Narrative theme: identity / belonging

Book SynopsisTravis is a full-time audiobook narrator who has lent his voice to hundreds of stories. Before that, he spent decades designing and building video games like Torchlight, Rebel Galaxy, and Fate. Apparently, he now also writes books. He lives in the Pacific Northwest with his very patient family and their small, nervous dog. He is the author of Legends & Lattes and Bookshops & Bonedust.Trade ReviewWhat I love about Travis Baldree is that set against an epic world of adventure, he writes about the small victories that make life worthwhile. Bookshops & Bonedust does this and it is glorious -- Ben Aaronovitch, author of Rivers of LondonIt's the rare prequel that beautifully adds depth, power, and love to the lore. This is a book for those who were once young and pulled between fighting the world with all they had . . . or curling up in a dusty bookshop with a good story -- J. R. Dawson, author of First Bright ThingWell, damn, he’s done it again. Bookshops & Bonedust is hilarious, heartwarming, and wholesome as heck. If you loved the first you’ll almost certainly love this perfectly executed prequel even more, as the stakes are higher and the scones are hotter still! -- Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the WyldAs enchanting a prequel as one could ever desire, Bookshops & Bonedust brings the same humor and heart as its predecessor, and has cemented Travis Baldree as an auto-read author for me. Books, baked goods, and necromancy - what more could you possibly want in a story? -- Genevieve Gornichec, author of The Witch's HeartBookshops & Bonedust is the perfect follow up to Legends & Lattes; it's a pleasure to meet a Younger Viv and watch her grow slowly, stubbornly, into the orc we love so much. Some bittersweetness is inevitable, but Baldree reminds us that the past - even our mistakes - is the fertile soil where we plant the seeds of a beautiful future -- C. L. Clark, author of The UnbrokenMagical and full of heart, Bookshops & Bonedust is every bit as enchanting as its predecessor. Spending more time with Viv was a joy -- Sangu Mandanna, author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular WitchesBookshops & Bonedust will resonate with anyone who has ever conflated their worth with their productivity, who has ever worried about being left behind if they take a moment to breathe, who has ever allowed a book to save them from a bad day. Beautifully humane, it is a loving reminder that the best parts of life are what happens between the big moments -- Cassandra Khaw, author of Nothhing But Blackened TeethBookshops & Bonedust is a fabulist's love song to indie booksellers, but much more besides. As with Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree gives us a deeply satisfying fantasy without gore, wonder without dread, and joy for its own sake -- Christopher Buehlman, author of The Blacktongue Thief

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Book SynopsisIdentity in the Covid-19 Years explores the how the COVID-19 pandemic has been represented in media, communication and culture, and the role these changes have played in renewing how we understand identity, engage in social belonging and relate ethically to each other and the world. This book explores how the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on how we perform our identities, engage in social belonging, and communicate with each other. Understanding the onset of the pandemic as a moment experienced as cultural rupture, Cover provides a framework for understanding how selfhood, belonging, relationships and perceptions of time and space have undergone a disruption that not only is damaging to continuity and stability but also provides positive value through renewal and the re-making of the self and ways of living ethically. Drawing on philosophic, media and cultural studies approaches, this book describes how networks of mutual care and global interdependeTrade ReviewHow do we make sense of the individual and global trauma caused by COVID? Cover frames the pandemic by wrestling sense out of the inchoate panic, offering a major, wholistic cultural analysis of the pandemic and its enduring effects. In addressing the structural and discursive truths that the pandemic has exposed, he is also mindful of the personal devastation that COVID has wrought. COVID changed our social ecology, and we need a reckoning. Start here. * Sally Munt, Emeritus Professor of Cultural Politics, University of Sussex, UK *Drawing on philosophic, media, and cultural studies approaches, this book describes how networks of mutual care and global interdependency have been powerfully drawn out by the experience of the pandemic, yet also disavowed in some settings in favor of a problem individualism and sustained inequalities. * Chris Beasley, Emeritus Professor of Politics and International Relations, University of Adelaide, Australia *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction: Stories of Rupture and Resilience in a Pandemic 1 Media Discourses of Coronavirus: From Health Advisory to Conspiracy 2 Apocalyptic Fictions as a Roadmap for Crisis 3 Disrupted Identity: The Self in a Time of Radical Cultural Change, Anxiety, and Crisis 4 Disrupted Mobility: Lockdowns, Borders, and Movement 5 Disrupted Exposure: Ethics and the Face of the Other in the Time of Masks 6 Disrupted Touch: Hands, Bodies, and Social Distancing 7 Disrupted Corporealities: Vaccination and Anti-vaxxers 8 Disrupted Futurity: Mourning the Self and the Other Conclusion: COVID Futures: Ethical Care in Interdependency References Index

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Book SynopsisA haunting and moving debut, The Midwife by Tricia Cresswell is perfect for fans of The Familiars and The Binding.1830. After a violent storm, a woman is found alone, naked, near death on the Northumberland moors. She has no memory of who she is or how she got there. But she can remember how to help a woman in labour, how to expertly dress a wound and can speak fluent French.With the odds against her – a penniless single woman – she starts to build her life from scratch, using her skills to help other woman around her. She finds a happy place in the world. Until tragedy strikes, and she must run for her life.In London, Dr Borthwick lives a solitary life working as an accoucheur together with his midwife, Mrs Bates, dealing with mothers and babies in both the elegant homes of high society, and alongside a young widow, Eleanor Johnson, volunteering in the slums of the Devil’s Acre. His professional reputation is spotless and he keeps his private life just as clean, isolating himself from any new acquaintances. He is harbouring a dark secret from his past, one that threatens to spill over everything . . .Trade ReviewAmongst the many excellent entries for the Mslexia Novel Prize, this novel really stood out: a gripping and smartly executed double-narrative full of surprises, with something serious to say about women's place in society and the strategies they employ to survive -- Louise Doughty, bestselling author of Apple Tree YardA vivid, engrossing mystery about a woman who can’t remember her own identity but knows with certainty how to deliver babies. The authentic medical details form a compelling picture of the precariousness of life in the mid-nineteenth century, when childbirth could prove fatal for even the fittest of women. I was hooked! -- Gill Paul, bestselling author of The Secret WifeAtmospheric, haunting and intriguing. A compelling and beautifully written debut -- Tracy Rees, bestselling author of Amy Snow and The Rose Garden

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Book SynopsisBrilliantly-written characters, original and engaging. It's so good!'BA ParisJOANNE HAYNES HAS A SECRET.THAT IS NOT HER REAL NAME.And there's more. Her flat isn't hers. Her cats aren''t hers. Even her hair isn't really hers.Nor is she any of the other women she pretends to be. Not the bestselling romance novelist who gets her morning snack from the doughnut van on the seafront. Nor the pregnant woman in the dental surgery. Nor the chemo patient in the supermarket for whom the cashier feels ever so sorry. They''re all just alibis.In fact, the only thing that's real about Joanne is that nobody can know who she really is.But someone has got too close. It looks like her alibis have begun to run out.Your favourite authors are loving The Alibi GirlHeart-wrenching, impossible to predict and completely absorbing' John MarrsThe master of dark, sexy psychological suspense' Suzy K QuinnA dark, addictive read' Phoebe MorganTrade Review Praise for The Alibi Girl: ‘It has everything you’d expect from Skuse; tragic twists and turns but always with heart at its core. Heart-wrenching, impossible to predict and completely absorbing’ John Marrs ‘Riveting and gripping’ Sunday Post ‘Brilliantly-written characters, original, engaging and moving storyline. It’s so good!’ BA Paris ‘An edge-of-your-seat thriller’ Woman and Home ‘Another stunner from the master of dark, sexy psychological suspense’ Suzy K Quinn ‘A fast-moving, complex and troubling study of family lives that manages to make you laugh and cry at the same time’ Daily Mail ‘A dark, addictive read with CJ Skuse’s trademark humour – I loved it’ Phoebe Morgan ‘A hilarious, hair-raising, nail-biting tale’ Saga ‘A chilling tale with an interesting perspective’ Woman Magazine Praise for CJ Skuse: ‘An absolute marvel of a book – SO dark, SO laugh-out-loud funny, the world through Rhiannon's eyes is perfectly, acutely observed. Brilliant!’ SJI Holliday ‘This darkly comic novel…has the potential to become a cult classic’ Daily Mail ‘Sweetpea hits all the right buttons. A dark, twisted read about a female serial killer with dollops of humour, sarcasm and a lightweight approach…keeping you gripped and on the hook, both smiling and squirming’ Maxim Jakubowski, Lovereading ‘You MUST read this book especially if you like your (anti) heroes dirty-mouthed, deadly and dark, dark dark. ADORED IT' Fiona Cummins, author of Rattle ‘This isn’t a book for the squeamish or the faint-hearted … think Bridget Jones meets American Psycho’ Red ‘This book is OUTRAGEOUS’ Compulsive Readers ‘This anti-hero is psychotic without doubt, sexually voracious and incredibly funny’ Shots magazine

