief, love and sisterhood * Independent *Starting off as an intimate tone poem, this story of a squash-obsessed teenager expands into something with the amplitude, depth, and ringing power of a great symphony. In other words--WOW. Western Lane is glorious. You’ll want to read it over and over again. -- Aravind Adiga, author of The White TigerCombining the precision and the efficiency of an athlete with the mysteries of childhood loss and memory, Western Lane is a novel in which we linger on every breathing line and relish every close observation. What an exceptionally talented writer Chetna Maroo is!' -- Yiyun Li, author of A Thousand Years of Good Prayers and Where Reasons End[A] slim, subtle, moving story . . . about grief and growing up in a Gujarati family in Britain . . . A bold book [and] a quietly brilliant one. -- A D Miller, Booker-shortlisted author of SnowdropsChetna Maroo captures with great poignancy and accuracy the bewilderment and groping for meaning that loss brings—but also how small acts of kindness ultimately redeem us from this loss. Truly a gem of a novel, this deceptively simple story told in a sparse, elegant style kept revealing its depths long after I had closed its pages. -- Shyam Selvadurai, author of Funny BoyLean, agile, and quietly deadly, Western Lane is a coming-of-age story of extraordinary artistic maturity. It is a book of young people muscling themselves through unreconciled grief, and it is a book of simmering intensities, reverberating silences, and exquisite literary timing. This is a book to both share and treasure. -- David Chariandy, author of BrotherThere are no villains in this exquisite novel (unless you include Death); everybody wants what is best and behaves with kindness. It could be syrupy-sweet, like Aunt Ranjan’s gulab jamun, but it isn’t. * TLS *A profoundly resonant novel . . . This is a debut in which Chetna Maroo gets every choice right, even the riskier ones. It reminds me of Kazuo Ishiguro’s A Pale View of Hills in that sense, and it has the same quality of being so calm, so confident, so close to the profound and yet rooted in real experience. The writing is beautiful and wise. * The Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisTwo wonderfully evocative short novels from the author of There Was A Time - surely the last novel about the Second World War to have been written by someone who served in it.Innocence is paired here with a complementary story, A Morse Code Set, first published in 1964 and available recently only as an eBook.In A Morse Code Set, set in Manchester in 1939, a boy finds his world turned upside down by the outbreak of war. When his own father is called up by the Army and Freddy accepts an offer from the father of one of his friends to repair his beloved morse code set, the youngster sets in motion a potentially tragic turn of events.In Innocence, young Tony grapples with the consequences of his father leaving his family, and a growing awareness of his own sexuality. The narrative brilliantly conjures a place and time - a Yorkshire village in the 1960s - and is yet quite universal, a story of family, community and heartbreak, of growing up and growing away.Trade ReviewA wonderful read * Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisThis is raw, semi-autobiographical fiction at its most painfully honest' Observer'Brilliant, lyrical, hilarious, heartbreaking' Cristina GarcíaDavid is only fourteen when he first tries crack cocaine. He is instantly hooked, and spends the next decade fighting his way out of jail and rehab. Though he reaches a tenuous sobriety, it is only when he takes a literature class at the local community college that something within him ignites.Set on Florida's Gulf Coast, All Day Is a Long Time is a spectacular account of what it takes to return from the brink to the world around us. In this unforgettable debut, David Sanchez demonstrates the importance of hope, and the redemptive power of the written word.'A wonder, an important, essential new voice' Justin TorresTrade ReviewThis book has it all . . . the voice is so insightful, so poetic, so absolutely alive to the world, that you won't be able to put it down. David Sanchez is a wonder, an important, essential new voice. -- JUSTIN TORRES, author ofWe The Animals (October 2021)David Sanchez has poured all of himself into this debut, a terrifying, moving and profound exploration of the liminal space between addiction and connection. -- KAREN RUSSELL, author of Swamplandia! (October 2021)With unflinching, razor-sharp precision, David Sanchez guides us through the labyrinthine heart of addiction and recovery. Wild, brutal, and tender, All Day is a Long Time is a novel of devastating truth and beauty. -- PATRICIA ENGEL, author of Infinite Country (October 2021)To call this a novel of addiction would be like calling The Sound and the Fury a novel of regret - yes, each is that, but each is also so much more . . . This beautiful poem of a book. -- NICK FLYNN, author of The Reenactments and Another Bullshit Night in Suck City (October 2021)This journey into the mind of a young addict is like nothing I've ever read - a terrifying, and often ecstatic, struggle for survival. It's an obsessive world of chemical equations and philosophical conundrums, an attempt to reckon with a breathless descent into madness. Sanchez's hero looks the devil in the eye and returns to tell a death-defying tale of redemption. -- CHRIS RUSH, author The Light Years (October 2021)David Sanchez's first novel - brilliant, lyrical, hilarious, heartbreaking- is the definitive handbook to hell and back. I haven't read anything as toughly vulnerable since Denis Johnson's Jesus' Son. A stunning debut. -- CRISTINA GARCIA, author of Dreaming in Cuban (October 2021)David Sanchez has written the rarest kind of novel. His subject matter, spanning so many aspects of contemporary American pain, is incredibly important, but it is his beautifully constructed sentences which make the narrative sing. -- GARRARD CONLEY, author of Boy Erased (October 2021)This exceptional debut is not a cautionary tale about the perils of drugs, but it certainly is the story of so many people right now, and it somehow leaves us with hope. What's more, the rare if dark gems found along its ocean floors, all sharp and brittle and made of base desire, let us glean a part of what's at the heart of addiction itself. -- Tommy Orange * New York Times *A semi-autobiographical novel of trauma and addiction offers hope for narrator, author and reader...This is raw, semi-autobiographical fiction at its most painfully honest... in David's quieter moments, when Sanchez's writing has a fine, almost hallucinatory quality, it's also a thought-provoking portrait of the vulnerability present in family life and how easily that can turn into damage... Literature has saved him. * The Observer *

