Narrative theme: displacement, exile, migration

Book SynopsisIntroducing the Collins Modern Classics, a series featuring some of the most significant books of recent times, books that shed light on the human experience classics which will endure for generations to come.How easy it was to lie to strangers, to create with strangers the versions of our lives we imagined.Ifemelu and Obinze are young and in love when they depart military-ruled Nigeria. Self-assured Ifemelu heads for America. But quiet, thoughtful Obinze finds post-9/11 America closed to him, and plunges into a dangerous undocumented life in London.Fifteen years later, they reunite in a newly democratic Nigeria, and reignite their passion for each other and for their homeland.Fearless, gripping and spanning three continents and numerous lives, the National Book Critics Circle Award-winning Americanah is a richly told story of love and expectation in a globalised world.Some novels tell a great story and other make you change the way you look at the world. Americanah does both' GuardiTrade Review‘A brilliant novel: epic in scope, personal in resonance and with lots to say’ Elizabeth Day, Observer ‘A delicious, important novel from a writer with a great deal to say’ The Times ‘A brilliant exploration of being African in America … an urgent and important book, further evidence that its author is a real talent’ Sunday Telegraph ‘An extremely thoughtful, subtly provocative exploration of structural inequality, of different kinds of oppression, of gender roles, of the idea of home. Subtle, but not afraid to pull its punches’ Alex Clark, Guardian ‘A tour de force … The artistry with which Adichie keeps her story moving, while animating the complex anxieties in which the characters live and work, is hugely impressive’ Mail on Sunday ‘Adichie is terrific on human interactions … Adichie’s writing always has an elegant shimmer to it … Wise, entertaining and unendingly perceptive’ Independent on Sunday ‘Adichie paints on a grand canvas, boldly and confidently … This is a very funny, very warm and moving intergenerational epic that confirms Adiche’s virtuosity, boundless empathy and searing social acuity’ Dave Eggers ‘“An honest novel about race” … with guts and lustre … within the context of a well-crafted, compassionate, visceral and delicately funny tale of lasting high-school love and the sorrows and adventures of immigration’ Diana Evans, The Times ‘[A] long, satisfying novel of cross-continental relationships, exile and the pull of home … Adichie’s first novel for seven years and well worth the wait’ FT ‘Alert, alive and gripping’ Independent

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Book SynopsisThe incredible bestselling first novel from Pulitzer Prize- winning author, Jhumpa Lahiri.The kind of writer who makes you want to grab the next person and say Read this!'' Amy Tan''When her grandmother learned of Ashima''s pregnancy, she was particularly thrilled at the prospect of naming the family''s first sahib. And so Ashima and Ashoke have agreed to put off the decision of what to name the baby until a letter comes''For now, the label on his hospital cot reads simply BABY BOY GANGULI. But as time passes and still no letter arrives from India, American bureaucracy takes over and demands that ''baby boy Ganguli'' be given a name. In a panic, his father decides to nickname him ''Gogol'' after his favourite writer.Brought up as an Indian in suburban America, Gogol Ganguli soon finds himself itching to cast off his awkward name, just as he longs to leave behind the inherited values of his Bengali parents. And so he sets off on his own path through life, a path strewn with conflictingTrade Review'Quietly dazzling… The Namesake is that rare thing: an intimate, closely observed family portrait that effortlessly and discreetly unfolds to disclose a capacious social vision… Jhumpa Lahiri has taken the haunting chamber music of her first collection of stories and reorchestrated its themes of exile and identity to create a symphonic work, a debut novel that is as assured and eloquent as the work of a longtime master of the craft.' Michiko Kakutani, New York Times ‘Extraordinary…a book that spins gold out of the straw of ordinary lives. The calm, pellucid grace of her prose, the sustained stretch of crystal clear writing, its elegant pianissimo tone, pulls the reader from beginning to end in one neat arc. Every detail, every observation, every sentence rings with the clarity of truth. The Namesake is a novel that makes its reader feel privileged to be allowed access to its immensely empathetic world.' The Times ‘The kind of writer who makes you want to grab the next person and say "Read this!"' Amy Tan 'Impeccably written' Daily Mail 'Gracious….in refined, empathetic prose…each of Lahiri's characters patches together their own identity, making this resonant fable neither uniquely Asian nor uniquely American, but tenderly, wryly human.' Hephzibah Anderson, Observer ‘A story for our times.’ Rachel Cusk, Evening Standard ‘A joy to read.’ Sunday Telegraph

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Book Synopsis''A heartbreaking exploration of a family fractured by civil war. This beautiful, nuanced novel follows a young doctor caught within conflicting ideologies as she tries to save lives. I couldn''t put this book down'' BRIT BENNETT, bestselling author of THE VANISHING HALFWINNER OF THE WOMEN''S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2024 WINNER OF THE CAROL SHIELDS PRIZE FOR FICTION''A masterpiece of historical fiction.'' MONICA ALI, chair of judges for the Women''s Prize for Fiction Sixteen-year-old Sashi wants to become a doctor. But over the next decade, as a vicious civil war tears through her hometown of Jaffna, her dream takes her on a different path as she sees those around her, including her four beloved brothers and their friend, get swept up in violent political ideologies and their consequences. Desperate to act, she must ask herself: is it possible for anyone to move through life without doing harm?With immense coTrade ReviewV.V. Ganeshananthan's novel Brotherless Night reveals the moral nuances of violence, ever belied by black-and-white terminology * The New York Times *A beautiful, brilliant book... tender and fierce as it is mournful. It is unafraid to look directly at the worst of the violence and erasure we have perpetrated or allowed to happen, but is insistent that we can still choose to be better -- Danielle Evans, author of The Office of Historical CorrectionsRiveting, heartbreaking and extraordinary for both its empathetic gaze and its clear-eyed depiction of the brutality of war, Brotherless Night is a masterpiece * Star Tribune *Brotherless Night is my favorite kind of novel, one so rich and full of movement that it's only later I realize how much I have learned. V. V. Ganeshananthan drew me in from the very first line, and the intricacies of her characters' lives made it easy to stay -- Sara Novic, New York Times bestselling author of TRUE BIZPrepare to have your heart well and truly pummelled by this searing story about a young Tamil woman growing up as the Sri Lankan civil war explodes around her . . . at times, it's hard to remember that this rich and nuanced novel isn't actually a memoir - so convincing is Sashi's voice and so compelling her story * Bookseller, Book of the Month (preview) *A careful, vivid exploration of what's lost within a community when life and thought collapse toward binary conflict [...] a novel for our own country in this odd time. * New Yorker *Through this moving story, Ganeshananthan traces the human aspects of war-the physical losses and tragedies as well as the conflicts of values that are often the true battlefields . . . [she] forces the reader to discard a binary description of the world in favor of a more complex, human one * BookPage, starred review *A searing and intimate depiction of the Sri Lankan civil war from the point of view of an aspiring doctor . . . Ganeshananthan credibly captures the horrors and pain of the conflict felt by those caught between loyalties. It all makes for a convincing and illuminating war novel * Publishers Weekly *A beautifully written story of resilience, loss, human connection and survival amidst the complexities and violence of war * Ms Magazine *Sashi's storytelling is a perfect fit for the delicate balance she is forced to walk by virtue of living in a society where running afoul of the dominant forces, saying the wrong thing, leveling too impassioned a rebuke, can prove a capital offense -- Omar El Akkad * New York Times Book Review *A remarkable unflinching novel that delicately, with surgical precision, exposes the deep wound at the heart of a long cruel war -- Romesh Gunesekera, author of ReefA real eye-opener of a book * Good Housekeeping *Ganeshananthan is a superb writer...I wept at many points in this novel and I also wept when it was over * Sunday Times *When we return to New York two decades later we've begun to understand how the Tamil 'terrorists' defy this label as much as any other. Ganeshanathan triumphs in her portrait of them as complex individuals - 'people you might know or love' * Spectator *This is a heart-rending book about connection and survival, and one which sweeps you up in its brilliant storytelling. * The i *With immense compassion and deep moral complexity, V. V. Ganeshananthan brings us an achingly moving portrait of individual and societal grief -- CELESTE NG, bestselling author of LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHEREA heartbreaking exploration of a family fractured by civil war. This beautiful, nuanced novel follows a young doctor caught within conflicting ideologies as she tries to save lives. I couldn't put this book down -- BRIT BENNETT, bestselling author of THE VANISHING HALFStunningly great -- Curtis Sittenfeld, bestselling author of RODHAM, via TwitterBrotherless Night is my favorite kind of novel, one so rich and full of movement that it's only later I realize how much I have learned. Ganeshananthan drew me in from the very first line, and the intricacies of her characters' lives made it easy to stay -- Sara Novic, author of True BizA beautiful, brilliant book - it gives an accounting of the unimaginable losses suffered by a family and by a country, but it is as tender and fierce as it is mournful. It is unafraid to look directly at the worst of the violence and erasure we have perpetrated or allowed to happen, but is insistent that we can still choose to be better -- Danielle Evans, author of The Office of Historical Corrections

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Book SynopsisA mother faces a terrible choice in this explosive literary sensation about a dystopian IrelandTrade Review'Lynch pulls off feats of language that are stunning to witness... This is a triumph of emotional storytelling, bracing and brave.' Esi Edugyan, Chair of Judges, The Booker Prize 2023'If there was ever a crucial book for our current times, it's Paul Lynch's Prophet Song... A brilliantly haunting novel.' Observer'With...Prophet Song, the judges have chosen perhaps the most timely and urgent book on the shortlist... it’s also the very intimate, elemental story of one woman’s love for her family, and her desperate attempts to hold on to the immediate world around her in the face of rising chaos.' Guardian'Prophet Song is composed of masterful sentences, and packs a profound emotional punch.’ Gaby Wood, Chief Executive of the Booker Prize Foundation'I haven't read a book that has shaken me so intensely in many years... The comparisons are inevitable – Saramago, Orwell, McCarthy – but this novel will stand entirely on its own.' Colum McCann, author of Apeirogon'Powerful, claustrophobic and horribly real... Lynch's depiction of Eilish is nuanced and sympathetic, and in the fiercely embodied quality of her love for her children, entirely successful.' Guardian'Surely one of the most important novels of this decade.' Ron Rash, author of Serena'A compassionate, propulsive and timely novel that forces the reader to imagine — what if this was me?' FT'The fifth novel from one of the most acclaimed Irish writers of his generation… As an adventure story-cum-political warning, it’s being touted as "Ireland’s 1984".' Telegraph'In his typically lyrical, lulling style, Lynch pulls off a masterstroke… The chill, so close to home, is blood curdling.' Big Issue'Chillingly plausible.' Irish Times‘Thunderously powerful... In Prophet Song Paul Lynch asks us to face some of our darkest fears, and if he offers no comfort, and little hope, then we must surely recognize his true purpose: that the furious reader should return to the real world determined to find a better ending for this story.' TLS'One of the most harrowing, minatory and provocative novels I have read in a while. It has the sharp cut of reality despite being set in an alternate version of our world, except for when it is all too recognisable. The final and penultimate chapters are truly shuddersome.' Scotsman'Eilish is a wonderful creation… Lynch does an excellent job of showing just how swiftly – and plausibly – a society like ours could collapse. Certain sequences read like a thriller – readers will find themselves literally holding their breath – while others are rendered in beautiful, lyrical prose.' Irish Independent'The work of a master novelist, Prophet Song is a stunning, midnight vision whose themes are at once ancient and all too timely: fear, complicity, resistance, and what becomes of us when hell rises to our homeland.' Rob Doyle, author of Threshold'A profoundly human story that brings to life the horror of living in a modern war zone. Deft, subtle and written in strikingly beautiful prose, with this stunning novel Paul Lynch has joined the ranks of Atwood, Orwell and Burgess.' Christine Dwyer Hickey, author of The Narrow Land'While much of the book’s sinister power lies in how Lynch hints at the steps by which democracy gives way to totalitarianism, its real energy comes from how he portrays the continuing everyday pressure of Eilish's obligations to her children and frail father amid the deepening turmoil… [A] provocative thought experiment.' Daily Mail'A tremendous achievement... This is one of the most important novels of 2023. Paul Lynch is a fearless writer – unafraid of taking on large themes and tackling them face to face.' Irish Examiner'Lynch renders this almost-Ireland in fluid, poetic prose, moulding sentences as if they were made of plasticine. It's no surprise that since his debut he has been compared with the American writer Cormac McCarthy.' The Sunday Times (Ireland)'Gripping, brilliantly realised... A masterly novel that reminds us that democracy is always fragile.' Literary Review'Lynch's writing bristles with tension… While Lynch's novel is a laudable addition to a genre that serves as a warning about how easy it is to lose the freedoms we take for granted, perhaps its greatest achievement is that at no point do the events depicted feel too improbable to be realistic… Prophet Song is entirely original.' Sunday Independent (Dublin)'A prophetic masterpiece.' Washington Post'A chilling cautionary tale of war, parenthood and loss. Tender and terrifying.' Economist, 'Best Books of 2023'