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Book Synopsis The Nommo Award Winner.The Nebula Award Finalist.The World Fantasy Award Finalist.The British Science Fiction Award Nominee.A contemporary fantasy filled with the mythos of Nigeria, featuring Yoruba gods liberating an artefact from the depths of the British Museum. Shigidi is a disgruntled nightmare god in the Orisha spirit company, reluctantly answering the prayers of his few remaining believers to satisfy the demands of the company board. When he meets Nneoma, a sort-of succubus with a long and secretive past, everything changes.Together, they attempt to break free of their constraints and live on their owns terms. But the elder gods have other plans for Shigidi, and the Orisha Spirit Company is not so easy to leave. The chairman has a final job for Shigidi and Nneoma, one that will take them to the very heart of the British Museum.From the boisterous streets of Lagos to the rooftop bars Trade ReviewFast and sharp as talons, Shigidi is a high-stakes art heist love story with Nigerian gods and demons and some Succession-level corporate politics and Alan Moore-ish deep dives into occult lore and mythologies. If you thought Killmonger was right or loved American Gods and Akata Witch, this one is very much for you * Lauren Beukes *A high octane thriller that is simply unputdownable. Talabi deftly weaves different mythos spanning centuries across continents and borders to create a truly fantastical story. Gods, demons, magicians, giants, all jostling for power and prestige within an all too human story. This remarkable debut rocked my world * T.L. Huchu, author of The Library of the Dead *Shigidi is a richly written story of love between immortals, a high stakes supernatural heist, and a sweeping adventure across time, space, and perhaps realms of existence. This is godpunk, done with style. And I'm absolutely here for it! * P. Djeli Clark, Nebula Award-winning author of Master of Djinn *For those who feel as if they've been waiting years for a novel by Wole Talabi, Shigidi surpasses expectations. It's fast-paced and fun, clever and beautiful. Filled with characters you want to spend time with in a world that is fresh and exciting. * Temi Oh, author of Do You Dream of Terra-Two *Shigidi is a tale that will excite any lover of contemporary African fantasy. What better thrill than two globetrotting, timetrotting, worldtrotting beings caught between a love story, a heist and a ghastly contract with a spirit company? Talabi's imagination, already obvious in previous works, shines through, offering us a world of deities and monstrosities trading in belief and supplication. An innovative addition to the godpunk roster-if you loved David Mogo, you'll love this! * Suyi Davies Okungbowa, author of the Nameless Republic trilogy *A heist caper with sex, violence, and superpowers popping off every technicolor page . . . Readers are in for a rollicking thrill ride * Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) *A captivating and entertaining story of a nightmare god and his succubus lover, Nneoma, pulling a heist across two worlds * Lightspeed Magazine *Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon is an explosion made of other explosions. As soon as I read the opening-taut, rollicking, rooted in physicality and emotion-I was charmed. This book is incantation, a sorcerous working that bound me to its story and drew me along as it sped toward its destination. Wole Talabi is a brilliant short fiction writer, and now he is revealed as a brilliant novelist, as well * Alex Jennings, author of The Ballad of Perilous Graves *[A] delightfully entertaining novel . . . a defiantly ambitious work . . . [and] also an action-packed thrill ride . . . Talabi's snarky narration keeps the tone light, while leaving room for a sweet love story * The Washington Post *Talabi keeps in balance his kinetic mix of noir heist fiction, erotic romance, political intrigue, and supernatural fireworks without distracting too much from the genuinely affecting relationship between Nneoma and Shigidi, who are a pair we wouldn't mind seeing again, and won't forget anytime soon * Locus *Talabi weaves a high-stakes, fast-paced tale of corporate greed, an interdimensional heist, and warring deities entrenched in Yoruba culture. Perfect for fans of the Ocean's film franchise and Scott Lynch's The Lies of Locke Lamora (2006), this book will have readers holding their breath as Shigidi and Nneoma try to accomplish the impossible * Booklist *A smart, sexy, postcolonial book about two freelance gods running from their past and stealing from the British Museum. I had so much fun with these characters and I can't wait for the next book in the series. Perfect for fans of American Gods * Thomas D. Lee, Sunday Times bestselling author of Perilous Times *[A] debut fantasy novel that's everything at once: love story, adventure story, spirit world story . . . Talabi excites the reader with the beauty of his language * Aurealis *Complex, entertaining, and absolutely *fun* - and beyond that, heartwarming in its characters and in its conclusions. A story which left me wanting to believe in it * Genevieve Cogman, Sunday Times bestselling author of the Invisible Library series *Pure post-colonial magic and huge, heisty fun * Daily Mail *The universe is anchored in African beliefs, but with a global perspective and modern twists * SFX, 5* *Exuberant writing and ebullient imagination made this a lot of fun * K.J. Charles *A thoroughly entertaining read which balances a confident sense of its Nigerian identity with an awareness of contemporary fantasy * ParSec Magazine *A vivid, entertaining tale of love, power and revenge * The Guardian *Wole Talabi treats his readers to a journey steeped in mysticism... The book draws on centuries of African history and legends, as well as Nigeria's modern colonial past * Geek Dad *

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Book Synopsis‘A profound meditation on forgiveness and forgetting . . . Dao’s extraordinary debut novel combines fiction and history to chronicle his Vietnamese grandparents’ traumatic life.’ – The ObserverMoving from 1930s Hanoi through wars and displacements to Saigon, Paris, Melbourne and Cambridge, a deeply moving novel of memory and inheritance, colonialism and belonging, exile and home.Born to a Vietnamese family based in Melbourne, the narrator is haunted by the story of his grandfather whose ten-year imprisonment by the Communist government in Vietnam’s notorious Chi Hoa prison looms large over his own place in the world and his choice to become a human rights lawyer. As he oscillates between identities of his Australian upbringing and his Vietnamese heritage, it is the death of his grandfather in a Parisian suburb and the birth of his daughter that crystallize the strands of thought that have shaped his life.André Dao’s Anam blends fiction and essay, theory and everyday life to imagine that which has been repressed, left out, and forgotten by archives and by families. As the grandson sifts through letters, photographs, government documents and memories, he has his own family to think about: a partner and an infant daughter. Is there a way to remember the past that creates a future for them as well? Or does coming home always involve a certain amount of forgetting?Trade ReviewThis impressive novel illuminates lives that rarely come to the attention of readers. Braiding fiction, essay, family stories and history, the result is a profoundly moving remembrance of things past as well as an invitation to look to the future. There is kindness and insight on every page. -- Michelle de Kretser, author of Questions of TravelAndre Dao’s Anam . . . confirms his status as a young writer to watch . . . Blending fiction and essay, Anam is about a grandson trying to learn his family story and explores ideas of home, exile and identity. * Sydney Morning Herald *Riveting, wise, transporting, Anam turns its back on the memory industrial complex and keeps the past unassimilable, both dangerous and fragile. -- Maria Tumarkin, author of AxiomaticAnam is a beautiful book. I loved its hypnotic rhythms, its restlessness, the way memories, dreams and ideas, like waves, kept riding in over the top of one another, undoing and complicating everything. It is the work of a soulful and scrupulous mind. -- Miles AllisonDao has a mesmeric and unique style that is both brave and profound, a style that captures the voices of those that may not always have had one… A magnificent debut. * The Australian *André Dao’s ambitious debut… offers something defiant and distinct, unsentimental yet tender... Nothing in Australian literature has challenged me in a way that feels so profoundly personal. * The Saturday Paper *Anam gently pulls us into a deepening flow of memory… untangling the endlessly knotted problems of memory, inheritance and home… Anam is a rigorous and generous book, which will sit with you well after reading. * Melbourne Age *Uncompromising and honest, Anam is a brilliant book of immense scope…. Original and convincing... in terms of thematic, linguistic, and cultural scope, Anam is a fine example of what a global novel should be like. It beautifully connects East and West; Europe and Australasia; Oceania and the Middle East. * The Conversation *

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Book Synopsis'Powerful' Sunday Times 'Electric' Danya Kukafka 'Vital' Katie Gutierrez 'A triumph' Alice Ryan 'A powerful read' Heat 'Read this book!' Angie Cruz 'An instant classic' Morning Star 'Deserves all the hype' Glamour 'Crackles with life' Xochitl Gonzalez 'The book of the year' Rene Denfeld Carmen and Grace have been inseparable since they were little girls – more like sisters than cousins, survivors of a childhood marked by neglect and addiction. For too long, all they had was each other. That is, until Doña Durka swept into their lives and changed everything, taking Grace into her home and playing an outsize role in Carmen’s upbringing too. But Durka is more than a beneficent force in their Bronx neighbourhood. She’s also the leader of an underground drug empire, a larger-than-life matriarch who understands the importance of taking what power she can in a world too often ruled by violent men. So when Durka dies suddenly, Carmen and Grace’s lives are thrown into chaos. Grace has been primed to take over and has grand plans to expand the business, but Carmen is ready to move on – from Durka’s shadow, and from always looking over her shoulder in fear. As tough and tender as its main characters, Carmen and Grace is a devastatingly wise and intimate story about the bonds of female friendship, ambition and found family. Trade ReviewIn a world fraught with violence, Melissa Coss Aquino brilliantly delivers a heartwarming, loving novel with characters you are inspired to ride or die with. From page one, I was deeply invested in Carmen and Grace and their wild predicament of having to negotiate between their tight bonds and their ambitions. It had me up late turning the pages wanting to know if they will make it out without destroying everything. If you love reading novels about creative, ambitious, and relentless women who are committed to community and making a way out of no way, read this book! -- Angie Cruz'Electric, heartrending, and exceptionally tender – this novel examines the limits of familial loyalty, twisted cycles of poverty and violence, and how far we'll go to protect those we love most. Carmen and Grace are unforgettable characters, vital and flawed and relentlessly enthralling. Every sentence of Melissa Coss Aquino's debut feels acute and deliberate, a shard of glass held up to the light.' -- Danya Kukafka'Prepare to not breathe. This is a remarkable, heart-pounding book based on the best kind of tension – the real kind. Carmen and Grace is the story of two young women swept into the underground drug trade, each trying desperately to gain freedom, in their own ways. It is by turns touching, terrifying, and mesmerising. Melissa Coss Aquino is a brilliant writer and this is the book of the year.' -- Rene Denfeld'I was crying like I lost my best friend as I finished. Carmen and Grace crackles with life: its cruelty and kindness in equal measure. This book is an act of love, a story about found family, the magic sacred space that is created in a circle of women and, above all, the power and lessons of intuition. It will break you apart and remind you that we can all be put back together again, stronger, and wiser than before.' -- Xochitl GonzalezCarmen and Grace is everything I could want in a novel: a wise and ferocious exploration of mothers and motherlessness; an urgent, heart-pounding journey to power and safety; and an all-too-human rendering of what we choose when choice is an illusion. In Carmen and Grace, Melissa Coss Aquino offers us two of the most indelible, vital characters in modern literature. If this novel were a lifetime achievement, it would be enough – but it's only the beginning for Aquino, and for that we should all be thankful. -- Katie GutierrezCousins Carmen and Grace share a traumatic childhood that has bonded them together tightly. That is, until they meet a sisterhood of women known as the D.O.D, who are guided by a leader of an underground drug empire, Doña Durka. This plot-driven novel explores the bonds of found family and the ways in which power and ambition can sever relationships -- Lupita Aquino * Today.com *A grittily realistic book... a writer to watch' * Daily Mail *This is superbly written, the characters are complex and a presence on the page, you can feel their frustration, despair, and bond as they persevere against all the odds. A Latinx drama that deserves all the hype and praise. * Glamour *A powerful read **** * Heat Magazine *A powerful portrait of two women trying to make it in the Bronx... Melissa Coss Aquino offers a rich portrait of a dystopian matriarchy where shelter and security come at a high price. -- Erica Wagner * The Sunday Times *This passionate, uninhibited book, written with great craft as well with great feeling, has the air of an instant classic. * Morning Star *The characters are gripping, the story is fast-paced and the NYC Bronx setting is incredibly evocative – all the makings of a perfect summer read. * STYLIST *