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Book Synopsis'A magnificent love story, to be savoured like a delicious meal' Le ParisienFor fans of Antoine Laurain, When All is Said and Julie and Julia comes this emotional and heartwarming story of love between a father and son, told through their shared passion for food.For thirty years, Julien has lived with the question as to why his mother, Helene, suddenly walked out on him and his father - and why his father Henri refused to ever speak of her again.Now, as he sits by his father's bedside preparing to say goodbye, Julien remembers his father's long-lost notebook: a gift from Helene in which he jealously kept the recipes that made him the renowned chef of the Relais Fleuri restaurant.Julien is determined to find this last link to the father he so fiercely loves, and the mother he has never forgotten. But can the secrets to his father's cooking finally help him understand the other secrets Henri has kept all these years?Readers love The Little French Recipe Book'Rich, scrumptious, bittersweet, The Little French Recipe Book is a wonderful novel dipped in a mix of nostalgia, love, and secrets' Meggy'Heartwarming and a beautiful trip down memory lane' Jacky'A poignant and heartwarming book that kept me hooked and crave the food described' Anna Maria'My mouth positively watered with the descriptions of the food . . . If you have already discovered the novels of Antoine Laurain you will love this as well' Linda'What a treat for all lovers of French cooking, a vivid story with the bonus of lovely recipes spiced with a twist of mystery' JoanTrade ReviewLike a French meal - elegant, perfectly-paced and satisfying -- Anne YoungsonJacky Durand's debut novel is a love letter to family, memory and the art of French cooking, as authentic and satisfying as the recipes it describes. I devoured this poignant and evocative feast of a book, which explores the complex, bittersweet ingredients of the relationship between a father and son. -- Fiona ValpyI devoured this bittersweet debut novel set in a small town near Dijon ... an affecting tale with terroir recipes thrown in * Saga *A lovely emotional story. * My Weekly Special *A bittersweet book * Woman *

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Book SynopsisSet against the quiet and unassuming city of Huntsville, Texas, Jack "Meadowlark" Johnson, and his teenage son, Cooper embark on a journey of epic proportions. Told over the course a single day, this electrifying graphic novel recounts Cooper's struggle to survive the increasingly catastrophic consequences of his father's mistakes and the dangers they have brought home to his estranged family. As Cooper and his father desperately navigate cascading threats of violence, they must also grapple with their own combative, dysfunctional, but loving relationship.Drawing on inspiration from the authors' childhoods in Texas, their relationships with their own sons and from ancient myths like The Odyssey that resonate throughout the ages, this contemporary crime noir is a propulsive coming-of-age tale of the shattering transition into manhood. While both father and son strive to understand their place in the world and each other's lives, tension and resentment threaten to boil over. As emotionally evocative as it is visually stunning, this captivating graphic novel will appeal to fans of Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men and Terrence Malick's Badlands.

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Book SynopsisA GMA Buzz Pick!A Most Anticipated Book by Essence · The Millions · Atlantic Journal Constitution · Bustle · BookPage · Nashville Scene A Best Book of February by Washington Post · NylonIn this glittering triptych novel, Suzette, Maple and Agnes, three Black women with albinism, call Shreveport, Louisiana home. At the bustling crossroads of the American South and Southwest, these three women find themselves at the crossroads of their own lives. Suzette, a pampered twenty-year-old, has been sheltered from the outside world since a dangerous childhood encounter. Now, a budding romance with a sweet mechanic allows Suzette to seek independence, which unleashes dark reactions in those closest to her. In discovering her autonomy, Suzette is forced to decide what she is willing to sacrifice in order to make her own way in the world.Maple is reeling from the unsolved murder of her free-spirited mother. She flees the media circus and her judgmental grandmother by shutting herself off from the world in a spare room of the motel where she works. One night, at a party, Maple connects with Chad, someone who may understand her pain more than she realizes, and she discovers that the key to her mother's death may be within her reach.Agnes is far from home, working yet another mind-numbing job. She attracts the interest of a lonely security guard and army veteran who's looking for a traditional life for himself and his young son. He's convinced that she wields a certain "magic," but Agnes soon unleashes a power within herself that will shock them both and send her on a trip to confront not only her family and her past, but also herself.This novel, told in three parts, is a searing meditation on grief, female strength, and self-discovery set against a backdrop of complicated social and racial histories. Nobody's Magic is a testament to the power of family-the ones you're born in and the ones you choose. And in these three narratives, among the yearning and loss, each of these women may find a seed of hope for the future.

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