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Book SynopsisThis beautifully designed, jacketed hardcover edition of The Secret Garden is unabridged and includes 8 illustrations by Charles Robinson. When Mary Lennox is sent from India to the moors of England to live with her uncle after losing her parents, not only does she discover a secret garden, but she also discovers the true meaning of family, friendship, and perseverance. This magical, timeless classic, originally published in 1911, is by the author of A Little Princess and Little Lord Faunteleroy. Essential volumes for the shelves of every classic literature lover, the Chartwell Classics series includes beautifully presented works and collections from some of the most important authors in literary history. Chartwell Classics are the editions of choice for the most discerning literature buffs.   Other titles in the Chartwell Classics Series include: Complete Fiction of H.P. Lovecraft; Complete Gri

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Book SynopsisBy the winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in LiteratureThe elegance and control of Gurnah''s writing, and his understanding of how quietly and slowly and repeatedly a heart can break, make this a deeply rewarding novel' Kamila Shamsie, Guardian ________________________For seven-year-old Salim, the pillars upholding his small universe his indifferent father, his adored uncle, his treasured books, the daily routines of government school and Koran lessons seem unshakeable.But it is the 1970s, and the winds of change are blowing through Zanzibar: suddenly Salim's father is gone, and the island convulses with violence and corruption the wake of a revolution. It will only be years later, making his way through an alien and hostile London, that Salim will begin to understand the shame and exploitation festering at the heart of his family's history. ________________________Riveting The measured elegance of Gurnah'sTrade Review[A] captivating storyteller, with a voice both lyrical and mordant, and an oeuvre haunted by memory and loss. His intricate novels of arrival and departure … reveal, with flashes of acerbic humour, the lingering ties that bind continents, and how competing versions of history collide * Guardian *Gurnah is a master storyteller -- Aminatta Forna * Financial Times *Gurnah writes with wonderful insight about family relationships and he folds in the layers of history with elegance and warmth * The Times *Exile has given Gurnah a perspective on the “balance between things” that is astonishing, superb * Observer *Gurnah etches with biting incisiveness the experiences of immigrants exposed to contempt, hostility or patronising indifference on their arrival in Britain * Spectator *Gurnah writes with quiet humour and great affection about pre-revolutionary Zanzibar and its people … Gurnah writes beautifully, with the satisfying assurance of someone who knows how to achieve his effects without undue fuss but with absolute precision * Daily Telegraph *Gurnah evokes his world in poetic prose which is pure and lucid * Guardian *His prose is elegant and evocative * Mail on Sunday *Gurnah has laid powerful imaginative claim to the eastern seaboard of Africa * Independent *Gravel Heart is one of the beautiful novels that lingers in the mind long after reading. Gurnah writes about the clash of worlds with such pathos and elegance. -- Amanda ForemanGlittering...Each work is different from the last, yet they build into a powerfully evocative oeuvre that keeps coming back to the same questions, in spare, graceful prose, about the ties that bind and the ties that fray -- Judith Woods * Daily Telegraph *Entertainingly intertwines migration and a tale of family drama ... Gurnah has rightly been praised for his masterful storytelling ... An emotive tale about betrayal, families and the East African diaspora -- Theresa Munoz * Sunday Herald *A colourful tale of lie in a Zanzibar village, where passions and politics reshape a family ... Expect echoes of Shakespeare's Measure for Measure -- Jeffery Burke * Mail on Sunday *Throughout, the elegance and control of Gurnah’s writing, and his understanding of how quietly and slowly and repeatedly a heart can break, make this a deeply rewarding novel * Guardian *The measured elegance of Gurnah’s prose renders his protagonist in a manner almost uncannily real … Gurnah’s portrayal of student immigrant life in Britain is pleasingly deliberate and precise, and also riveting … Even the minor characters in this novel have richly imagined histories that inflect their smallest interactions – one of the loveliest pleasures of this book, and a choice that makes its world exceptionally full * New York Times *A poignant, understated and frequently moving novel * Herald *

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of the international bestseller Mornings in Jenin comes a powerful, passionate story of a family separated by conflict, and the tragedy they endure''The story Susan Abulhawa tells in this marvellous novel is hard to bear but impossible to ignore ... precise, courageous, and dazzling'' Teju Cole''Gripping and deeply moving Suffering and resilience are difficult things to witness, but this powerful, politically engaged novel does so with a transformative literary grace.'' Independent on SundayIt is 1947, and Beit Daras, a rural Palestinian village, is home to the Baraka family oldest daughter Nazmiyeh, brother Mamdouh, beautiful, dreamy Mariam and their widowed mother. When Israeli forces descend, sending the village up in flames, the family must take the long road to Gaza, in a walk that will test them to their limits.Sixty years later, in America, Mamdouh's granddaughter Nur falls in love with a doctor. Following him toTrade ReviewThe story Susan Abulhawa tells in this marvellous novel is hard to bear but impossible to ignore. Through four generations of a Palestinian family, The Blue Between Sky and Water shows how history’s assault on each person is public, and how it nevertheless cannot extinguish the private experience of grief or the secret sense of eros. Abulhawa's vision is precise, courageous, and dazzling -- Teju ColeIn true Thousand and One Nights style, Abulhawa surprises us by continually unfolding new stories … Characters struggle to keep their secrets, but Abulhawa releases them. These are secrets we need to know, secrets that will educate us about ourselves, and Gaza * Guardian *Gripping and deeply moving … Suffering and resilience are difficult things to witness, but this powerful, politically engaged novel does so with a transformative literary grace. Abulhawa’s prose is luminous; her control of a complex weaving of narrative voices – young and old, male and female, magical and real – is masterful. The novel provides an intimate close-up of the women of Gaza and of the everyday heroism amid relentless loss * Independent on Sunday *She is a fine observer of female kinship ... A powerful read * Financial Times *One of the most thought-provoking books I’ve read … written with passion, honesty and poetry * Daily Mail on Mornings in Jenin *Abulhawa’s writing shines … Friendship, adolescence, love: ordinary events, offset against extraordinary circumstances, make the story live * Independent *The writer’s pain – and the beauty of her prose – are very real * Daily Telegraph *Powerful and moving * Stylist *Powerful and passionate … unforgettable -- Michael PalinHeartbreaking -- Esther Freud

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Book SynopsisFrom nineteenth-century cigar factories to present-day detention centres, from Cuba to the United States to Mexico, Gabriela Garcia’s Of Women and Salt follows Latina women of fierce pride, bound by the stories passed between them.‘Vivid details, visceral prose and strong willful women’ – Angie Cruz, author of DominicanaFive generations of women are linked by blood and circumstance, by the secrets they share, and by a single book passed down through a family, with an affirmation scrawled in its margins: 'We are force. We are more than we think we are.'1866, Cuba: María Isabel is the only woman employed at a cigar factory. These are dangerous political times, and as María begins to see marriage and motherhood as her only options, the sounds of war are approaching.1959, Cuba: Dolores watches her husband make for the mountains in answer to Fidel Castro’s call to arms. What Dolores knows, though, is that to survive, she must win her own war, and commit an act of violence that threatens to destroy her daughter Carmen’s world.2016, Miami: Carmen, still wrestling with the trauma of displacement, is shocked when her daughter Jeanette announces her plans to travel to Cuba to see her grandmother Dolores. In the walls of her crumbling home lies a secret, one that will link Jeanette to her past, and to this fearless line of women.Of Women and Salt is a haunting story about the choices of mothers and the tenacity of women who choose to tell their truth despite those who wish to silence them.'A multi-generational story that, at its heart, is a tribute to imperfect mother-daughter relationships and the enduring strength of women' – Stylist‘Extraordinary . . . stunning’ – Elizabeth Macneal, author of The Doll FactoryTrade ReviewGabriela Garcia captures the lives of Cuban women in a world to which they refuse to surrender and she does so with precision and generosity and beauty -- Roxane Gay, author of Bad FeministI am a sucker for intergenerational family dramas and fraught mother and daughter relationships. Garcia's vivid details, visceral prose and strong willful women negotiating how to survive in this world are easy to fall for -- Angie Cruz, author of DominicanaExtraordinary . . . A book that made me fall in love with reading again . . . A stunning hymn to the strength of mothers . . . I cannot stop thinking about it -- Elizabeth Macneal, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Doll FactoryI devoured it, and in return it swallowed me whole into the lives of women whose decisions mould and make each other. It’s about mothers & daughters - fierce love and the terror that comes with it. How we save each other. How we save ourselves. -- Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The MerciesThis stunningly accomplished first novel is both epic and intimate. * O, The Oprah Magazine *A mesmerizing patchwork of determination, courage and survival. * Washington Post *The women in Garcia's striking debut novel are connected not just by blood but by the need to endure or escape abusive relationships and countries. She captures the hope and pain of immigration and the terror of deportation with an unsentimental yet empathetic eye * New York Times *A stunning achievement. I loved its intensity, its scope, its vivid prose. An essential, profound story about mothers and daughters, the Latina Experience, and the indomitable beating heart of womankind. -- Emma Stonex, author of The LamplightersA moving intergenerational epic * Refinery29 *A multi-generational story that, at its heart, is a tribute to imperfect mother-daughter relationships and the enduring strength of women * Stylist *A vivid, engrossing novel . . . it utterly absorbed me with its luminous, exacting prose and depictions of redemption and violence -- Sharlene Teo, author of PontiExpansive yet intimate . . . this gorgeous debut heralds the arrival of a literary star * Elle *A sweeping tour de force about addiction, displacement, and the legacy of trauma * Harper's Bazaar *Gripping, accomplished . . . an interlocking portrait of women striving, loving, losing, getting lost and getting found * Lit Hub *The debut that's had publishing buzzing all winter long meditates on the way immigration shapes the lives of Latinx women * Entertainment Weekly *A fierce and powerful debut. Garcia wields narrative power, cultivating true and profound work on migration, legacy, and survival -- Terese Marie Mailhot, bestselling author of Heart Berries An outstanding debut from a supremely talented writer, this story stayed with me for a long while. Spanning different time frames, and locations across the US to Mexico, the engrossing tale interlinks the lives of five Latina women living in challenging circumstances. A book about resilience, strength and empowerment * Prima Magazine *[A] deeply American story about the pieces of self people leave behind on their journeys to become "Americans" * San Francisco Chronicle *Of Women and Salt defies convention and sentimentality and chips away at all manner of myths . . . [it] reads like poetry * Vogue *An impressive debut about heritage, baggage, and needing the kind of 'love that erases everything that came before it' . . . [Garcia is] an outstanding novelist and an exciting new voice with a talent for bringing humanity to the page * Boston Globe *Wonderful . . . a captivating and harrowing debut that will undoubtedly put Garcia on the literary map for years to come * Seattle Times *Garcia’s debut is slim yet lush, imbued with a harsh beauty * Oprah Daily *A tale weaved with pain, loss and strength, Of Women and Salt is a story of America’s most tangled, honest, human roots * SUCCESS *An enthralling and important story . . . Garcia shines in her ability to ultimately emphasize the strength, the perseverance, of these Latinx women * The Nerd Daily *Highly anticipated . . . The intergenerational narrative tackles immigration, addiction, and sexual trauma with ambition and a poetic voice * Elle.com *Garcia makes a powerful statement about how we draw on our roots to understand our place in the world, showing that no matter how much we may try to escape the past, it always influences the present * Real Simple *A powerful novel from an eye-catching new voice * Bustle *An impressive, tightly braided whole. This riveting account will please readers of sweeping multigenerational stories * Publisher's Weekly *In her beautifully written debut, Gabriela Garcia presents a new classic of mother-daughter literature . . . quietly heartbreaking * BookPage *Phenomenal . . . readers won’t want to put [it] down * BUST *This remarkable debut shines a brilliant light on the broken immigration system and legacy of trauma for the people who endure it * Ms. *Speaks to immigrant experiences in so many different ways. . . . Garcia demonstrates how migration can bring us closer together and tear us apart, how we reinforce borders all the time, how we fail each other * BITCH *