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Book SynopsisA stunning, multi-perspective epic about class division, the contraints of gender roles, and the history of India. After living in the US for years, Maneka Roy returns home to India to mourn the loss of her mother and finds herself in a new world. The booming city of Hrishipur where her father now lives is nothing like the part of the country where she grew up, and the more she sees of this new, sparkling city, the more she learns that nothing — and no one — here is as it appears. Ultimately, it will take an unexpected tragic event for Maneka and those around her to finally understand just how fragile life is in this city built on aspirations. Written from the perspectives of ten different characters, Oindrila Mukherjee’s incisive debut novel explores class divisions, gender roles, and stories of survival within a society that is constantly changing and becoming increasingly Americanised. It’s a story about India today, and people impacted by globalisation everywhere: a tale of ambition, longing, and bitter loss that asks what it really costs to try to build a dream. Trade Review‘The Dream Builders is a novel of epic proportions that follows Maneka Roy and those around her as they each ponder the power of forgiveness and learn none of them can wield that power without first forgiving the self. Oindrila Mukherjee allows full life for these characters who are often real enough to remind us of ourselves, even as they betray one another … even as they betray themselves. This is a lovely debut.’ -- Jericho Brown, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Tradition‘Oindrila Mukherjee’s The Dream Builders is such an impressive feat of storytelling, a novel that examines the constraints of class, of gender, of history, while showcasing the sheer expansiveness of the endeavour, skillfully shifting the point of view amongst a group of characters who each demand a claim on the story. It’s a marvel of a structure, built by a great talent.’ -- Kevin Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of Nothing to See Here‘Mukherjee has written a funny, moving, and often deliciously cynical novel about the illusive ideal we sometimes call the New India. Written from almost every angle imaginable, the novel demonstrates how each of us might be a hero in our own narratives while being the potential villain in someone else’s.’ -- Tiphanie Yanique, author of Monster in the Middle‘A multitude of voices and visions — arresting, wrenching, desiring — come together to create an astonishing, and astonishingly accurate, portrait of contemporary India. Oindrila Mukherjee has done a superb job.’ -- Chitra Divakaruni, bestselling author of The Mistress of Spices‘The Dream Builders showcases a vibrant cast of characters whose complex lives are a testament to India’s astonishing diversity. Oindrila Mukherjee has written a soulful novel that’ll break your heart with its truth.’ -- Samrat Upadhyay, author of Mad Country‘A sweeping debut … [Mukherjee] does a great job capturing the setting and exploring the fateful power dynamics … a penetrating look at the fast-growing country’s shaky facade.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘Epic … A promising first novel.’ * Booklist *‘Losses great and small haunt the denizens of a glittering new city in India … Mukherjee artfully demonstrates that even a new civilisation can have its discontents.’ * Kirkus Reviews *‘Sweeping.’ -- Foreword Reviews, starred review‘Reminds me of a Robert Altman film … You’ll want more of every single character.’ * Good Morning America *‘A winning tale … with sensitivity, beauty and depth … that derives its heat and heart from its characters’ humanity.’ * Star Tribune *‘A kaleidoscope of characters narrates this story of tragedy and grief. Mukherjee understands how to make characters leap off the page.’ * Debutiful *‘Mukherjee’s writing style is refreshingly direct … keeping you tethered to a strong narrative thread while the perspective shifts and glides … [The Dream Builders is] funny, deep, challenging and heartfelt all at once.’ * Better Reading *‘With themes of class, gender and globalisation, this compelling debut by Oindrila Mukherjee pairs incisive social commentary with a memorable cast of diverse characters.’ * The Herald Sun *‘In this astonishing debut, Oindrila Mukherjee tells a grand tale of class, gender and globalisation. This is a character-driven story of India today, masterfully told through ten alternating perspectives. While the perspective constantly shifts, you never feel lost or disoriented. Achieving this sense of ease within such an ambitious and innovative narrative structure reveals Mukherjee’s true talent.’ -- Cheryl Akle * The Australian *

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Book SynopsisThis is not the Garden of Eden, but it is my patch of heaven. Steal my apples. Come and get them. When an asylum seeker is discovered sleeping rough at an allotment site, the plot-holders are alarmed and hostile. However, in secret, Walter begins to leave out food for Osama. Thus, a friendship begins on a garden bench, between a grieving widower and an asylum seeker on the run from the authorities. Walter is rooted in his home city; Osama belongs nowhere. Walter has a safe and routine life; Osama’s life is uncertain, risky and vulnerable. Walter feels powerless to help him, while at the same time he struggles to understand his own daughters and their lives. Then, one day, Walter discovers Osama is not who he says he is…

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Book Synopsis ''A work of extraordinary depth; people are going to be unpicking the secrets of Tremaine for years to come'' Richard Swan, Sunday Times bestselling authorAll legends are born of truths. And just as much lies. These are mine. Judge me for what you will. But you will hear my story first.I buried the village of Ampur under a mountain of ice and snow. Then I killed their god. I''ve stolen old magics and been cursed for it. I started a war with those that walked before mankind and lost the princess I loved, and wanted to save. I''ve called lightning and bound fire. I am legend. And I am a monster.My name is Ari.And this is the story of how I let loose the first evil.Thus begins the tale of a storyteller and a singer on the run and hoping to find obscurity in a tavern bar. But the sins of their past aren''t forgotten, and neither are their enemies. Their old lives are catching up swiftly and it could cost themTrade ReviewR.R. Virdi's The First Binding is engrossing and beautiful, joyous and painful -- always entertaining, sometimes profound. This book makes me remember why I love epic fantasy * Kevin J. Anderson, New York Times bestselling author *Crafted with patience, passion and, most importantly, tremendous love. Read R.R. Virdi * Jim Butcher, New York Times bestselling author of the Dresden Files *R.R. Virdi spins a very personal epic fantasy about the consequences of our actions and the nature of heroism. Rich world-building, plenty of action, and devious twists abound. Very highly recommended * Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author *An epic like no other - grand, sweeping, dramatic, a love letter to fantasy burning with the dust and heat and mythos of South Asia. It reads like magic and tastes like saffron * Yudhanjaya Wijeratne, Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia, Washington Post bestselling author of The Salvage Crew *If you loved The Name of the Wind and The Lies of Locke Lamora, this is your next reading addiction * Dyrk Ashton, author of the Paternus Trilogy *The First Binding is epic fantasy at its finest -- an homage to storytelling and legend, richly told and endlessly engaging. Complex and luxuriant, this is an emotional, multifaceted gem of a book that examines the twists and turns a story takes on its journey from the truth * Andrea Stewart, critically acclaimed author of The Bone Shard Emperor *If you're a fan of The Kingkiller Chronicle, like me . . . well, The First Binding is for you . . . It is a novel about coming-of-age, found family, kindness, empathy, storytelling, magic, truth, and lies . . . [it's] the first volume in a new magnificent and ambitious high fantasy series to obsess over * Novel Notions *Lavish in detail, a saga colourfully flavoured with the mythos of India, R.R. Virdi's The First Binding is a fantasy debut recommended for the exceptional promise that The Name of the Wind enthusiasts have been pining to discover and read * Janny Wurts, author of The Wars of Light and Shadow *A work of extraordinary depth; readers will be unpicking the secrets of Tremaine for years to come * Richard Swan, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Justice of Kings *An ode to storytelling, complete with a rich mythology, turbulent adventures, and a flawed hero you'll root for * Kirkus *The First Binding is, at its core, a coming-of-age/underdog story with the found family and pet companion trope (and LOTS more)! . . . a new favourite of mine * Library of a Viking *The First Binding is a masterpiece of epic fantasy storytelling * Michael Mammay, author of The Planetside series *The pattern woven by the recurring elements is beguiling. You'll want to sit down with this Storyteller again * SFX *I have read many good books this year, but The First Binding climbed incredibly quickly to the top and currently has wiped out every other amazing book I have read * Moon Kestrel *An unforgettable, magical tale . . . A beautifully told story from start to finish, this is the kind of book that will stay with you long after you finish reading * The Bibliophile Chronicles *One of my top reads this year. It celebrates storytelling, is written in lyrical prose, and contains elements that are immersed in South Asian mythos and culture * Fantasy Book Critic *I recommend The First Binding to every epic fantasy fan . . . in a decade it'll be remembered as one of the cornerstones of this genre * Books in Blankets *An immense achievement, and deserves a place on any epic fantasy reader's shelf beside the other greats of the genre. It's a mesmerizing love letter to stories, to the South Asian culture and history that inspired it, and to the fantasy genre as a whole * winteriscoming.net *This is a SPECTACULAR book, deep and rich and intense. It takes my breath away * Faith Hunter, New York Times bestselling author *There is little else out there to rival The First Binding. It is an entire mythos and world, epic fantasy and autobiography, a comprehensive retelling of one man's life * The Wall Street Journal *A work of staggering ambition born out of a fathoms-deep love for epic fantasy, The First Binding marks the arrival of an author and protagonist who are both trickster heroes on a multi-layered legendary journey * Samit Basu, author of The City Inside *Lyrical and enchanting. A new star has risen in the firmament of epic fantasy * D.J. Butler, Dragon Award-winning author of Witchy Eye *Filled with astute nods to South Asian lore, The First Binding is a classic in every way: layered, nuanced, and luxurious. A story that forces you to examine reality and truth, and the power of legends themselves * Kritika H. Rao, author of The Surviving Sky *A mysterious odyssey through the ancient legends and culture of South Asia that weaves an enchanting tale of theatre, thievery and richly fleshed binding-magic. The story within story unravels like a Matryoshka doll and each discovery pulses with music and wonder and sometimes, even deceit. The Old Gods will be pleased with this marathon of lyrical prose. Perfect for history-mythology geeks * Gourav Mohanty, author of Sons of Darkness *Imagine a magical story that's like a harmonious song with many enchanting layers, bringing to life cultures and myths rarely explored before. It's as if the music of the tale resonates deeply within, creating a beautiful and legendary experience. Tales of Tremaine weaves a melody of heroism, love, and tragedy, echoing the captivating performances of music, storytelling, and theater. If you have a heart for exquisitely composed fantasy, this is a must-read symphony of words * Dominick Sanchez, Grammy Award Winner *A world as deep as it is broad. Virdi's love for fantasy and history both shines through on every page * Christopher Ruocchio, internationally award-winning author of The Sun Eater *

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Book SynopsisGarth Greenwell is a graduate of the University of Iowa Writer's Workshop, where he was an Arts Fellow. His novella Mitko won the 2010 Miami University Press Novella Prize and was a finalist for the Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction and a Lambda Literary Award. He is the author of What Belongs to You, Cleanness and Small Rain.Trade ReviewWhat Belongs to You stands naturally alongside the great works of compromised sexual obsession such as Thomas Mann's Death in Venice . . . we are dealing with a writer who deserves his plaudits . . . I found myself unable to stop reading . . . Headily accomplished . . . an essential work of our time * Daily Telegraph ***** *Worthy of its comparisons to James Baldwin and Alan Hollinghurst as well as Virginia Woolf and W G Sebald . . . spellbinding . . . a novel of rejection and disgust, displacement and transcendence . . . I found myself trembling as I read it * Evening Standard *A refreshingly slim, subdued and contemplative piece of work . . . Greenwell writes in long, consummately nuanced sentences, strung with insights and soaked in melancholy . . . What Belongs to You is an uncommonly sensitive, intelligent and poignant novel * Sunday Times *I had thought of Hollinghurst as I read What Belongs to You, Greenwell's astonishingly assured debut novel, but questioned whether the parallel came to mind because both writers create vivid, enclosed worlds filled with ambiguous and shifting relationships between gay men. In fact, though, the greater similarity lies in their ability to blend a lyrical prose - the prose of longing, missed connections, grasped pleasures - with an almost uncanny depth of observation . . . [The] middle section [is] a masterful study in alienation and escape . . . Like the writers he admires, WG Sebald, Thomas Bernhard and Javier Marías, he is drawn to the idea of a body of work that seems as though it is all one book, or, as with Sebald in particular, a territory in which the reader wanders. It is perhaps too soon to say precisely what Greenwell's own fictional territory will look like - but even this early on, the landscape looks too riveting to miss -- Alex Clark * Guardian *A rich, important debut, an instant classic to be savored by all lovers of serious fiction because of, not despite, its subject: a gay man's endeavor to fathom his own heart -- Aaron Hamburger * New York Times Book Review *Brilliantly self-aware . . . Greenwell's novel impresses for many reasons, not least of which is how perfectly it fulfills its intentions. But it gains a different power from its uneasy atmosphere of psychic instability, of confession and penitence, of difficult forces acknowledged but barely mastered and beyond the conscious control of even this gifted novelist -- James Wood * New Yorker *With What Belongs to You American literature is richer by one masterpiece. The character Mitko is unforgettable, as all myths are. He reigns at the heart of this book, surrounded by the magic flames of desire -- Edmund White, author of A Boy's Own StoryA powerful novel from a writer who seems destined to produce fine work in the years ahead, describing both the condition of loneliness and the insistent cravings of the flesh with precision and sensitivity. [Greenwell] never seeks to manipulate our emotions, but creates a narrative voice so enigmatic that one feels both affection and disdain for him simultaneously. Too often in fiction it becomes clear how an author wants the reader to feel, but Greenwell's character is too complex a creation for any easy judgments. And that is what will make both him and this novel particularly memorable -- John Boyne * Irish Times *In his spare, haunting novel, Garth Greenwell takes a well-known narrative and finds new meaning in it. What Belongs to You is a searching and compassionate meditation on the slipperiness of desire, the impossibility of salvation, and the forces of shame, guilt, and yearning that often accompany love, rendered in language as beautiful and vivid as poetry -- Hanya Yanagihara, author of A Little LifeThere's a particular joy in reading Garth Greenwell, in having that feeling, precious and rare: here is the real thing -- Claire Messud, author of The Woman UpstairsIn Garth Greenwell's incandescent first novel, What Belongs to You, an old tale is made new, and made punishing. . . Mr. Greenwell writes long sentences, pinned at the joints by semicolons, that push forward like confidently searching vines. There's suppleness and mastery in his voice. He seems to have an inborn ability to cast a spell . . . A writer who opens chasms rather than builds substandard bridges . . . A subtle observer of human interactions. He underscores the way expressions of love are nearly always, in part, performance -- Dwight Garner * New York Times *Exquisite . . . Stylistically, Greenwell owes more to Sebald than to Nabokov . . . One of the great pleasures of his prose is how profoundly thoughtful it is, even when considering physical needs and passions. This is emotion recollected in tranquillity, or rather in melancholy. There is an almost visceral disjuncture between places and actions that are grubby, even squalid, and the delicacy of the lens through which they're seen. Yet the effect, paradoxically, is one of almost pure emotion -- Damon Galgut * The Nation *One of the few novels I've read which feels like it offers an authentic account of what growing up is like for gay people in western societies . . . Greenwell's novel is at its most affecting when subtly pushing readers to examine their own attitudes and motives . . . By illuminating the dividing lines in our unequal world, Greenwell's novel challenges us to think about privilege, especially our own . . . What Belongs To You presents a challenging and refreshing vision of gay life. It's an original addition to the line of fiction which, from Henry James to Ben Lerner, chronicles the lives of Americans in Europe. Greenwell painstakingly captures desire in all its complex, double-edged intensity . . . Erotic holding, emotional withholding and the question of who holds power in a relationship are all examined in a work which gripped me all the way to its sad and beautiful ending * Independent on Sunday *Garth Greenwell's first novel is gilded with the kind of praise that debut writers might never dare to imagine for themselves . . . none of it is hyperbole. The praise is earned . . . first, Greenwell's abundant gifts: the language, Hanya Yanagihara says on the book sticker, is "as beautiful and vivid as poetry". To speak in such an approximation, though, might sell it short. Little here is metaphoric though no word is spare. Every utterance seems imbued with thought that is deep and beautiful in its clarity -- Arifa Akbar * Independent *He imbues his prose with a bewitching combination of ethereal somnolence, luminosity and brutal rumination. His sentences are carefully balanced . . . This command of form can also be felt in the larger structures of the novel: in the rhythm and tone of its paragraphs, and in the cumulative music of the book as a whole * Times Literary Supplement *[A novel] about the lasting damage that a loveless childhood can inflict . . . The last sequence includes some marvellous vignettes of loving kindness between parents and children, but they are presented as something that only other people can ever have, and the final pages of the book are memorable for their bleak and desperate sadness -- Neil Bartlett * Guardian *Heartfelt . . . [A] touching, desperately sad story. And the character of Mitko, so vivid yet elusive, explains why What Belongs to You is such a promising debut * The Times *Contains both psychological depth and moments of breathtaking drama * Observer *This astonishing debut novel's portrait of compromised lust holds its own against classics like Lolita * Sunday Telegraph *A slender and achingly beautifully novel full of the gloriously messy pain of unrequited and inappropriate love -- Cathy Rentzenbrink * Stylist *A truly stunning debut . . . a masterpiece . . . A literary star is born -- Janice Forsyth * BBC Radio Scotland *The American book changing gay literature * Attitude *A slim novel, yes, but a slim masterpiece * Monocle24 *I was blown away by [What Belongs to You] -- Farhana Gani * the Reader’s Digest podcast *Exquisite . . . Risk and desire are the 'coterminous' elements of the book's style as well as its action, terms of engagement Greenwell makes plain from its first page . . . Breathtaking . . . It's hard to tell at times whether the narrator is the innocent abroad or an American abroad among innocents. Greenwell's insight is that the destruction of innocence is a process that never halts -- Christian Lorentzen * New York Magazine *Outstanding in just about every way a novel could be * Los Angeles Times *The strength of this slim book is the vibrant, heartbreaking character Mr Greenwell creates in Mitko: object of the unnamed narrator's desire, fear, obsession and, ultimately, pity. . . Mr Greenwell offers a tender portrait of the longing for connection and acceptance that inhabits us all * The Economist *Although this is a debut novel, expectations have been running high. What Belongs to You grew from a lauded novella called Mitko. And Greenwell's literary criticism in the New Yorker and the Atlantic demonstrates an unusually keen and insightful mind. That promise is fully realized here in the dark magic of these pages . . . This is a novel of aggressive introspection, but Greenwell writes with such candor and psychological precision that the effect is oddly propulsive . . . In the end, a novel like this can't offer any resolution except its perfect articulation of despair that anyone with a heart will hear -- Ron Charles * The Washington Post *Garth Greenwell's What Belongs to You is the Great Gay Novel for our times . . . an astonishing debut * New Republic *Garth Greenwell starts 2016 on a high note with What Belongs to You, a novel that can be called truly great. The narrative follows an American teacher in Bulgaria and his relationship with a young hustler named Mitko, whom he pays for sex. But the interaction doesn't end there as you might expect, and neither