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Book Synopsis_______________SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN''S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2018WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD 2017ONE OF BARACK OBAMA''S BEST BOOKS OF 2017SELECTED AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE NEW STATESMAN, THE FINANCIAL TIMES, THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW, TIME AND THE BBC_______________''A must'' - Margaret Atwood''A searing, urgent read'' - Celeste Ng''Staggering'' - Marlon James''Disarmingly beautiful'' - Spectator''Blazing with power, grief and tenderness'' - Financial Times_______________An intimate portrait of a family and an epic tale of hope and struggle, Sing, Unburied, Sing examines the ugly truths at the heart of the American story and the power and limitations of family bonds. Jojo is thirteen years old and trying to understand what it means to be a man. His mother, Leonie, is in constant conflict with herself anTrade ReviewThis wrenching new novel by Jesmyn Ward digs deep into the not-buried heart of the American nightmare. A must -- Margaret Atwood * Twitter *A novel as blazingly hymn-like as the title suggests -- Jon McGregor * New Statesman 'Books of the Year' *Beautiful in every sense ... Her characters feel wholly true ... Long after the end, we continue to worry after them, love them in spite of their faults, and feel their pain * Spectator *Hauntingly lyrical * Mail on Sunday *A powerfully alive novel haunted by ghosts; a road trip where people can go but they can never leave; a visceral and intimate drama that plays out like a grand epic, Sing, Unburied, Sing is staggering -- Marlon James, Winner of the Man Booker Prize 2015The connection between the injustices of the past and the desperation of present are clearly drawn in Sing, Unburied, Sing, a book that charts the lines between the living and the dead, the loving and the broken. I am a huge fan of Jesmyn Ward’s work, and this book proves that she is one of the most important writers in America today -- Ann PatchettWard is a lyrical, visceral storyteller, one who is as adept at conveying the tenderness of sibling love as the terror and brutality of racist violence * Daily Mail *Blazing with power, grief and tenderness, Jesmyn Ward’s third novel breathes danger into the classic American road trip … What might, in less sure hands, have remained a local tale, makes a searing story of universal power … Ward takes the territory made so familiar by writers such as William Faulkner or Eudora Welty, and reclaims it * Financial Times *Ghosts, the voices of the dying, painful journeys across an unforgiving country. This is Faulkner territory. Ward’s updated version is gruesomely fascinating, especially as she rounds out her story with characters of real-world complexity … Her cool handling of the mythical tropes of journeying and listening to ancestral voices makes this a harrowing, essential novel for our times * The Times *Maybe that’s the miracle here: that ordinary people whose lives have become so easy to classify into categories like rural poor, drug-dependent, products of the criminal justice system, possess the weight and the value of the mythic … Such feats of empathy are difficult, all too often impossible to muster in real life. But they feel genuinely inevitable when offered by a writer of such lyric imagination as Ward * New York Times Book Review *Ward's prose is characterised by its lyrical beauty: woven throughout are precise, elegant registrations of sensory impression, miniature epiphanies that momentarily lift us from the immediate situation ... undeniably well-executed * Sunday Times *It is rich, sometimes unbearably so ... The signal characteristic of Ward’s prose is its lyricism ... the effect is hypnotic ... This, and her ease with vernacular language, puts Ward in fellowship with such forebears as Zora Neale Hurston and William Faulkner ... The tone and atmosphere in “Sing, Unburied, Sing” call out, too, to Toni Morrison—particularly “Beloved,” whose most sorrowful revelations are echoed in the climax of “Sing” * New Yorker *Combines aspects of the American road novel and the ghost story with an exploration of the long aftershocks of a hurricane -- Notable Books of the Year * New York Times Book Review *Most effective as a poetic critique of US history ... A brooding, pained meditation on the proposition, spelled out by Colson Whitehead in The Underground Railroad, that “America is a ghost in the darkness”’ * Guardian *The heir to Faulkner * Time *However eternal its concerns, “Sing, Unburied, Sing" is perfectly poised for the moment * New York Times *One of the most powerfully poetic writers in the country ... Readers may be reminded of the trapped spirits in George Saunders’s recent novel, “Lincoln in the Bardo,” but Toni Morrison’s “Beloved” is a more direct antecedent * Washington Post *Speaks to maintaining hope in the face of one’s plight, and the true strength (and fragility) of familial bonds * Buzzfeed *An unforgettable novel about race, love and history * Elle *Sing, Unburied, Sing is a road novel turned on its head, and a family story with its feet to the fire. Lyric and devastating, Ward's unforgettable characters straddle past and present in this spellbinding return to the rural Mississippi of her first book. You'll never read anything like it -- Ayana Mathis, author of 'The Twelve Tribes of Hattie'A searing, urgent read for anyone who thinks the shadows of slavery and Jim Crow have passed, and anyone who assumes the ghosts of the past are easy to placate. It’s hard to imagine a more necessary book for this political era -- Celeste Ng, author of 'Little Fires Everywhere' and 'Everything I Never Told You'In prose that is simultaneously luminous and achingly honest, Ward captures moments of beauty, tenderness, and resilience against a bleak landscape of crushing poverty, racism, addiction, and incarceration * MacArthur Foundation *If Sing, Unburied, Sing is proof of anything, it’s that when it comes to spinning poetic tales of love and family, and the social metastasis that often takes place but goes unspoken of in marginalized communities—let alone the black American South—Jesmyn Ward is, by far, the best doing it today. Another masterpiece -- Jason Reynolds, author of 'Ghost'Staggering ... A furious brew with hints of Toni Morrison and Homer’s 'The Odyssey' * Boston Globe *The terrible beauty of life along the nation’s lower margins is summoned in this bold, bright, and sharp-eyed road novel … As with the best and most meaningful American fiction these days, old truths are recast here in new realities rife with both peril and promise * Kirkus *Her lyrical prose takes on, alternately, the tones of a road novel and a ghost story ... [Sing, Unburied, Sing] establishes Ward as one of the most poetic writers in the conversation about America’s unfinished business in the black South * Atlantic *[A] tour de force ... Ward is an attentive and precise writer who dazzles with natural and supernatural observations and lyrical details ... she continues telling stories we need to hear with rare clarity and power * O, the Oprah Magazine *Electric ... a harrowing panorama of the rural South * L.A. Review of Books *A tale that shimmers * Mother Jones *Ward’s tale is an emotional, political and spiritual powerhouse that unblinkingly underlines America’s heinous treatment of black people – from slavery to the present day … while it’s a book filled with savagery, there is also tenderness, love and hope. You can feel the energy buzzing between its covers * Emerald Street *If you only read a single novel this month, make it Jesmyn Ward's utterly brilliant Sing, Unburied, Sing * Vogue *The book’s Southern gothic aura recalls the dense, head-spinning prose of William Faulkner or Flannery O’Connor. But the voice is entirely Ward's own, a voluptuous magical realism that takes root in the darkest corners of human behavior ... Ward, whose Salvage the Bones won a National Book Award, has emerged as one of the most searing and singularly gifted writers working today * Entertainment Weekly *Gorgeous ... Always clear-eyed, Ward knows history is a nightmare. But she insists all the same that we might yet awaken and sing * Chicago Tribune *In this lush and lonely novel, Ward lets the dead sing. It's a kind of burial * NPR *Very beautiful * Vox *Poetic and powerful * Pride Magazine *An American road novel transplanted to 21st century rural America, looking at race, belonging and how the past can never be left behind. Utterly captivating, this is a special book that will make your heart and soul ache * Stylist *It should come as no surprise that the novel has garnered comparisons to Toni Morrison’s Beloved. Echoes of Faulkner nestle amongst Ward’s pages too. … Ward’s prose drips with poetry, even at the novel’s darkest moments * The White Review *This is the most grittily realistic book I’ve read in a while - it just happens to be a ghost story. Somehow, despite its fantastical content, Sing, Unburied, Sing feels distinctly believable … But it’s the love that shines incandescently from the pages here, blasting through all the oppressive threat and tension and lighting the novel up from within * Shiny New Books *Recommended by the likes of Margaret Atwood and Marlon James, Jesmyn Ward’s latest novel is one of Autumn’s must-reads ... Part road novel, part ghost story, this is a powerful exploration of race and the way the past * Anothermag *The civil liberty struggles faced by Americans today, and the country’s history are reflected in Ward’s affecting prose * The i *Themes of drug addiction and child abuse feature in this powerful tale, with ghostly figures from the past returning to admonish Leonie for the choices she has made in her life … impressive * Bristol Post *The cult read: Sing, Unburied, Sing won the National Book Award this year. It feels particularly timely, centring on a family road trip through a fractured Mississippi * Sunday Times Style *Ward’s third book set in the fictional town of Bois Sauvage, based on her hometown of DeLisle, Miss., conjures the same raw emotion of her previous works, like the Hurricane Katrina novel Salvage the Bones. But this time, a sense of magical realism deepens the ghostly sense of the past reaching out to touch – or even strangle – the present. Ward’s novel is a true triple threat, expert in prose, human observation and social commentary * Time Magazine *Full of haunted, lyrical beauty -- Summer Reading Guide * Guardian Australia *Sing, Unburied, Sing grapples with the long shadow cast by slavery in the American South – not just the cycles of inherited trauma and alienation, but the mass incarceration of black men today … In this novel Ward shows again that she can place harsh truths about America’s racial problems within a gorgeous, lyrical tale * Prospect *Jesmyn Ward is an important new voice of the American South – one developing, perhaps, into the twenty-first-century’s answer to William Faulkner. Fiercely partisan yet unillusioned, she displays an impressive understand of politics and idiom. But perhaps most striking is her sustained and clear-eyed attention to people who, when noticed at all, are more usually consigned to a novel’s periphery. Here they take centre stage and are depicted with the kind of piercing clarity born of love -- Kate Webb * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisBy the winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in LiteratureLONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE''One scarcely dares breathe while reading it for fear of breaking the enchantment'' The TimesGurnah is a master storyteller'' Financial TimesOn a late November afternoon Saleh Omar arrives at Gatwick Airport from Zanzibar, a far away island in the Indian Ocean. With him he has a small bag in which lies his most precious possession - a mahogany box containing incense. He used to own a furniture shop, have a house and be a husband and father. Now he is an asylum seeker from paradise; silence his only protection. Meanwhile Latif Mahmud, someone intimately connected with Saleh''s past, lives quietly alone in his London flat. When Saleh and Latif meet in an English seaside town, a story is unravelled. It is a story of love and betrayal, seduction and possession, and of a people desperately trying to find stability amidst the maelstrom of their times.Trade ReviewRarely in a lifetime can you open a book and find that reading it encapsulates the enchanting qualities of a love affair ... one scarcely dares breathe while reading it for fear of breaking the enchantment * The Times *

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Book SynopsisThe breakthrough book from the highly acclaimed author of By the SeaTrade ReviewRich in detail and filled with acute observations, this novel movingly examines the absences eating away at the core of all of its characters * Sunday Telegraph *As beautifully written and pleasurable as anything I've read ... Gurnah's portrait is the work of a maestro * Guardian *This is an impressive and deeply serious book, a careful and often heartfelt exploration of the way memory inevitably consoles and disappoints us * Sunday Times *An absorbing novel about abandonment and loss ... Gurnah writes beautifully, with the satisfying assurance of someone who knows how to achieve his effects without undue fuss but with absolute precision * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisSensual, dark and thrilling, Bram Stoker's Dracula remains the seminal work of Gothic fiction, and in this elegant Macmillan Collector's Library edition, which includes an illuminating afterword by Jonty Claypole, readers can experience the horror and excitement as never before.When Jonathan Harker is summoned to Transylvania to finalize a property deal for the mysterious Count Dracula, he stumbles upon an ancient evil he is unprepared to face. When that evil escapes to England, the entire nation is suddenly under threat and only an aged vampire hunter, Professor Abraham Van Helsing, can put a stop to the bloodshed. Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.

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Book SynopsisIn one of his most energetic and enjoyable novels, Charles Dickens tells the life story of David Copperfield, from his birth in Suffolk, through the various struggles of his childhood, to his successful career as a novelist. Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful hardbacks make perfect gifts for book lovers, or wonderful additions to your own collection.Dickens' early scenes are particularly masterful, depicting the world as seen from the perspective of a fatherless small boy. David's idyllic life with his mother is ruined when she marries again, this time to a domineering and cruel man. David Copperfield is partly modelled on Dickens' own experiences, and one of the great joys of the book lies in its outlandish cast of characters, including the glamorous Steerforth, the cheerful, verbose Mr Micawber, the villainous Uriah Heep, and David's eccentric aunt, Betsey Trotwood. Dickens described it as his 'favourite child' among his novels – and it is easy to see why.This edition is complete and unabridged, and features the original illustrations by H. K. 'Phiz' Browne, with an afterword by Sam Gilpin.

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Book Synopsis21 June 1922 Count Alexander Rostov - recipient of the Order of Saint Andrew, member of the Jockey Club, Master of the Hunt - is escorted out of the Kremlin, across Red Square and through the elegant revolving doors of the Hotel Metropol. Instead of being taken to his usual suite, he is led to an attic room with a window the size of a chessboard.Trade Review[A] supremely uplifting novel ... It's elegant, witty and delightful - much like the Count himself. * Mail on Sunday, Books of the Year *A comic masterpiece . . . very funny, tender and as laughably accurate an account of the dismal nature of life in Soviet Russia as one could hope for . . . Quite apart from the ingeniously ludicrous plot and the acutely drawn characters, what adds to the joy of this book is the precision of Towles’ style. Again and again he conveys exactly the right impression with a deliciously surprising choice of words . . . a sheer delight. -- William Hartson * Daily Express *A work of great charm, intelligence and insight. -- Nick Rennison * Sunday Times *No historical novel was more witty, insightful and original * Sunday Times, Culture Magazine *Elegant sentences, wonderful characters and inventive storytelling . . . This is everything a novel should be: charming, witty, poetic and generous. An absolute delight. * Mail on Sunday *This novel is astonishing, uplifting and wise. Don’t miss it. * Chris Cleave *I just reread A Gentleman in Moscow ... It's a wonderful book at any time, and this time it brought home to me how people find ways to be happy, make connections, and make a difference to one another's lives, even in the strangest, saddest and most restrictive circumstances. -- Tana French * Good Housekeeping *I think the world feels so disordered right now. The count’s refinement and genteel nature are exactly what we’re longing for. His world was also in shambles but he maintained his grace and humor.There is so, so much to love in this book as we keep company with the endlessly entertaining Count . . .[This] novel is wistful, whimsical and wry and elegantly captures that most apposite of lessons: 'By the smallest of one's actions, one can restore some sense of order to the world'. Brilliant * Sunday Express *A Gentleman in Moscow is a tale abundant in humour, history and humanity, with a poignant message about time passing. That Towles also makes this rollicking good fun is no mean feat. * Sunday Telegraph *WINNING . . . GORGEOUS . . . SATISFYING . . . TOWLES IS A CRAFTSMAN * New York Times Book Review *Towles’ use of language is an absolute pleasure to read and you can’t help but savour every last word . . . What makes it a great work of historical fiction is the apt creations the author builds outside the hotel walls in a truly tumultuous time. Towles creates such a memorable character in Rostov and this book brings something for everyone - humour, history, friendship and philosophy * Irish Times *

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Book Synopsis'A sharply written story with messy, deeply moving characters' Taylor Jenkins Reid 'I was captivated by the writing from page one... Powerful' Lizzie Damilola Blackburn 'The story of Kemi, Muna and Brittany-Rae – Black women hoping to start anew in a society that does not see them – is a story for these times' Chika Unigwe 'A sexy, surprising, searing debut about love, loss, desire, and the many dimensions of Black womanhood. Timely and terrific!' Deesha Philyaw Three very different women are desperate for their lives to change. Though strangers, they are drawn to the same place: Stockholm, a city famed for its egalitarianism. But beneath the city's glittering surface lurk challenges old and new. Challenges that threaten to tear them down once and for all...Trade ReviewA sharply written story with messy, deeply moving characters, raising brutal questions and steering clear of easy answers. A book that will stick with you long after you've turned the last page -- Taylor Jenkins Reid, bestselling author of Daisy Jones and the SixThese characters will pull at your heartstrings. L?lá writes with a contemporary flair, highlighting the layered subtleties of the Black woman's plight -- Nicole Dennis-Benn, bestselling author of novels Here Comes the Sun and PatsyA sexy, surprising, searing debut about love, loss, desire, and the many dimensions of Black womanhood. Timely and terrific! -- Deesha Philyaw, award-winning author of The Secret Life of Church LadiesThis is a very different and unpredictable portrayal of Black women's search for love and self, and it's pure magic -- Kim Golden, author of Maybe BabyAt once enjoyable and disturbing as it explores the painful price millions of women around the world pay for walking around with black skin -- Imbolo Mbue, New York Times bestselling author of Behold the DreamersCaptivating. Åkerström describes what it is to be an ambitious black woman in today's world. The story of Kemi, Muna and Brittany-Rae – black women hoping to start anew in a society that does not see them – is a story for these times, and their fate is a stark reminder that the seaweed isn't always greener in somebody else's lake -- Chika Unigwe, author of On Black Sisters' StreetA striking debut... As entertaining as it is revealing, Åkerström's novel has readers hoping that each of these women is able to break free from toxic expectations and achieve her every dream and ambition. Along the way, Åkerström also delivers poignant commentary on Swedish culture and the price Black women pay by virtue of the color of their skin. A guaranteed favorite for fans of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Americanah' * Booklist *Take three Black women in search of a better life. Add love and desire to a mix of family expectations and what it's like to have no family whatsoever. Akinmade Akerstrom's voice is fresh and insightful as she tells a compelling story of what it means to be a Black woman in a globalised world. From a rich, cushioned elite to a determined refugee, she takes us from the US and London to Sweden. This ambitious novel is beautifully realised. Akinmade Akerstrom is definitely a writer to watch! -- Yaba Badoe, author of A Jigsaw of Fire and Stars and WolflightLolá Ákínmádé Åkerström’s debut novel is as much a liberating battle cry as it is a searing, multifaceted examination of the hearts and minds of Black women navigating white-dominated spaces... Rather than shying away from or oversimplifying difficult and complex topics, Åkerström has effectively packaged themes of racism, immigration, fetishism and otherness into an engrossing story that will enlighten its readers, regardless of their nationality or race' * BookPage *A beautiful novel [...] that highlights what it's really like to be a Black woman today... Contemporary and vivid, this story will captivate and educate' * Good Morning America *A rich narrative, weaving together each woman's perspective to unpack nuances around foreignness and belonging. Through lively prose and spirited dialogue, Åkerström shows that for all the protagonists' differences, being a Black woman in a white-dominated society will inevitably lead them to the same fate * Vulture *An engaging novel that presents the nuanced experiences of Black women from all walks of life. The author takes on misogynoir masterfully in this book that's never quite what you think it is * Essence *I loved In Every Mirror She's Black so much. I was captivated by the writing from page one, and the characters kept me turning. I was heavily invested in Brittany, Kemi, and particularly, Muna, whom I had become protective of. Although it had sad notes, I appreciated how Lola didn't shy away from exploring heavy themes, as it made the book even more powerful -- Lizzie Damilola Blackburn, author of Yinka Where Is Your Husband?Incisive, thought-provoking and un-put-down-able... Riveting, moving and stirring (with punch-packing endings you won't see coming), In Every Mirror She's Black is a magnificent must-read' * LoveReading *Each must find their way in a society depicted as more concerned with hygge than humanity in this hectic and ultimately extremely sad story * The Gloss Magazine *The book provides a pointed look at how Black women must navigate the world around them * Independent *An immersive novel about three Black women building new lives in Sweden and how racism manifests in an already-insular society * Red Magazine *A thought-provoking read * Prima Magazine *Stunning thought-provoking contemporary fiction from Akinmade Åkerström shines a deeply nuanced light on the Black woman experience in the Nordics * Bella Naija *In search of escape these three women find themselves in Stockholm – but instead of a fresh new start, they find the same problems just wear a different name * Closer *As their lives intersect, this smart, unflinching novel reveals facets of how it is to be a Black woman living and working in a white-dominated society * Heat *There are powerful, important themes underpinning the narrative, but what really shines through is the distinctness of the different characters and the depiction of real lives and emotions * South Wiltshire Living *Åkerström writes all too convincingly about racism, fetishism, identity and loneliness, giving additional depth and texture to this vivid, involving novel * Daily Mail *Åkerström sustains an undercurrent of darkness, a pulse of anxiety, so you as the reader never quite know where you will be from page to page * Bad Form *Drawing comparisons to Queenie and Americanah, it promises to be one of the most discussed novels of 2021 * Stylist *

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Book SynopsisDespite efforts to create a safe environment to see out the pandemic, the residents of the Last Ditch Motel face more dangers than they imagined possible in this hilarious yet claustrophobic mystery.March 2020 and Operation Cocker is a go! The owners of the Last Ditch Motel, with a little help from their friend Lexy Campbell, are preparing to support one another through the oncoming lockdown, offering the motel''s spare rooms to a select few from the local area in need of sanctuary. While the newbies are settling in, an ambiguous banner appears demanding one of them return home. But who is it for? Lexy and her friends put a plan into action to ward off the perpetrator, but the very next night, a resident disappears and a message scrawled in human blood is found. As California shuts down, the Last Ditchers make another gruesome discovery. They tried to create a haven but now it seems as if everyone''s in danger. Is the motel under attack from so

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Book SynopsisIn this inspiring story, Andreï Makine looks back on a childhood friendship which changed his life. Set in 1970s Siberia, in the declining years of the Soviet Empire, My Armenian Friend offers a poignant evocation of ordinary lives as well as a window into Makine's own evolution as a writer.In an orphan school, a young Russian boy befriends Vardan, an Armenian child who, because mature and sensitive, is tormented by schoolyard bullies. When the Russian boy meets Vardan's Armenian family, he falls under their spell. In his eyes, their home is a kingdom transported from afar, which is adorned, aromatic, and beautiful despite how little the family possesses. Their neighbourhood is in a place of exile but is one of community, made up of former prisoners, exhausted adventurers and others who have been uprooted from their homes. As he grows closer to Vardan, the Russian boy learns to recognise a people forced indefinitely to live on the margins, but who, despite persecution, hold on to their culture and cherish the memories they have of their homeland and its history. Even in a brutally inhospitable Siberia, they recreate a transformative "kingdom of Armenia".Trade ReviewPowerful, poignant, perfectly-pitched . . . Makine illuminates a fascinating corner of history - brings it to life through finely-drawn characters. It's a short tale of great significance. I found it unforgettable. . . a fine piece of writing -- Michael PalinA thoughtful coming-of-age story -- David Mills * Times *Andreï Makine's most moving novel * Figaro *My Armenian Friend is full of heartbreak, heroism, cruelty redeemed by friendships that live inthe memory forever, ravishing glimpses of nature, incredible courage. . . and above all, love -- Jilly CooperOne of Makine's best books; a wonderful novel on exile * France Inter *Vintage Makine: as limpid and beautiful as a deep mountain pool -- Kate McLoughlin, Professor of English Literature, Oxford UniversityMakine makes the ordinary resonate with meaning and significance, thereby enhancing the reader's life . . . [He] is a stylist of great precision, beautifully rendered by his long-time translator, Geoffrey Strachan * The Tablet *