does the exploration of desire, which Greenwell orchestrates brilliantly. Plumbing the depths of sexuality and psychology, What Belongs to You is lingering and haunting * ELLE.com *What Belongs To You comes to feel, in the end, like a great enactment of an infatuation, exciting and appalling by turns-a brilliantly observed account of an attempt to make another person entirely yours, to subsume them within your story * Guernica *At just about two hundred pages, What Belongs to You feels at once expansive and instantaneous, and its lyrical use of time is one of its most striking and immersive elements. In any given section, every moment of the book is present. . . the novel recalls works like Rachel Cusk's Outline, Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels, and Teju Cole's Open City; and, of course, it descends stylistically from Sebald . . . What Belongs to You is a haunting, gorgeous, and fierce debut, capturing desire in every sentence - holding the space of what we long for and what can never truly be ours * The Rumpus *Garth Greenwell's debut novel What Belongs to You aches with desire and tenderness: an American professor in Bulgaria encounters a male prostitute named Mitko in a public bathroom, beginning a complex sexual relationship between the two that will have enormous ramifications for them both. Lyrical and haunting, What Belongs to You is a rumination on lust, shame, violence, and the ways in which sexual and emotional pain stays with and shapes us * Buzzfeed *Thomas Mann, Henry James and Marcel Proust are Greenwell's strongest forebears, with James Baldwin and Alan Hollinghurst as equally discernible inspirations. . .Garth Greenwell's writing is alive to the foreign and the unknown; he opens our eyes to worlds we had not realized existed alongside our own. Even the landscape of Bulgaria, one of the poorest and least-known countries in Europe, is made vivid and vibrant. . .What Belongs to You make visible all the painful and beautiful facets of human life and human love * New Republic *Reaches, with elegance, with poetry, into what it means to be a human. . .I rarely feel such a connection with a book: I am sure many others will too, after reading this * Bookseller *[What Belongs to You is] the first great novel of 2016 . . . The book is brilliantly structured . . . [and] Greenwell's ability to parse the complex emotional push-and-pull between the two men is incredible, and rivals books like Hanya Yanagihara's A Little Life or Ferrante's Neapolitan novels. His images are spot-on . . . And in Mitko, Greenwell has created one of the best characters in recent years. What Belongs to You is a great tragedy, and Greenwell is a great writer. I'll be reading whatever he writes next." -- Gabe Habash * Publishers Weekly (Staff Pick) *This is a project of rare discernment and beauty, and it is not to be missed. A luminous, searing exploration of desire, alienation, and the powerful tattoo of the past * Kirkus *There's a gorgeousness to Greenwell's prose . . . This is a heart-breaking, important piece of work, which emphasises to us all how much our lives are made (and unmade) by how our bodies collide (or don't) with the bodies of others -- Andrew Macmillan * Next Review *Slim, eloquent and emotionally wrenching, this debut novel is a superb evocation of that curious state known as love . . . Greenwell's shimmering novel recounts an age-old story with such toughness and tenderness as to make it seem new: and that is an art in itself * RTÉ Guide *What Belongs To You is a very accomplished novel from an exceptionally skilled writer. It brilliantly deconstructs the expat experience, modern sexual mores, and cross-continental cultural divides, echoing one of Greenwell's go-to novels growing up, James Baldwin's Giovanni's Room. Undoubtedly one of the novels of the year, Greenwell is a writer to watch -- Stephen Boylan * GCN *Utterly absorbing . . . powerful . . . For its mastery of tone and its expert drawing together of a number of disparate elements, Greenwell's narrative feat is utterly remarkable and the final ten pages amount to one of the most moving passages this reviewer has ever read in contemporary fiction * RTÉ *Great portrayal of obsession . . . it is in his prose that Greenwell displays his mastery * New Statesman *Masterly début . . . a melancholy but unwavering account of desire and its aetiologies . . . Mitko is one of the the most unforgettable characters in contemporary gay literature . . . Greenwell's rare invocation of desire's inexorable spell propels you right to the end * Australian Book Review *First-rate debut . . . Greenwell's entranced sentences, Sebald-like in their gravity and evocativeness, take us back to the old days * Sydney Morning Herald *What Belongs to You is a rich and sensually detailed exploration of love and obsession. A haunting, beautiful novel -- Rabih Alameddine, author of An Unnecessary WomanWhat Belongs to You is a beautiful, moving, sensual novel. It announces Garth Greenwell as one of America's most exciting young writers -- Jonathan Lee, author of High DiveIn prose that is at once refined and lavish - the quiet dignity and control of Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day coupled with the agonized passion and sexual tension of André Aciman's Call Me by Your Name - Garth Greenwell takes us deep inside a specific Bulgarian subculture to examine the universal: the disparity between the uninhibited lives we desire and the bearable lives we choose. I began reading What Belongs to You in admiration; I ended in tears. An exquisite debut -- Jamie Quatro, author of I Want to Show You MoreGarth Greenwell is a unique, and uniquely welcome, voice in American letters. The consciousness on display in his debut novel is so rich and restless that it seems practically inexhaustible: a consciousness that rises to heights of both passion and intellect - of passion harnessed by intellect. What Belongs to You very much seems to me not only a great novel but the first installment in a great body of work -- Kevin Brockmeier, author of The IlluminationI am in awe of this book. So intimate, so honest, so exquisitely crafted, it broke my heart and left me in tears. It showed me a Bulgaria both familiar and entirely novel, rendered with candor and deep affection, and characters, whose plight and desires at first seemed foreign yet, before long, so dear. Garth Greenwell has written a marvelous book, an important book - one whose impact is as much artistic as it is cultural. What Belongs to You expands not simply the world of letters, but also our collective knowledge of what it means to be human -- Miroslav Penkov, author of East of the WestWhat Belongs To You is a short novel, but Garth Greenwell's sentences are expansive and revelatory and poetic. Greenwell juxtaposes the narrator's experiences in an unprogressive, formerly Communist country still recovering its infrastructure, to the narrator's own childhood, growing up gay and closeted in the oppressive American South . . . a lovely meditation on fear and acceptance, desire and oppression, and the disparity between two cultures * Esquire *Beautifully rendered, quietly obsessive. A Sebaldian account of a gay American in Sofia, Bulgaria, and the bruising experience of his sexuality being revealed to his father when he was younger -- Adam Haslett, author of Imagine Me GoneI was blown away by it . . . beautiful -- Helen Lewis * Saturday Review, BBC Radio 4 *Absolutely astonishing . . . a tour de force . . . remarkable -- Christopher Frayling * Saturday Review, BBC Radio 4 *Beautifully written . . . a galvanising read as Greenwell constantly dissects his own feelings, thoughts and motives, sieving through desire and need with intelligence, insight and candour . . . Greenwell pulls off a mesmeric read . . . a finely wrought and compelling artifact of both beauty and truth. * New Zealand Listener *I devoured it, in a single sitting . . . I was completely spellbound by it . . . What Belongs To You is concentrated brilliance, a short novel that packs an emotive and thought provoking punch. I urge you all to read it * Savidge Reads *The literary sensation . . . a brilliant tale of gay desire and class division that is exquisitely phrased * i *What Belongs To You is an exquisite triptych * Vulture *An astonishing portrait of compromised lust, set in ex-Soviet Sofia, this debut novel holds its own against classics such as Lolita * Telegraph *I sat down to read a chapter of What Belongs to You one afternoon and ended up reading the whole thing in one sitting, hunched over my kitchen table until dark. Garth Greenwell's devastatingly beautiful novel about a gay American expat in Bulgaria and his on-again, off-again relationship with a sex worker named Mitko has been one of the year's breakout hits, and for good reason. It's a virtuosic, tender exploration of loneliness and desire, with sentences so breathtaking you'll find yourself returning to them over and over again * NPR *I read this book when it first emerged and I will keep reading it every year of my life. It is a secular desire bible. It is desire alive. -- Lidia Yuknavitch * The Millions *The book I wish I’d written? Garth Greenwell’s What Belongs to You. It does in its few perfect pages everything – absolutely everything – that I aspire to do with words. -- Taiye Selasi * Guardian *Garth Greenwell’s book has the power and infinite beauty of an ancient tragedy: on every page, passion, obsession, and the struggle for freedom collide with the inevitability of fate and the violence of society. At the same time, it’s a radically contemporary novel, which overwhelmed me as much with its language – rhythmic, incantatory, visceral – as with the way it takes the subjects of memory, escape, desire, and melancholy, and makes them new. What Belongs to You is an essential book. -- Édouard LouisA spare, spellbinding account . . . written in gorgeously limpid prose . . . fearless and nerve-racking autobiographical fiction, incandescent with yearning, rage and rejection . . . one of the most heartbreaking accounts of pained desire that I can remember reading . . . worthy of its comparisons to James Baldwin and Alan Hollinghurst as well as Virginia Woolf and WG Sebald -- Johanna Thomas-Corr, Observer

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Book SynopsisRudy Waltz hasn't had it easy. After accidentally committing manslaughter at the age of twelve, the traumas life continued to throw at him seemed almost inconsequential.Trade Review‘The master at his quirky, provocative best.’ Cosmopolitan ‘Vonnegut is George Orwell, Dr. Caligari and Flash Gordon compounded into one writer … a zany but moral mad scientist.’ Time

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Book Synopsis''One of his generation''s most gifted writers.'' New York Times''An amazingly perceptive novel.'' San Francisco Chronicle''Fascinating... lingers in the mind'' New York Times Book ReviewOwen and Rose are facing serious challenges to their married life of routine and monotony as New York City grows and changes around them. They spend most Sundays apart; while Rose buries herself in crosswords and newspapers, Owen visits gay porn theaters.But when they discover they may lose their apartment and their son, prompted by his new relationship, reveals his homosexuality, their lives cannot continue as they were. Owen and Rose are forced to confront not only their son's revelation but also Owen's latent homosexuality. Poignant and lingering, this is a tale of love and relationships, secrets and unspoken desires.Trade ReviewAn amazingly perceptive novel. * San Francisco Chronicle *One of his generation's most gifted writers. * New York Times *Fascinating... lingers in the mind * New York Times Book Review *

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Book SynopsisA gloriously sunny book of family secrets, lost loves and self-discovery, One Summer in Crete by Nadia Marks is an engrossing holiday read.‘If you don’t think you’re about to get to Crete this is the next best thing . . . we’ve never needed books of this kind more’ – Vanessa FeltzCalli’s world has fallen apart – her relationship is suddenly over and her chances of starting a family are gone. So when she’s sent to write a magazine article about the Greek island of Ikaria, it seems the perfect escape.Travelling to Crete, where her family is from, Calli soon realizes there is more to discover than paradise beaches and friendly locals. When her aunt Froso begins to share the story of her own teenage heartache, will the love, betrayal and revenge she reveals change Calli’s life forever?Travel further with Secrets Under the Sun and Between the Orange Groves by Nadia Marks.Trade ReviewMy book of the year. An utterly gripping story of love and family secrets -- Vanessa Feltz on Among the Lemon TreesA sparkling summer read -- Woman magazine on Secrets Under the SunAn atmospheric and emotion-packed sunshine odyssey . . . The perfect travelling companion for this year’s holiday season -- Lancashire Evening Post on Secrets Under the Sun

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Book SynopsisComing to Netflix! Nella Larsen’s Passing is a distinctive and revealing novel about racial identity, now a critically acclaimed film adaptation by Rebecca Hall, starring Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga and Alexander Skarsgård.Irene Redfield, married to a successful physician, enjoys a comfortable life in Harlem, New York. Reluctantly, she renews her friendship with old school friend, Clare Kendry. Clare, who like Irene is light skinned, ‘passes’ as white and is married to a racist white man who has no idea about Clare’s racial heritage. Clare is very persuasive and Irene, despite misgivings, can’t resist letting her back into her world. As tensions mount between friends and between couples, this taut and mesmerizing narrative spins towards an unexpected end.This edition of Passing features an introduction by writer and academic, Christa Holm Vogelius.Trade ReviewA fascinating inquiry into the nature of race (and a window into the Harlem Renaissance) catalyzed by a chance meeting between two childhood friends. A page-turning classic. -- Jennifer EganA tragic story rooted in inescapable facts of American life . . . Passing is the work of a highly talented and thoughtful writer -- Richard Bernstein * The New York Times *A short, easy, engaging read . . . as much as it is a revealing cultural study of the 1920s, is also incredibly relevant today. -- Lexi Nisita * Refinery 29 *A bitter, brave and astonishingly modern book. -- Tim Robey * Telegraph *Much-loved and much-studied . . . The dynamic between the pair [Irene and Clare] is dramatically limitless, an awkward, complex friendship between two women of colour both trying to survive at a time when their country is against them. -- Benjamin Lee * Guardian *Perhaps as much as anything, Passing is about victimhood, and the twisted way we sometimes claim to be the injured party to avoid the unsavory truth that some hurt is self-inflicted. -- Jessica Kiang * Variety *Passing asks who is allowed in certain spaces (and who is the gatekeeper of those spaces), and what happens when people are ejected from them, either by their own free will or an outside force . . . Larsen never set out to deliver answers; just rich, searching stories rounded in real experience. -- Kate Erbland * IndieWire *I was astounded by how haunted I was by Nella Larsen’s words and world, I truly couldn’t shake either. -- Tessa Thompson * Los Angeles Times *

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Book Synopsis'Magical and disturbing' Adam ThirlwellAn astonishing, mind-bending novel about a woman discovering a community of swan-people from one of Iceland's greatest writers.*SHORTLISTED FOR THE ICELANDIC WOMEN'S LITERATURE PRIZE*In the not-too-distant future, a young spy named Elísabet Eva is about to discover something that will upend her life.Elísabet likes to take long solitary walks near the lake. One day, she sees two creatures emerging from the water, half-human, half-swan. She follows them through tangles of thickets into a strange new reality.Pulled into the monomaniacal, and often violent, quest of the swanfolk, Elísabet finds her own mind increasingly untrustworthy. Soon, she is forced to reckon with the consequences of her involvement with these unusual beings, and a past life she has been trying to evade.'Ómarsdottir's skills as a poet and playwright are evident' Helen Oyeyemi, New York Review of BooksTrade Review'Magical and disturbing' Adam Thirlwell -- Adam ThirlwellA wild adventure... Ómarsdóttir's novel is kaleidoscopic; the more you look at it, the more you see. * Lucy Writers *One of the most original authors in contemporary Icelandic literature...known for subverting traditional binaries like fantasy and realism, feminine and masculine, good and evil, and the animal and the human. * Orð um bækur *One of [this country's] most respected authors. -- Egill Helgason * Kiljan *A master of the unexpected. -- Steingerður Steinsdóttir * Vikan *

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Book Synopsis*Winner of the NYPL Young Lions Award**Winner of the CLMP Firecracker Award*Finalist for the NBCC John Leonard PrizeA New York Times Writer to Watch This SummerNamed a Best Book of the Year by Literary Hub and Library JournalIn 1990, three boys are born, unrelated but intertwined by circumstance: Dayo, Iseul and Youssef. They are adopted as infants and live in a shared bedroom perched atop a mosque in Staten Island. The boys are a conspicuous trio: Dayo is of Nigerian origin, Iseul is Korean and Youssef indeterminately Middle Eastern, but they are so close as to be almost inseparable. Nevertheless, Youssef is keeping a secret from his brothers: he has an imaginary double, a familiar who seems absolutely real, a shapeshifting creature he calls Brother. The boys' adoptive father, Imam Salim, is known for his radical sermons extolling the virtues of opting out of Western ideologies. But he is uncharismatic at home, a distant father who spends evenings in his study with whiskey-laced coffee, writing letters to his former compatriots back in Saudi Arabia. Like Youssef, he too has secrets, including the cause of his failing health, the reason for his nighttime excursions from the house and the truth about what happened to the boys' parents. When Imam Salim's path takes him back to Saudi Arabia, the boys will be forced to follow. There they will be captivated by an opulent, almost futuristic world and find traces of their parents' stories. But they will have to change if they want to survive in this new world, and the arrival of a creature as powerful as Brother will not go unnoticed.With stylistic brilliance and intellectual acuity, in Brother Alive Zain Khalid brings characters to vivid life with a bold energy that matches the great themes of his novel - family, capital, power, sexuality and the possibility of reunion for those who are broken.Trade ReviewBeguiling...Khalid's sentences abound with florid, poetic metaphors while maintaining the clipped, declarative tempo of Scripture....a searing collage of the profound and the mundane * New York Times *[An] auspicious debut...Khalid brilliantly reveals new shades of truth from each character's point of view, and perfectly integrates the many ideas about capitalism and religious extremism into an enthralling narrative. It's a tour de force * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *One of the most exciting debuts in recent years...That Khalid executes a novel this intricate, elegant, and compassionate with such masterly prose all but guarantees that this will be one of the finest works of literature this year * Library Journal *This wildly ambitious novel seeks to break new ground in big-issue territory like provenance, race, class, birth and rebirth...that it succeeds in some of its lofty aspirations is impressive. To do so while creating memorable characters is even more of a feat. * Big Issue *Zain Khalid's imagination and talent are a marvel to behold in these pages. Brother Alive bristles with a kinetic, hypnotic energy that also manages to ask profound questions about love, faith, family, and loyalty. Hallucinatory and electrifying, Brother Alive announces the arrival of a writer with an impassioned and fearless vision. -- Maaza Mengiste, author of THE SHADOW KING, shortlisted for the Booker PrizeBrother Alive is a hallucinatory revelation. With beautifully-written prose, characters that truly leap from the pages, and a rendering of love, both familial and romantic, that made my heart ache, Zain Khalid has announced himself as a writer the world needs to sit up and pay attention to. An exquisitely told, breathtaking, revolutionary book, I barely blinked while reading it and was bereft when I finished it. -- Kasim Ali, author of GOOD INTENTIONSA rigorously intelligent, wholly sensitive and quietly rebellious work of art, with prose as profound as it is beautiful. What an inspiring examination of the waywardness of life and the grounding of love this story is. What a wise, thoughtful writer Zain Khalid is. What a gift to humanity this book is. -- Robert Jones, Jr., New York Times-bestselling author of THE PROPHETSBrother Alive is a remarkable work. Zain Khalid creates an immersive world rich in compelling detail. But even more impressively, Khalid achieves a kind of resistance text against our endemic inhumanity. The thrill lies in witnessing such a cogent and powerful intellect tune in to the music of life. An inspiring reminder of the great capacity of novels. -- Sergio de la Pava, author of A NAKED SINGULARITYThis genre-defying novel, and the intelligence, originality, and awareness of the mind that produced it, astonished me. I was reminded of Günter Grass, of Viet Thanh Nguyen. Through the consciousness of an unforgettable narrator, Youssef, Khalid begins by subtly illuminating the contours of a globalized world in which the personal is geopolitical; he ends by turning up the light and refusing to let us look away. -- Vauhini Vara, author of THE IMMORTAL KING RAO