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Book SynopsisIn this darkly funny mystery Lexy Campbell''s first love turns up dead at the Last Ditch Motel on Thanksgiving . . . and she becomes the prime suspect!A mysterious object the size of a suitcase, all wrapped in bacon and smelling of syrup, can mean only one thing: Thanksgiving at the Last Ditch Motel. This year the motel residents are in extra-celebratory mood as the holiday brings a new arrival to the group - a bouncing baby girl. But as one life enters the Ditch, another leaves it. Menzies Lassiter has only just checked in. When resident counsellor Lexy Campbell tries to deliver his breakfast the next day, she finds him checked out. Permanently. Shocking enough if he was a stranger, but Lexy recognises that face. Menzies was her first love until he broke her heart many years ago. What''s he doing at the Last Ditch? What''s he doing dead? And how can Lexy escape the fact that she alone had the means, the opportunity - and certainly the motive -

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Book SynopsisWinner of the 1990 Commonwealth First Novel Prize (Africa). The Gunny Sack follows the bizarre tale of an old and unremarkable bag and the life changing secrets within it. In exile from Tanzania, Salim Juma is given a gunny sack by his beloved, but strange, great-aunt. The bag takes him back to his childhood, when he was first mesmerised by the peculiar mementos inside. He soon begins to piece together the stories hidden within, only to discover the truth behind a fateful series of events that changed his family forever.The stories that follow stretch across four generations of Salim''s family, tracing their footsteps and unravelling their loves, betrayals, and incredible misadventures.The Gunny Sack is an extraordinary chronicle into the experiences of Indian migrants in Africa as they struggled under changing power structures, from German invasions to British colonialism.Trade ReviewM.G. Vassanji is one of the unsung greats of African literature. * Guardian *Vassanji is one of the country's finest storytellers. * Quill & Quire *Vassanji captures a wide and authentic perspective that ranks with V. S. Naipaul and Graham Greene. * The Times *

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Book Synopsis* AN OBSERVER BEST NEW NOVELIST FOR 2024 * ‘A spellbinding achievement’ FINANCIAL TIMES ‘Poignant and often painfully comic’ OBSERVER ‘I gasped, laughed, and wept my way through it’ KHALED HOSSEINI ‘Hugely impressive’ NEW EUROPEAN ‘Novels like this might help light the way’ GUARDIAN Tbilisi’s littered with memories that await me like landmines. The dearly departed voices I silenced long ago have come back without my permission. The situation calls for someone with a plan. I didn’t even bring toothpaste. Saba’s father is missing, and the trail leads back to Tbilisi, Georgia. It’s been two decades since Irakli fled his war-torn homeland with two young sons, now grown men. Two decades since he saw their mother, who stayed so they could escape. At long last, Tbilisi has lured him home. But when Irakli’s phone calls stop, a mystery begins... Arriving in the city as escaped zoo animals prowl the streets, Saba picks up the trail of clues: strange graffiti, bewildering messages transmitted through the radio, pages from his father’s unpublished manuscript scattered like breadcrumbs. As the voices of those left behind pull at the edges of his world, Saba will discover that all roads lead back to the past, and to secrets swallowed up by the great forests of Georgia. In a winding pursuit through the magic and mystery of returning to a lost homeland, Hard by a Great Forest is a rare, searching tale of home, memory and sacrifice – of one family’s mission to rescue one another, and put the past to rest.Trade ReviewA compelling novel about war, family separation and ambivalent homecoming, its tale of sacrifice, guilt and betrayal is propelled by dark mysteries and offset by glorious shafts of humour ...Novels such as this might help light the way * Guardian *A family story in an unfamiliar setting, the journey affords us glimpses of Georgian history, swearing, wine, eyebrows and mordant humour ... An intriguing treasure hunt, self-consciously picaresque and peppered with references to magic, myths and miraclesA captivating star-burst of a novel ... An all-consuming, deeply affecting story of family, memory, courage, perseverance, and brutality, leavened with a little magic and a touch of madness ... I urge you to read it * Country & Townhouse *The stakes could barely be higher in Leo Vardiashvili’s propulsive page-turner Hard by a Great Forest ... Taking its title from a line in a Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Vardiashvili’s sprawling narrative, part comic, part tragic, abounds in mysteries, monsters, magic and terrors. It’s a spellbinding achievement * Financial Times *War trumps most things, Leo Vardiashvili observes early on in his poignant and often painfully comic novel about the effect of violence and conflict on those who must live through them * Observer, 10 Best New Novelists for 2024 *It is a testament to Vardiashvili’s writing that he converts the grief and yearning of the forcibly displaced into such a pacy and frequently funny novel ... Vardiashvili’s hugely impressive debut might be about a place that many of us will not know well but its themes are representative of the wider story of our era ... In this wise, moving and instructive book Vardiashvili, with extraordinary maturity and lightness of touch, cuts through the deafening white noise of sloganeering arguments to present the intimate lives of traumatised people doing their best * New European *Vardiashvili has captured the winking, world-weary humor and magic-realist touches that mark a lot of literature from Europe’s war-torn corners ... Like the voices on the radio, people can keep speaking out their dreams of rescue. And the book persuades you that sometimes, a form of it might arrive * Los Angeles Times *This powerful debut draws on the legacy of the war in Georgia in 1991 after the fall of the Soviet Union ... A fairytale tone allows Vardiashvili to creep up on his theme of survivor’s guilt * Mail on Sunday *Hard by a Great Forest has the offbeat lucidity of a waking dream ... a novel that indeed resembles a walk through a dark forest, Vardiashvili’s imaginative powers render his timely subject matter at once strange, disorientating and – occasionally – even magical * Daily Mail *A stupendous debut, by turns nerve-shredding, heart-rending and hilarious * Saga *Vardiashvili pushes the story on at pace as Saba searches for clues in the colourful enclaves of Georgia ... This debut is a heartfelt, lively story * i (Press Association) *This debut novel captures both the long scars of collective trauma and the indomitable spirit of those determined to remember and survive * Oprah Daily, Most Anticipated Books of 2024 *A sensitive exploration of grief, memory, loss and the immigrant experience woven seamlessly into a propulsive narrative * Perspective magazine *Rich with irony and animated with astonishing humanity, this tale of a young Georgian refugee’s odyssey into his birthplace to rescue family left my heart bruised and battered and aching for more -- Khaled HosseiniA wildly charming debut – propulsive, funny, and profound -- Elif BatumanAstonishingly crafted with history, candour, beauty, grief and just a little magic. A book like no other, from an imagination like no other. Vardiashvili has written a triumph -- Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize winning author of LESS IS LOSTThis novel blows open the heart of the past. It's a mystery, it's a picaresque, it's a comedy, and it's an authentic song of belonging and unbelonging ... By turns political and philosophical, it introduces a fine new voice in contemporary fiction -- Colum McCannPropulsive, profoundly moving and rich with humour and heartbreak, Hard by a Great Forest mesmerised me from the very first page. Inspired by Vardiashvili's own family story, this novel will capture your heart -- Jean KwokA sweeping, ambitious, and almost unbelievably assured debut. Exploring the long shadow of trauma cast by any war, Vardiashvili’s novel pummels the reader with an emotional force that few can match * Booklist (starred review) *Hard By A Great Forest movingly evokes the complicated feelings of trying to recapture and redefine what home looks and feels like * Bookreporter *Lushly haunted debut * Shelf Awareness *

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Book Synopsis We are invisible: we clean your houses, we look after your children, we know your secrets… Trade Review‘Intricately plotted, propulsive, and provocative … an author at the peak of her talents. Truly irresistible’ Kirstin Chen, NYT bestselling author of Counterfeit ‘Laugh-out-loud funny [and] a searing commentary on misogyny, race and class. An uplifting story of courage and hope that will keep you enthralled until the very last page’ Jean Kwok, Girl in Translation ‘One of my best books [of the year] … gulpable writing, stylish, warm and delightful. Big Little Lies meets The Help’ Daisy Buchanan ‘An absorbing mystery’ i paper 'Funny with a searing social message’ Red ‘A satisfying character-led mystery … A sympathetic and sobering examination of the hidden lives of an exploited and vulnerable group of people' Guardian Praise for Balli Kaur Jaswal: ‘Big-hearted, earthy and funny: turns so many preconceptions upside down. A rattlingly good story’ Deborah Moggach, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel ‘Warm and hilariously funny’ Good Housekeeping ‘Charming, hilarious and thoughtful’ The Pool ‘Balances darkness and light, social commentary and ecstatic escapism… funny and moving tale of desire and its discontents’ The Economist ‘Sensual, authentic and hilarious, I will never look at an aubergine in the same way again – 5 stars’ The Sun ‘Enlightening and entertaining’ Woman & Home ‘A dark comedy… about empowerment and friendship’ Tatler ‘A page turner… Tackles serious themes with a light and funny touch’ Glamour

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Book SynopsisThree sisters torn apart by war. Can fighting for peace bring them together again?December 1941: Evacuated from the threat of German bombs, sisters Amelie and Mireille have grown up under the storm clouds of war.Now they have joined the fight against Hitler, with Amelie training as a nurse to save wounded soldiers, and Mireille enlisted to help the Air Force wage war in the skies over Europe.But as each sister fights for peace, they are still haunted by the memory of their missing sister who was snatched away from them at the beginning of the war.As Mireille is recruited for a special forces role behind enemy lines in France, she puts her life on the line for the Allies. But could she also finally have a chance of reuniting her sisters, once the war is over?A heart-breaking tale of the bond between sisters and the courage of women in wartime. Perfect for fans of Shirley Dickson, Glynis Peters and Pam Jenoff.Readers adore The Lost Orphan:I quite literally could not put it down! My heartTrade Review PRAISE FOR PAM WEAVER: ‘A heartrending story about mothers and daughters’ Kitty Neale ‘What a terrific read – saga fans everywhere will love it and be asking for more from this talented author.’ Annie Groves ‘The characters are so richly drawn and authentic that they pull the reader along through the story effortlessly. This book is a real page turner, which I enjoyed very much.’ Anne Bennett

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Book Synopsis''Rose Tremain does not disappoint. As always her writing has a delicious, crunchy precision.'' ObserverA wise and witty look at the contemporary migrant experience.Lev is on his way from Eastern Europe to Britain, seeking work. Behind him loom the figures of his dead wife, his beloved young daughter and his outrageous friend Rudi who - dreaming of the wealthy West - lives largely for his battered Chevrolet. Ahead of Lev lies the deep strangeness of the British: their hostile streets, their clannish pubs, their obsession with celebrity. London holds out the alluring possibility of friendship, sex, money and a new career and, if Lev is lucky, a new sense of belonging...''A novel of urgent humanity'' Sunday TelegraphTrade ReviewA novel of urgent humanity * Sunday Telegraph *Rose Tremain does not disappoint. The Road Home is thematically rich, dealing with loss and separation, mourning and melancholia... As always her writing has a delicious, crunchy precision * Observer *Filled with emotional richness, complex sensibility and a passionate insistence on the humanity of the poor * Sunday Times *A classic work by the gifted Tremain * Guardian *'Tremain is a magnificent story-teller' * Independent on sunday *

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Book SynopsisJulian Barnes is the author of thirteen novels, including The Sense of an Ending, which won the 2011 Man Booker Prize for Fiction, and Sunday Times bestsellers The Noise of Time and The Only Story. He has also written three books of short stories, four collections of essays and three books of non-fiction, including the Sunday Times number one bestseller Levels of Life and Nothing To Be Frightened Of, which won the 2021 Yasnaya Polyana Prize in Russia. In 2017 he was awarded the Légion d'honneur.Trade ReviewAlways intelligent and perceptive, but so beautifully written that it's easy to understand. * Week *Crisp with witty, urbane intelligence. * Sunday Times *Wonderfully ironic, perceptive and at times tender... Barnes has created something unique in his work, a particular way of looking at life, at words, at relationships, which is the mark of every true stylist * Financial Times *His writing demonstrates the billowing lightness of imagination... reading these stories, you perceive and love France afresh... Cross Channel is characterised by the intelligence, irony and wit you associate with his writing, but it is also suffused with feeling, deeply seasoned with affection * Independent *A glittering collection of stories... His marvellously supple and exact prose is matched with subjects that powerfully stir his creativity... It's impossible to imagine a fictional panorama of Britain's long relationship with France realized with more cordial understanding * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisProfessor Timofey Pnin, late of Tsarist Russia, is now precariously perched at the heart of an American campus. Battling with American life and language, Pnin must face great hazards in this new world: the ruination of his beautiful lumber-room-as-office; the removal of his teeth and the fitting of new ones; the search for a suitable boarding house; and the trials of taking the wrong train to deliver a lecture in a language he has yet to master.Wry, intelligent and moving, Pnin reveals the absurd and affecting story of one man in exile.

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Book SynopsisA deliciously funny and moving comedy-of-manners about a Chinese father and son''s experiences at the height of London''s Jazz Age''He was in London - why be bothered looking at it? Wasn''t it bad enough just being there?''Newly arrived from China, Mr Ma and his son Ma Wei run an antiques shop nestled by St Paul''s Cathedral, where they try to make a living amid the smog and bustle of 1920s London. As they struggle with money, misunderstandings and the ways of the English - from the overbearing patronage of missionary Reverend Ely to their well-meaning landlady Mrs Weddeburn and her carefree daughter - can understanding, even love, blossom? Both a moving story of the Chinese immigrant experience and a bitingly funny satire on the English, Mr Ma and Son delicately portrays the dreams and disappointments of those seeking a new life in a distant land.Translated by William Dolby, with an introduction by Julia Lovell

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Book SynopsisIntroducing Little Clothbound Classics: irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas and essays from the world''s greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith.Celebrating the range and diversity of Penguin Classics, they take us from snowy Japan to springtime Vienna, from haunted New England to a sun-drenched Mediterranean island, and from a game of chess on the ocean to a love story on the moon. Beautifully designed and printed, these collectible editions are bound in colourful, tactile cloth and stamped with foil.Sam Selvon is now widely considered to be one of the greatest chroniclers of the West Indian emigrant experience. His evocation of voice, of place, of longing, defined for many the experience of a generation. Describing life in the Caribbean and day-to-day adventures in London, this collection features many his most acclaimed stories, including ''The Village Washer'', ''A Drink of Water'' and ''The Cricket Match''

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Book Synopsis''An understated masterpiece'' San Francisco Chronicle''Her wisdom is staggeringly beautiful, implicating each of us'' Irish TimesAfter the First World War, a group of young women is brought by boat from Japan to San Francisco. They are picture brides, promised the American Dream, clutching photographs of the husbands they have yet to meet, imagining uncertain futures on unknown shores.Struggling to master a new language and culture, they experience tremulous first nights as new wives, backbreaking work in the fields and in the homes of white women, and, later, the raising of children who will ultimately reject their heritage and their history.And then war arrives once more.Julie Otsuka tells their extraordinary, heartbreaking story in this spellbinding and poetic account of strangers lost and alone in a new and deeply foreign land.''A tender, nuanced, empathetic exploration of the sorrows and consolations of a whole generation of women'' Daily TelegraphWINNER OF THE PEN FAULKNER AWARD FOR FICTION 2012SHORTLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION 2011SHORTLISTED FOR THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE 2011Trade ReviewSweeping, symphonic, empathic . . . subtle, infinitely skilful . . . an exhilarating, compulsive read. Otsuka's haunting, heartbreaking conclusion, in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, is faultless * Daily Mail *Paints a poignant, moving portrait of immigration by deftly weaving together a chorus of voices. Fascinating and tragic in equal measure * Easy Living *A tender, nuanced, empathetic exploration of the sorrows and consolations of a whole generation of women * Telegraph *A haunting and heartbreaking look at the immigrant experience . . . Otsuka's keenly observed prose manages to capture whole histories in a sweep of gorgeous incantatory sentences * Marie Claire *Novels written in the first person plural are rare. It's a narrative device that gives The Buddha in the Attic a deliciously melancholy quality . . . Powerful, lyrical and almost unbearably sad * Psychologies *Powerfully moving . . . intensely lyrical . . . verges on the edge of poetry * Independent *The tone is often incantatory, and though the language is direct, unconvoluted, almost without metaphor, its true and very unusual merit lies, I think, in that indefinable quality we call poetry -- Ursula Le Guin * Guardian *A kind of collective memoir that squeezes volumes of experience into a small space . . . more than a history lesson because Otsuka compresses the individual emotions into one haunting story * The Times *Her trick is to sum up a few life story in a few tantalising sentences, moving on to the next at lightning speed. The result is panoramic, each line opening a window on to the world of one woman after another, pinpointing each one's hopes and happiness or misery and pain * Sunday Express *Intriguing . . . fleeting, singular images pile up and reverberate against each other to strange, memorable effect * Metro *Spare but resonant, powerful, evocative * The New York Times Book Review *Spare and stunning . . . Otsuka has created a tableau as intricate as the pen strokes her humble immigrant girls learned to use in letters to loved ones they'd never see again * Oprah Magazine *A delicate, heartbreaking portrait . . . beautifully rendered . . . Otsuka's prose is precise and rich with imagery. [Readers] will finish this exceptional book profoundly moved. * Publishers Weekly *This chorus of narrators speaks in a poetry that is both spare and passionate, sure to haunt even the most coldhearted among us * Chicago Tribune *A stunning feat of empathetic imagination and emotional compression, capturing the experience of thousands of women * Vogue *A lithe stunner * Elle *To watch Emperor catching on with teachers and students in vast numbers is to grasp what must have happened at the outset for novels like Lord of the Flies and To Kill a Mockingbird * The New York Times on When the Emperor was Divine *

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Book Synopsis''This is where I begin. This blank page draws me nearer to you, the day sweltering, my courage quickens, the curtains billowing and the punkah swaying, the punkah rattling as I sit at my writing bureau ... it is a soothing sound.''Mina, a writer, is navigating her place in the world, balancing creativity, academia, her sexuality and the expectation that a wife and mother abandons herself for others. For her, like so many women of mixed ancestry, it is too easy to be erased. But her fire and intellect refuse to bow. She discovers ''the dark, adorable'' Eurasian woman Daisy Simmons, whom Peter Walsh plans to marry in Virginia Woolf''s Mrs Dalloway. Daisy disappeared from Woolf''s pages, her story unfinished - never given a voice in the novel, nor a footnote in any of the admiring Woolf scholarship that followed.While dealing with the remains of another life, Mina decides to write Daisy''s story. Travelling from Australia to England, India and China, free

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Book SynopsisAnna Funder, winner of the Samuel Johnson Prize and author of Stasiland, offers a thrilling tale and powerful love story that tells the heroic and tragic true story of the German resistance in World War II in All That I Am.When Hitler comes to power in 1933, a tight-knit group of friends and lovers become hunted outlaws overnight. United in their resistance to the madness and tyranny of Nazism, they must flee the country. Dora, passionate and fearless, her lover, the great playwright Ernst Toller, her younger cousin Ruth and Ruth''s husband Hans find refuge in London. Here they take breath-taking risks in order to continue their work in secret. But England is not the safe-haven they think it to be, and a single, chilling act of betrayal will tear them apart...''The strengths of Funder''s writing are emotional and imaginative. In what she has to say about love, loss and betrayal there is profound truth'' The Times''An oftenTrade ReviewSpellbinding ... there are echoes of the best espionage tales * Sunday Telegraph *A superb novel that transcends its setting. This book is a wonder. Do, please, read it * Spectator *The strengths of Funder's writing are emotional and imaginative. In what she has to say about love, loss and betrayal there is profound truth * The Times *Dora is the most attractive fictional heroine in a long time ... a gripping story of love and betrayal * New Statesman *A seamless and powerful tale ... of individual endeavour and survival that examines universal human themes * Independent on Sunday *A remarkable story told with clarity and precision * Guardian *The subtlety of Anna Funder's novel is in the elegance of her precise prose, and in her painstaking portrait of an ordinary woman swept up in extraordinary events ... The result is a strong and impressively humane novel * TLS *A story of courage and betrayal ... she has captured the atmosphere of what it must have been like to have been at the centre of the left-wing movement in post-war Germany * Evening Standard *Anna Funder proved herself a first-rate reporter with Stasiland - now she appears as a compelling novelist in a dark story of German emigres in the 1930s, struggling to warn the indifferent English against the Nazis -- Claire TomalinThe subtlety of Anna Funder's novel is in the elegance of her precise prose, and in her painstaking portrait of an ordinary woman swept up in extraordinary events...The result is a strong and impressively humane novel -- Ruth Scurr * TLS *

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Book SynopsisDespite efforts to create a safe environment to see out the pandemic, the residents of the Last Ditch Motel face more dangers than they imagined possible in this hilarious yet claustrophobic mystery.March 2020 and Operation Cocker is a go! The owners of the Last Ditch Motel, with a little help from their friend Lexy Campbell, are preparing to support one another through the oncoming lockdown, offering the motel''s spare rooms to a select few from the local area in need of sanctuary. While the newbies are settling in, an ambiguous banner appears demanding one of them return home. But who is it for? Lexy and her friends put a plan into action to ward off the perpetrator, but the very next night, a resident disappears and a message scrawled in human blood is found. As California shuts down, the Last Ditchers make another gruesome discovery. They tried to create a haven but now it seems as if everyone''s in danger. Is the motel under attack from so

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Book SynopsisYoung Jose Francisco grows up in Texas, determined to write about the border world - the immigrants and illegals, Mexican poverty and Yankee prosperity - stories to break the stand-off silence with a victory shout, to shatter at last the crystal frontier.