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Book SynopsisA failed writer connects the murder of an American journalist, a drowned 80s musician and a Scottish politician’s resignation, in a heart-wrenching novel about ordinary people living in extraordinary times. ‘A dazzling, time-hopping patchwork of pop and politics, sewn together with wit and compassion’ Kirstin Innes ‘This amiable and ambitious transatlantic extravaganza is a busy social tapestry pegged to real-life events in Scotland and the US … Ross’s affection for his characters shines through. There’s so much going on here that value for money is pretty much all but guaranteed’ Daily Mail ‘A mesmerising road trip through the America of Kerouac, Warhol and Reagan. Dashboard Elvis may be dead, but this book is full of vibrant, authentic, colourful life’ Stuart Cosgrove **David F. Ross was shortlisted for Scottish Fiction Book of the Year in the Scottish Book Awards** ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Renowned photo-journalist Jude Montgomery arrives in Glasgow in 2014, in the wake of the failed Scottish independence referendum, and it’s clear that she’s searching for someone. Is it Anna Mason, who will go on to lead the country as First Minister? Jamie Hewitt, guitarist from eighties one-hit wonders The Hyptones? Or is it Rabbit – Jude’s estranged foster sister, now a world-famous artist? Three apparently unconnected people, who share a devastating secret, whose lives were forever changed by one traumatic night in Phoenix, forty years earlier. Taking us back to a school shooting in her Texas hometown, and a 1980s road trip across the American West – to San Francisco and on to New York – Jude’s search ends in Glasgow, and a final, shocking event that only one person can fully explain… An extraordinary, gritty and tender novel about fate and destiny, regret and absolution – and a road trip that changes everything… ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ‘Few do raw, authentic, almost palpably believable characters better than David F. Ross' The Times ‘A masterclass in transatlantic intertwining storytelling from one of Scotland’s finest writers’ Derek Steel, Razur Cuts ‘A rich and rewarding novel that takes in the culture and social history of both Scotland and the USA, beautifully weaving stories together over decades … devastating’ Alistair Braidwood, Scots Whay Hae ‘An ambitious, sweeping novel … Taut and gritty, Dashboard Elvis Is Dead interrogates truth, and pulses with life’ Donna McLean ‘An irresistible story of chances taken and missed, and of last-ditch hopes of redemption … the writing is exquisite’ Katie Allen ‘Gripping, gritty and gloriously written, David F. Ross captures characters, places and moods like few other writers … a triumph of a novel’ Martin Geissler ‘A rawness and sensitivity that is so visceral … another extraordinary novel from David F. Ross’ Anne Cater ‘Simultaneously intimate and epic … my head and heart are spinning’ From Belgium with Booklove

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERThis was no accidentHaunting, compelling, this psychological thriller will have you hooked. Perfect for fans of Gone Girl and Daughter.I know your name's not really Jane Hughes . . .Jane Hughes has a loving partner, a job in an animal sanctuary and a tiny cottage in rural Wales. She's happier than she's ever been but her life is a lie. Jane Hughes does not really exist.Five years earlier Jane and her then best friends went on holiday but what should have been the trip of a lifetime rapidly descended into a nightmare that claimed the lives of two of the women.Jane has tried to put the past behind her but someone knows the truth about what happened. Someone who won't stop until they've destroyed Jane and everything she lovesTrade ReviewPraise for The Lie: ‘Haunting and heart-stoppingly creepy, The Lie is a gripping roller coaster of suspense.’SUNDAY EXPRESS ‘5/5 stars – Spine-chilling!’WOMAN MAGAZINE ‘An excellent psychological thriller’Heat Magazine ‘Packed with twists and turns, this brilliantly tense thriller will get your blood pumping.’Claire Frost, Fabulous Magazine ‘Fast-paced, tense and atmospheric, a guaranteed bestseller’Mark Edwards ''A gripping page-turner full of intrigue and suspense."Lucy Clarke ‘Creepy, horrifying and twisty. C L Taylor is extremely good at writing stories in which you have no idea which characters you can trust, and the result is intriguing and scary and extremely gripping.’Julie Cohen, 2014 Richard and Judy Summer Book Club Pick ‘The Lie is absolutely brilliant – The Beach, only darker, more thrilling and more tense. It's the story of a twisted, distorted friendship. It's a compelling, addictive and wonderfully written tale. Can't recommend it enough.’Louise Douglas ‘A gripping and disturbing psychological thriller: every bit as good as The Accident.’Clare Mackintosh ‘Black Narcissus for the Facebook generation; a clever exploration of how petty jealousies and misunderstandings can unravel even the tightest of friendships. Claustrophobic, tense and thrilling, a thrill-ride of a novel that keeps you guessing.’Elizabeth Haynes ‘My heart was racing after I finished CL Taylor's brilliant new book The Lie. Dark, creepy and full of twists. I loved it.’Rowan Coleman ‘C L Taylor is fast becoming the queen of psychological suspense. Read this: you won't be disappointed.’Victoria Fox ‘A plot both brilliant and chilling; characters both appealing and dark and a terrifying climax to which you will race with your heart hammering in your chest. Masterful storytelling; a brilliant read.’Lucy Robinson C L Taylor produces dark and intriguing page-turners, with strong characters and great pace.Paul Finch

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Book SynopsisPages for You is story of the beginning, blossoming and falling apart of a delirious love affair, by Sylvia Brownrigg.‘A love letter written for a lost lover . . . mesmerizing’ – Helen Dunmore, The TimesWhen Flannery Jansen arrives at university, she is totally unprepared for an encounter that will rock her existence. But when she comes across Anne Arden in a local diner, Flannery falls dramatically and desperately in love.Flannery is quickly embarrassed in the face of the older woman’s poise and sophistication, and under the gaze of those impossible green eyes, but slowly their paths intertwine, and soon Flannery becomes Anne’s eager student in life and love.Trade ReviewA love letter written for a lost lover . . . mesmerizing -- Helen Dunmore * The Times *Candid, fresh and vivid * Sunday Telegraph *Bathed in a joyful, cloistered mood of sensual celebration * New York Times *Exuberant and wistful * TLS *Language is the real object of infatuation here . . . words are as seductive as bodies * Independent on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisWidely accepted as Henry James' great masterpiece, The Portrait of a Lady is a poignant and intense exploration of freedom and identity. This edition is introduced by Costa Award-winning author Colm Tóibín.Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. Intelligent, beautiful and vivacious, Isabel Archer fascinates and intimidates the elite society of Albany, New York. Fiercely protective of her independence, she travels to England with her aunt to escape a persistent suitor but, upon inheriting a considerable fortune, falls into the sway of the devious Mrs Merle who whisks her off to Italy. There she is seduced by the narcissistic Gilbert Osmond, an art collector who will stop at nothing to possess her, and whose connection to Mrs Merle is shrouded in mystery.

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Book SynopsisInspired by a true storyDaughterMidwifePrincessA fascinating story reflecting the past moving alongside the present day' USA Today Bestseller Glynis PetersBorn Nigerian royalty, Princess Adenrele Ademola trained as a nurse at Guy's Hospital in London and stepped up to serve the people of Britain when war broke out facing both the devastation of the Blitz and the prejudice of some of the people she was trying to help.80 years later, Ade's great-niece Yemi arrives in London clutching the Princess's precious diaries and longs to uncover the mysteries they holdA richly-detailed, compelling historical novel shining a light on a hidden voice of WW2 and one woman's courageous contribution to BritainA wonderful unfurling of such an important history I was utterly absorbed in Ade''s life!' Chioma OkerekeReaders love A Nurse's Tale:I must admit I knew very little about Nigeria, its history, culture, heritage and traditions and now I doa great debut novel and perfect for readers who enjoy histo

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Book SynopsisThe High Notes is a moving and uplifting story of following your dreams against the odds, from the world’s favourite storyteller, Danielle Steel.Iris Cooper grew up dirt poor in Texas. Her mother left when she was a baby, leaving her to be raised by her rodeo cowboy dad, who was too interested in beer, whisky and women to be a good father to her or to provide what she needed.On top of her innocent beauty, Iris had a rare gift: she had the voice of an angel. After singing in downtrodden bars across the state from the age of twelve, she spent many years on the road, suffering at the hands of greedy, unscrupulous managers.She finally gets a lucky break when she meets Boy, another talented singer, in Jackson Hole. Together they make their way to New York where Iris’s talent is recognized and nurtured by one of the top agents in the business. A star is born and Iris finally gets the success she deserves.But then tragedy strikes, and through it Iris discovers another kind of love . . .

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Book SynopsisAs dramatized on Radio 4 and seen on Netflix, Nella Larsen’s Passing is a distinctive and revealing novel about racial identity, and a key text of the Harlem Renaissance.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. This edition of Passing features an introduction by writer and academic, Christa Holm Vogelius.Irene Redfield, married to a successful physician, enjoys a comfortable life in 1920s Harlem, New York. Reluctantly, she renews her friendship with old school friend, Clare Kendry. Clare, who like Irene is light skinned, ‘passes’ as white and is married to a racist white man who has no idea about Clare’s racial heritage. Clare is very persuasive and Irene, despite misgivings, can’t resist letting her back into her world. As tensions mount between friends and between couples, this taut and mesmerizing narrative spins towards an unexpected end.Trade ReviewA fascinating inquiry into the nature of race (and a window into the Harlem Renaissance) catalyzed by a chance meeting between two childhood friends. A page-turning classic. -- Jennifer Egan, author of Manhattan BeachA tragic story rooted in inescapable facts of American life . . . Passing is the work of a highly talented and thoughtful writer -- Richard Bernstein * The New York Times *Nella Larsen’s uncanny, tightly structured 1929 novel about Black female friendship, mirroring, deception, and class privilege. -- Hilton Als * New Yorker *A short, easy, engaging read . . . as much as it is a revealing cultural study of the 1920s, is also incredibly relevant today. -- Lexi Nisita * Refinery 29 *A bitter, brave and astonishingly modern book. -- Tim Robey * Telegraph *Much-loved and much-studied . . . The dynamic between the pair [Irene and Clare] is dramatically limitless, an awkward, complex friendship between two women of colour both trying to survive at a time when their country is against them. -- Benjamin Lee * Guardian *Perhaps as much as anything, Passing is about victimhood, and the twisted way we sometimes claim to be the injured party to avoid the unsavory truth that some hurt is self-inflicted. -- Jessica Kiang * Variety *Passing asks who is allowed in certain spaces (and who is the gatekeeper of those spaces), and what happens when people are ejected from them, either by their own free will or an outside force . . . Larsen never set out to deliver answers; just rich, searching stories rounded in real experience. -- Kate Erbland * IndieWire *I was astounded by how haunted I was by Nella Larsen’s words and world, I truly couldn’t shake either. -- Tessa Thompson * Los Angeles Times *