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Book SynopsisCaribbean folk tales set alongside local reminiscences of 1950s migration from the Caribbean to Britain

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Book SynopsisAn epic historical romance, Mhudi is the first novel in English to be written by a black South African writer and renowned as one of Africa''s most important literary works. After witnessing the genocide of her tribe, Mhudi wanders the land terrified of encountering enemy warriors until she is suddenly struck by a fear even worse than death; that she is now completely alone. Upon crossing paths with the tribe''s only other known survivor, she finds herself at the centre of an extraordinary story of love, war, and unexpected allies. Writing in the early twentieth century, Sol T. Plaatje offers an incredible retelling of South Africa''s history that refuses to justify the injustice that was endured. ''More than a classic; there is just no other book on earth like it. All the stature and grandeur of the author are in it.'' Bessie Head ''Some of the most compelling and celebrated accounts of the early days of apartheid.'' TrevoTrade ReviewMore than a classic; there is just no other book on earth like it. All the stature and grandeur of the author are in it. -- Bessie HeadPlaatje [writes] some of the most compelling and celebrated accounts of the early days of apartheid. -- Trevor Noah * New York Times *One of the most remarkable books on Africa by one of the continent's most remarkable writers. -- Neil Parsons

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Book SynopsisWinner of the 2023 Woven Voices PrizeWho do you blame? The woman, the gun, or politics?Berker travels from Britain to Turkey to meet his estranged father, but it's too late: his sister Elif informs him that their Baba has already died. A family reunion becomes an exhilarating whodunnit investigation as Berker discovers the truth about his roots, grieves for a man he will never truly know, and accidentally unravels a conspiracy that goes to the heart of global politics.Featuring British spies, Turkish soldiers, and London's kebab shops, Aaron Kilercioglu's The EU Killed My Dad is the winner of the Woven Voices Prize 2023 and an inventive, fast-paced exploration of identity, belonging, and history spanning five decades. Aaron''s previous award-winning work includes the sell-out hit For a Palestinian, which has been seen at Bristol Old Vic, the Camden People's Theatre, and Underbelly.This edition was published to coincide with

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Book Synopsis*** LONGLISTED FOR THE AUTHORS'' CLUB BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD ***A GRAZIA BOOK CLUB PICK, Ghost Girl, Banana is a powerful debut novel about the family secrets unearthed by a surprise inheritance. Set between Hong Kong in the 1960s and London in the 1990s, and revealing the hidden life of a mother to her daughter, it asks questions of identity, race and belonging.''A real nail-biter ... so winningly chronicled by Wharton'' NEW YORK TIMES''Ambitious ... readers won''t be disappointed as Wharton ultimately resolves many mysteries in the book'' GUARDIAN''An astounding debut ... written with emotion and astuteness, this deserves to be on book prize lists'' PRIMA1966: Sook-Yin is exiled from Kowloon to London with orders to restore honour to her family. As she strives to fit into a world that does not understand her, she realizes that survival will mean carving out a destiny of herTrade ReviewGhost Girl, Banana is an epic yet deeply intimate novel. I was rapt throughout, propelled by Wiz Wharton's taut, immersive prose. She swept me up in Sook-Yin and Lily's mirrored journeys of discovery, spanning decades and continents, but always I could feel the vibration of these women existing in the wider world; their stories are so skilfully shot through with the hum of change -- Kate Sawyer, author of The StrandingA story of family, love, redemption and belonging, told with such heart and empathy. Wiz Wharton is a phenomenal talent, original, fresh, and with a pinpoint clarity to her prose that cuts right to the bone. She has created such a special book, with a story that needs to be told. Essential and utterly unforgettable -- Fíona Scarlett, author of Boys Don't CryAn intriguing, beautifully written study of the stories we inherit. I loved being in Lily and Sook-Yin's heads, my heart breaking for them . . . I loved it! -- Nikki May, author of WahalaSparkling prose and a page-turning plot combined with wonderful storytelling . . . An absolutely dazzling debut -- Julie Owen Moylan, author of That Green Eyed Girl

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Book Synopsis**A Red magazine book of 2023**''The most charming, utterly lovely story I''ve read in ages... this is one of my books of the year'' RED ''This joyous novel is a feast for the senses, as well as the soul'' JOANNA NELLA warm-hearted debut novel set in the beautiful coastal city of Chennai, for fans of Alexander McCall Smith, Joanna Nell and Graeme Simsion.Grand Life Apartments is a middle-class apartment block surrounded by lush gardens in the coastal city of Chennai, India. It is the home of Kamala, a pious, soon-to-be retired dentist who spends her days counting down to the annual visits from her daughter who is studying in the UK. Her neighbour, Revathi, is a thirty-two-year-old engineer who is frequently reminded by her mother that she has reached her expiry date in the arranged marriage market. Jason, a British chef, has impulsively moved to India to escape his recent heartbreak in London.Trade ReviewThe most charming, utterly lovely story I've read in ages . . . With characters you absolutely root for and mouth-watering descriptions of delicious food, this is one of my books of the year * Red Magazine *From the vibrant setting to its engaging characters, this joyous novel is a feast for the senses, as well as the soul -- Joanna NellI was put in mind of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City. Just daily life and its 'small disturbances' but rendered with great observational acuity and a distinctive and evocative voice -- Graeme SimsionIt's utterly entrancing - so humane and funny, and so seeped in India that I could smell the cooking and breathe the exhaust fumes. I absolutely loved it from start to finish -- Deborah MoggachWarm, gorgeous, tender, hopeful and human. I felt so HAPPY when I was reading it -- Daisy BuchananAn enchanting hug of a book with characters that you'll really root for -- Nikki MayA super warm and lovely read . . . Should have a warning though: WILL MAKE YOU HUNGRY -- Kate SawyerHema Sukumar's debut is an absolute joy. I loved being transported to the Grand Life Apartments and I was bewitched by the characters, colours and tastes of Chennai. Please can I move in forever? -- Clare PooleyA gorgeous, beautifully-written story, full of wonderfully charming characters - and a loveable cat -- Nick BradleyWritten with such warmth . . . full of life and love. Hema Sukumar's lovely characters became like friends to me, and I adored spending time with them -- Sara Nisha AdamsI can picture this as a TV series - and I would definitely watch it * Belfast Telegraph *I loved this heartwarming read * Prima Magazine *Inspiring * Woman's Own *This charming debut is an absolute joy * Good Housekeeping *

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Book SynopsisA GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK AUGUST 2022''Definitely ''best books of 2022'' material!'' GLAMOUR''A funny, touching celebration of second chances'' MAIL ON SUNDAY''Warm, funny and a brilliant read'' SUN''By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, this is a total joy of a read'' HOLLY MILLER, author of The Sight of You________Penny Calvin has questions.Placed for adoption sixteen years ago, she''s desperate to get to know the mother she''s never met.Mika Suzuki just wants to hide.Jobless, single and living in a chaotic flat share, she can''t bear her daughter knowing her life is a mess. So, when Penny gets in touch, Mika tells a few white lies, pretending to have it all - a career, partner and money.Keeping up the pretence over the phone is one thing. But when Penny and her widowed adoptive father Thomas spring a visit on Mika, things get comTrade ReviewDefinitely 'best books of 2022' material * Glamour US *A funny, touching celebration of second chances * Mail on Sunday * Smart and offbeat funny: think Maria Semple * i *Warm, funny and a brilliant read * Sun *An endearing, joyful tale about finding (and accepting) yourself * Good Housekeeping *A poignant and compelling exploration of identity, love and what it means to be a mother. Mika and Penny swept me along on their emotional and unforgettable journey, leaving me uplifted yet bereft when I turned the final page. By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, this is a total joy of a read -- Holly Miller, author of The Sight of YouTouching and heartfelt ... captures the essence of mothers and daughters, the nuances that make a family, and where we've come from and where we're going. Sharp and brimming with heart, this tender read will have you alternating between laughter and tears (the very best kind) and missing the characters long after the last page. Mika In Real Life is a sheer delight to read -- Rochelle Weinstein author of This Is Not How It EndsWith the offbeat humour and poignancy of Maria Semple and Kirsty Capes, this has the potential to be a big hit * Bookseller, Editor's Choice *Entertaining, funny and uplifting. Exploring identity, motherhood and second chances, it's one of the most life-affirming books to come out of 2022 * Culturefly *I laughed, I cried and had the worst book hangover when I finished this gorgeous read * Red *Mika's story is a beautiful exploration of the bond between mother and child - what we pass along, what we long for, and what we withhold. As Mika rescues herself from a downward spiral of heartbreak and loss, she weaves for us a primer on healing our broken relationships. A must read for anyone who's ever had a mother or been one -- Annabel Monaghan, author of Nora Goes Off ScriptTender and profound, Emiko Jean's writing had me laughing, crying, and cheering for Mika -- Lauren Kate, author of By Any Other NameBighearted, sometimes bawdy, and always brave, Mika in Real Life explores the inescapable bonds between mothers and daughters, the enduring families by friendship that we make, and the weight of secrets that keep us from creating ourselves. This hilarious, tender, and very real novel is for every human trying to figure it out-basically, all of us -- Nancy Jooyoun Kim, bestselling author of The Last Story of Mina LeeA wonderful, life-affirming story about second chances, parenthood and love. By turns tender, funny, and deeply romantic, I was rooting for Mika, Penny and Thomas -- Lauren Ho, author of Lucie Yi Is Not A Romantic and Last Tang StandingBuckle up for an emotional rollercoaster ride . . . A genuinely moving read * Suitcase Magazine *A poignant coming-of-age story * Heromag *

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Book SynopsisA powerful novel about the indelible effects of war and the memories which stir beneath the silence of a quiet Croatian town, from Orange Prize-shortlisted and Commonwealth Writers'' Prize-winning author Aminatta Forna''Supremely masterful'' INDEPENDENT''The Hired Man seals her reputation as arguably the best writer of fiction in this field'' EVENING STANDARD''Terrific skill and insight'' DAILY MAILGost is surrounded by mountains and fields of wild flowers. The summer sun burns. The Croatian winter brings freezing winds. Beyond the boundaries of the town an old house which has lain empty for years is showing signs of life. One of the windows, glass darkened with dirt, today stands open, and the lively chatter of English voices carries across the fallow fields. Laura and her teenage children have arrived.A short distance away lies the hut of Duro Kolak, who lives alone with his two hunting dogs. As he helps Laura withTrade ReviewUnsettling and supremely masterful novel ... The depth of his character is revealed in every tic of his lonely, ritualised life, and his past is glimpsed in every freighted friendship and casual interaction he has with the men of the town. Through his brooding, bristling machismo, he becomes one of Hemingway’s men – epic in his small, everyman heroism. Every relationship is keenly realised ... The family is sharply observed ... What stands out in all of this is Forna’s near-perfect authorial control. She reveals her story at a pace of measured suspense until it reads like a slow-burn thriller. Her prose quietly grips us by the throat and then tightens its hold. It is storytelling at its most taut, and it leaves Forna less a gifted African voice, more a gifted writer, and one who has, with this book, magnificently realised her literary potential * Independent *Forna writes sensitively about the power of a history that is both terrible and banal ... Duro’s voice carries the narrative with a solidity and complexity that is very satisfying ... Knowing, and not daring to know; the difference between innocence and ignorance; the dangers of people entering situations that they do not understand: all of these are Forna’s themes, expressed with a deliberated coolness of tone. The best of this novel lies in its bleak insistence that the lives that have to be lived after the killing is over are almost beyond the comprehension of outsiders * The Times *A bravura performance ... If her second novel The Memory of Love, set in Africa, confirmed Forna’s flair for writing about war and its aftermath, The Hired Man seals her reputation as arguably the best writer of fiction in this field ... The intelligence of Forna’s storytelling is testament to a woman who ... has deep emotional resources ... A “method” writer who didn’t just research guns for this book, she learned how to shoot. The result is that scenes like the soldier’s comically brutal execution in the forest or Duro’s valediction to his dog are both masterclasses in descriptive writing. I found myself so eagerly consuming the story that I was missing the subtlety of her whispered prose and had to keep turning back to previous chapters. Forna is an author who demands much thought from her reader – not to mention Googling the fantastically complex Balkan Wars just to keep up. This is a novel to be passed on judiciously, like a special gift, a tale of two summers you may well want to read twice * Evening Standard *Though she has transmuted the trauma into compelling art, the constant redrafting of childhood experience might be subject to what Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a writer to whom Forna is frequently compared, has termed “the danger of a single story” ... She has a terrific ability to evoke the poisonous atmosphere of culpability and denial from which civil conflicts emerge ... Forna brilliantly portrays the atmosphere of festering tension in which perpetrators of the most grotesque acts of violence continue to live side by side ... She remains committed to a single story; though The Hired Man triumphantly proves that the story need not always remain the same * Guardian *The dual present/past narrative has become a cliché in recent literary fiction – but it’s one that Aminatta Forna uses here with terrific skill and insight * Daily Mail *The Hired Man is an ingenious examination of the kind of ghosts that those with no experience of civil war are unable to see * Observer *Subtle new novel ... There may be peace in the Balkans but the war, she suggests, continues: played out through memories that won’t die in quiet, sleepless streets **** * Claire Allfree, Metro *An intricate tapestry of betrayal, tragedy and loss ... Forna understands that it is only by making patterns out of chaos that humans find the courage to continue living. And in this affecting, passionate and intelligent novel about the redemptive power of love and storytelling, she shows how it is done * Daily Telegraph *This richly accomplished and satisfying novel, which engages both mind and heart, has rightly made the Orange Prize shortlist * Independent *Brilliant ... a remarkable novel * Guardian *Intelligent, engrossing and beautifully crafted * Daily Mail *Aminatta Forna, a specialist in the aftermath of conflict ... Forna handles the culture clash adroitly ... Combining a contemporary domestic drama with a tragic tale of recent war, The Hired Man is artfully constructed ... Behind the simple Duro there stands a sophisticated author, whose novel is all the more powerful for not being overexplicit * The Sunday Times *Fans of The English Patient will love this haunting, memorable book * Red *Aminatta Forna’s third novel shares a certain slow-burning mystique with its eponymous handyman narrator: likeable and benign to begin with, it gradually reveals its deeper, darker and more unsettling characteristics ... Forna skilfully maintains and manages Duro’s secrets, before – just when you care enough to be devastated – letting them struggle to the surface and reveal themselves. She crafts a story that initially seduces with intense and vivid physical detail, low, sour wit and a suggestion of romance, before twisting – without the reader even fully registering – it into a knotty, powerfully ambiguous allegory for collective trauma and negotiation with historical pain. Yet The Hired Man also operates as a whodunit and a thriller. Forna has done some serious homework to render Duro’s past experiences authentic ... and for all its poignancy and political seriousness, her book also lends a salty, Hemingway-esque enjoyment to its evocations of deadly adventure. This is not just compelling, but clever: by involving us in Duro’s memories of his heart-pounding escapades, Forna gives us to understand something of his guilty attachment to risk and subterfuge, and thus of the element of romance that dwelt within the horror that the townspeople experienced ... It’s a sharp, pertinent, absorbing story told by a writer of extreme gifts – one who disappears into her narrative and her characters, and who makes every nuance of surface communication and behaviour revealing of deeper truths. Forna is brilliant on male competition and unspoken resentments; brilliant on the passive-aggressive communication techniques of teenagers and married people; brilliant on awkward sexual undercurrents in platonic friendships; brilliant on dogs. All of this felt emotional detail builds toward the revelation of Gost’s history and Duro’s personal role therein effectively enough that when it comes, it’s neither melodramatic nor unconvincingly mythic, but real and immediate. Forna’s novel comments on the supposed brevity of collective memory – the assumption on the part of the overweening political and economic system that inconvenient human skirmishes will be swiftly forgotten to make way for progress, and the real-world incompatibility of that assumption with the way that people and communities actually function. But it also observes – in a manner wide-eyed rather than critical – the capacity of individuals to live pressed up against the signs and sources of their past trauma, and to somehow make the best of it ... Forna is to be forgiven for overreaching a touch, in a book otherwise so generous, so involving and so rich with meaning * Scotland on Sunday *Forna is eloquent on the far-reaching consequences of ethnic hatred * Times Literary Supplement ***** * Lewis Jones, Daily Telegraph *Powerfully subtle * Mail on Sunday *Miss Forna’s trademark sharp prose and elegant storytelling make this both a meditative read and a page-turner – a rare feat ... Characters jump off the page with humour and insight ... The author is a master of cultural ironies ... The Hired Man is rewarding on many levels: family dynamics, small communities, the intimate story of the Yugoslav wars, and, not least, the sensuously rendered countryside teeming with stags and boar, where Duro and his dogs hunt and roam, guardians of unspeakable truths * Country Life *Slowly unpeels the reality of a small Croatian town’s shadowy past * Scotland on Sunday *A fresh, immaculate stylist and an unsparing chronicler of human vices ... Subtle ... A profound and unsettling book * The Times, Summer Reads *An intelligent, calculated and probing study of people * Pride Magazine *Haunting * Evening Standard, Summer Reads *Writing that cleanses your palate. The storytelling draws you into the Croatian village where Duro Kolak hides from the past * Independent, Beach Reads *Forna ... shows mastery of her subject ... The most extraordinary thing about this novel is its taut, razor-sharp prose * Arifa Akbar, Independent Books of the Year *

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and Guardian First Book Award''Pigeon English is a book to fall in love with: a funny book, a true book, a shattering book'' The TimesSimultaneously accurate and fantastical, this boy''s love letter to the world made me laugh and tremble all the way through. Pigeon English is a triumph'' Emma Donoghue, author of RoomEleven-year-old Harrison Opoku, the second best runner in Year 7, races through his new life in England with his personalised trainers - the Adidas stripes drawn on with marker pen - blissfully unaware of the very real threat around him.Newly arrived from Ghana with his mother and older sister Lydia, Harri absorbs the many strange elements of city life, from the bewildering array of Haribo sweets, to the frightening, fascinating gang of older boys from his school. But his life is changed forever when one of his friends is murdered.As the victim''s nearly new football boots hang in tribute Trade Review‘Simultaneously accurate and fantastical, this boy's love letter to the world made me laugh and tremble all the way through. Pigeon English is a triumph' * Emma Donoghue, author of Room *Pigeon English is a book to fall in love with: a funny book, a true book, a shattering book * Erica Wagner, The Times *Stephen Kelman's [first novel] has a powerful story, a pacy plot and engaging characters. It paints a vivid portrait with honesty, sympathy and wit, of a much neglected milieu, and it addresses urgent social questions. It is horrifying, tender and funny ... Brilliant * Daily Telegraph *The humour, the resilience, the sheer ebullience of its narrator - a hero for our times - should ensure the book becomes, deservedly, a classic * Daily Mail *

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Book Synopsis____________________''An illuminating and timely story that highlights the plight of refugees A book that haunts and shames in equal measure'' - Guardian''This short but heart-wrenching book ... brings home the terrible human consequences of war. Caroline Brothers' stark, unsentimental novel is one everyone should read'' - Daily Mail''Intensely evocative The emotional as well as geographical borderlands are sensitively delineated in this visceral and moving debut'' - Independent____________________The inspiration for Flight, the stunning play coming to the Bridge Theatre, from the creatives behind Harry Potter and the Cursed Child____________________Two young boys cross a river in the middle of the night. The river is also a border, and their lives depend on this journey. With nothing but the clothes on their backs, Aryan and his little broTrade ReviewAn illuminating and timely story that highlights the plight of refugees … A book that haunts and shames in equal measure * Guardian *This short but heart-wrenching book presents us with the tragic reality behind the words “refugee” and “asylum-seeker” and brings home the terrible human consequences of war. Caroline Brothers’ stark, unsentimental novel is one everyone should read * Daily Mail *Intensely evocative … Hinterland harrowingly exposes the hidden world of migrants … The emotional as well as geographical borderlands are sensitively delineated in this visceral and moving debut * Independent *A forceful account of two prototypical lost boys as they hazard ‘the great lottery’ of a journey across Europe. Brothers has the seasoned journalist’s eye for idiosyncratic detail and a sense for the riveting turnabouts that keep readers as off balance as her characters * New York Times Book Review *

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE 2023 ANTHONY AWARD FOR BEST HUMOROUS NOVELIn this darkly funny mystery Lexy Campbell''s first love turns up dead at the Last Ditch Motel on Thanksgiving . . . and she becomes the prime suspect!A mysterious object the size of a suitcase, all wrapped in bacon and smelling of syrup, can mean only one thing: Thanksgiving at the Last Ditch Motel. This year the motel residents are in extra-celebratory mood as the holiday brings a new arrival to the group - a bouncing baby girl. But as one life enters the Ditch, another leaves it. Menzies Lassiter has only just checked in. When resident counsellor Lexy Campbell tries to deliver his breakfast the next day, she finds him checked out. Permanently. Shocking enough if he was a stranger, but Lexy recognises that face. Menzies was her first love until he broke her heart many years ago. What''s he doing at the Last Ditch? What''s he doing dead? And how can Lexy escape the fact that

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Book SynopsisIt''s all aboard for a Campbell Clan Christmas! Lexy swaps cinnamon lattes for boiled sprouts when the Last Ditch crew travel from California to an idyllic Scottish village for the holidays, but something very unmerry is lurking below the surface . . .Lexy Campbell is long overdue a trip to Scotland to see her parents, and an unexpected death in the extended Last Ditch Motel family makes Christmas in a bungalow in Dundee with nine others seem almost irresistible.But when Lexy and the Last Ditch crew hop across the Atlantic, there''s been a change of plan and they''re whisked off to Mistletoe Hall in the pretty village of Yule, where the surprises continue. The news that a man disappeared from the crumbling pile sixty years ago, along with an unsettling discovery in the bricked-up basement, means that Todd, Kathi and Lexy - Trinity for Trouble - must solve another murder.Deadly secrets, berry rustlers, skeletons and a snowy Christmas Eve in the b

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Book SynopsisA teacher trying to hide in the shadows finds himself embroiled in a murder investigation in this compelling and fresh read from a new unique, contemporary voice.Greg Abimbola is a language teacher at the prestigious Calderhill Academy in Pittsburgh. Only that''s not his real name . . . or the only secret he''s hiding.When the murder of a wealthy parent on school premises shines an unwanted spotlight on Calderhill Academy, Greg is determined to avoid attention. That is until the closest person to a true friend Greg has is arrested for the murder. To prove her innocence, Greg will reluctantly emerge from the shadows. But doing so will put him in danger. His past is determined to find him . . . and his past is full of bad things.

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Book SynopsisDespite efforts to create a safe environment to see out the pandemic, the residents of the Last Ditch Motel face more dangers than they imagined possible in this hilarious yet claustrophobic mystery.March 2020 and Operation Cocker is a go! The owners of the Last Ditch Motel, with a little help from their friend Lexy Campbell, are preparing to support one another through the oncoming lockdown, offering the motel''s spare rooms to a select few from the local area in need of sanctuary. While the newbies are settling in, an ambiguous banner appears demanding one of them return home. But who is it for? Lexy and her friends put a plan into action to ward off the perpetrator, but the very next night, a resident disappears and a message scrawled in human blood is found. As California shuts down, the Last Ditchers make another gruesome discovery. They tried to create a haven but now it seems as if everyone''s in danger. Is the motel under attack from so

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Book SynopsisA teacher trying to hide in the shadows finds himself embroiled in a murder investigation in this compelling and fresh read from a new unique, contemporary voice.Greg Abimbola is a language teacher at the prestigious Calderhill Academy in Pittsburgh. Only that''s not his real name . . . or the only secret he''s hiding. Greg has a closetful. When the murder of a wealthy parent on school premises shines an unwanted spotlight on Calderhill Academy, Greg is determined to avoid attention. That is until the closest person to a true friend Greg has is arrested for the murder. To prove her innocence, Greg will reluctantly emerge from the shadows. But doing so will put him in danger. His past is determined to find him . . . and his past is full of bad things.

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Book SynopsisIn this darkly funny mystery Lexy Campbell''s first love turns up dead at the Last Ditch Motel on Thanksgiving . . . and she becomes the prime suspect!A mysterious object the size of a suitcase, all wrapped in bacon and smelling of syrup, can mean only one thing: Thanksgiving at the Last Ditch Motel. This year the motel residents are in extra-celebratory mood as the holiday brings a new arrival to the group - a bouncing baby girl. But as one life enters the Ditch, another leaves it. Menzies Lassiter has only just checked in. When resident counsellor Lexy Campbell tries to deliver his breakfast the next day, she finds him checked out. Permanently. Shocking enough if he was a stranger, but Lexy recognises that face. Menzies was her first love until he broke her heart many years ago. What''s he doing at the Last Ditch? What''s he doing dead? And how can Lexy escape the fact that she alone had the means, the opportunity - and certainly the motive -

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Book SynopsisA teacher trying to hide in the shadows finds himself embroiled in a murder investigation in this compelling and fresh read from a new unique, contemporary voice.Greg Abimbola is a language teacher at the prestigious Calderhill Academy in Pittsburgh. Only that''s not his real name . . . or the only secret he''s hiding. Greg has a closetful. When the murder of a wealthy parent on school premises shines an unwanted spotlight on Calderhill Academy, Greg is determined to avoid attention. That is until the closest person to a true friend Greg has is arrested for the murder. To prove her innocence, Greg will reluctantly emerge from the shadows. But doing so will put him in danger. His past is determined to find him . . . and his past is full of bad things.

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