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Book Synopsis'A subversive debut' GUARDIAN'Prose that dances with charge and potency' LOS ANGELES REVIEW OF BOOKS*WINNER of a 2023 ASIAN/PACIFIC AMERICAN AWARD FOR LITERATURE and a 2023 SOUTH ASIA BOOK AWARD*On a year-long exchange programme, sixteen-year-old Hira must swap the bustle of urban Pakistan for church and volleyball practice in rural Oregon. Stuck between two worlds, her experience of America is sometimes freeing, sometimes painful, often quite painful. And while she faces racism and Islamophobia, she also makes new friends and has her first kiss.But when her new life is blown apart by a shocking health crisis, Hira's sense of belonging is overturned once again - forcing her to consider her place in the world.'Marks the debut of a thrilling new global voice' Peter Ho Davies, author of The FortunesTrade ReviewA subversive debut . . . It is the sharpness, and surprise . . . that makes Dur e Aziz Amna's coming-of-age, coming-to-America debut novel stand out . . . The highly quotable Hira is a force to be reckoned with. Her spiky prose style provocatively undercuts received narratives about the 'American dream' from the immigrant's perspective. -- Sana Goyal * Guardian *What comes sharply into focus in this beautifully written debut, is that we can never leave the past behind -- Jane Shilling * Daily Mail *American Fever is the unforgettable story of a teenage girl in a year of transformation. Dur e Aziz Amna navigates the choppy waters of adolescence with blistering insight and humour, and exquisitely captures the way we can long for home while yearning to escape it. Rarely does a book sharpen how you see the world around you, but American Fever does just that. It dazzled me on every page. * Julie Buntin, author of Marlena *"The one thing I shouldn't ever do was take an American's word on America." Good point: take Dur e Aziz Amna's word instead. In this sharply observed twist on the classic coming-to-America story, we find an America recognizable in all its generosity, cruelty, and sometimes-well-intentioned bumbling. And we find a brilliant exploration of the sacred, scary moment when a girl comes into the wider world. * Benjamin Moser, Pulitzer-Prize-winning author of Sontag: Her Life and Work *Brave, tender-hearted, and painfully bittersweet, American Fever is a sharply observed debut that announces Dur e Aziz Amna as a brilliant new voice. * Fatima Farheen Mirza, author of A Place for Us *In American Fever, Dur e Aziz Amna gives us an unforgettable South Asian protagonist - clever, clear-spoken, equal parts brash and vulnerable - navigating the mores of illness, separation and small-town America. Charming, fearless and politically aware, American Fever is a novel that will stay with you for a long time. * Sarah Thankam Mathews *American Fever is an extraordinarily assured and gripping debut. The intelligence, humour and longing of Hira's voice, as she negotiates what it means to belong to a place, will certainly stay with me * Aysegül Savas *Hira's is a voice I won't soon forget; her biting intelligence, her irreverence, and her wit blazes through this riveting, brilliant novel which stuns in its insights, its sensitive understanding of the complexities of identity, of what home means, and what it means to exist within a globalized world. A searing debut. * Aamina Ahmad, author of The Return of Faraz Ali *A poetic, memorable novel. I loved it. Hira is a marvellous creation - American Fever marks the arrival of a hugely promising writer. * Mirza Waheed *A loving and unflinching exploration of home and homeland, the ways they make and unmake us, how they feed us and also eat away our insides. Amna's crystalline prose reflects and refracts, dazzles and captivates. * Nawaaz Ahmed, author of 'Radiant Fugitives', finalist for the PEN-Faulkner Award *American Fever is a fresh, fierce bildungsroman - a story of homesickness and adolescent ache, not to mention a biting meta-commentary on what we expect from immigrant narratives. It's a relief to witness America as Hira does, seeing it clearly as an absurd, flawed nation that is all too often, as Hira says, a concept on whose behalf immigrants are unreasonably asked to testify. * Sanjena Sathian, author of GOLD DIGGERS *American Fever is a beautifully written book . . . Hira [is] a narrator whose insight and skepticism is addictive . . . Excellent * Tribune Magazine *Hira is a compelling, emotionally astute narrator . . . Hira's freshness in the way she assesses the world and herself while skewering the inconsistencies of those around her makes for a layered read . . . Amna's debut novel showcases her adeptness in tackling some of the big migration questions of home and identity within the context of her insightful young protagonist's complex experiences * Booklist *This is a funny and affecting novel, understated but powerful, a wonderful new spin on the coming-of-age story. A smart, charming debut. * Kirkus Reviews *An utterly hypnotic, witty and brilliant novel about young Hira's journey across two oceans... Dur E Aziz Amna's virtuosic way with language kept me enthralled the whole way through. This book is a necessary next-leveling of diasporic consciousness, the unraveling of borders between homeland and newfound home that happens inside of us. * Tanaïs, author of IN SENSORIUM *American Fever is an exhilarating juxtaposition of discovery and nostalgia. With great humour and fine attentiveness, Dur e Aziz Amna captures the feverish excitement and confusion of America from the point of view of a young outsider, questioning our assumptions about relationships, politics, food, clothes, illness, grief and beyond. It's a fast-paced yet contemplative story of malaise and opportunity, intercultural (mis)understanding, and transgenerational debt. Every page is filled with the zest of life that makes you want more. * Kit Fan, author of DIAMOND HILL *Fierce, razor-sharp, poignant, and rendered with fiery wit and deep empathy for human foibles, American Fever is a powerful tale of exile, identity, and belonging in our complex world. * Vikram Paralkar, author of NIGHT THEATER *A gripping debut on a journey that so many young people embark on but very little is written about with such audacity, skill and compassion. The narrative toggle between teenage and adult Hira adds depth to an already evocative book. * Zeba Talkhani *Gorgeous... Amna is a bold storyteller skilled at blending character, plot, and the kind of existential crises that keep us up at night. Her debut novel, American Fever-as propulsive as it is lyrical, as hilarious as it is sobering-is, above all, an irresistible read from an impressive new literary voice. * Michigan Quarterly Review *Completely engrossing . . . Amna's prose moves along quickly and Hira's appraisal of the people and places she encounters is sharp and untarnished by tact. At times, her wit and judgement land like the crack of a whip and leave you both laughing and uncomfortable. -- Mariam Tareen * Dawn *When I finished reading the novel, I was filled with gratitude for finding this brilliant voice from our country at the start of her career . . . Dur e Aziz Amna is a writer that every Pakistani should be reading. * The News *Prose that dances with charge and potency . . . American Fever firmly puts Amna on the literary map as a sharp young voice to look out for. Its striking cast of characters, both Pakistani and American, stand out in their pugnacious individuality, and its potent themes are woven through the story with genuine subtlety -- Anandi Mishra * Los Angeles Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisVINTAGE CLASSICS' HARLEM RENAISSANCE SERIES Celebrating the finest works of the Harlem Renaissance, one of the most important Black arts movements in modern history.'Why not? She's just as a good as the rest, and you know what they say, "the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice"'Growing up, Emma Lou Morgan stuck out - her skin was the darkest in every room, even within her own home. With the encouragement of her uncle, Emma flees smalltown Idaho firstly to study in Los Angeles before travelling to Harlem. Though she enjoys the glamour of attending the theatre and the buzz of cabaret, every excursion is tinged with the fear of discrimination. Even in big cities, Emma cannot escape the bigotry of colourism, but can she change how it makes her feel about herself?The Blacker the Berry is an arrestingly vivid portrayal of how very deeply every facet of prejudice runs.'Thurman's novel presents some of the most layered portrayals of New York City life...from seedy employment agency waiting rooms to swank Harlem hot spots' NPRTrade Review'Thurman's novel presents some of the most layered portrayals of New York City life...from seedy employment agency waiting rooms to swank Harlem hot spots' * NPR *

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Book SynopsisA PASSIONATE, PAGE-TURNING TALE OF COERCIVE CONTROL AND FEMALE SOLIDARITY, FOR FANS OF THREE WOMEN AND ACTS OF DESPERATION.'This is the book I have always needed, it is F*****G BRILLIANT and everyone should read it' Nikita Gill'A beautiful, biting page-turner' Irish Times **********I believe every word you say. That was always my mistake.Bright, promising Emma is entangled in a toxic romance with her old professor - and she's losing control.Cruel, charming Tom is idolized by his students and peers - confident he holds all the cards.In their small Oxford home, he manipulates and undermines her every thought and act. Soon, he will push her to the limit and she must decide: to remain quiet and submit, or to take her revenge.Written in verse and charged with passion and anger, The Poet is a portrait of a deeply dysfunctional relationship, exploring coercive control, class and privilege. It is also a page-turning tale of female solidarity and survival.'Brisk, disturbing and very satisfying' Daily Mail Trade ReviewThis is the book I have always needed, it is F*****G BRILLIANT and everyone should read it. * Nikita Gill *A beautiful, biting page-turner... is it any different for young women, these days? Reid's novel provides -- as the best fiction does -- a nuanced, thought provoking answer to this question. * Irish Times *Brisk, disturbing and very satisfying * Daily Mail *Written in verse and wildly original, this passionate tale of coercive control and female solidarity is nothing short of a work of art. * Zoella *We've never read anything quite like this before... the poetry sings so beautifully... you'll be completely submerged * Cosmopolitan *

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Book SynopsisEl Monte Everest, con toda su relevancia para la realeza, los exploradores, los imperialistas. Y dos sherpas, posados en un acantilado, esperando que el hombre de la cornisa de abajo se mueva.Un inglés cae de un acantilado en Nepal, y yace inerte en la cornisa. Dos sherpas se arrodillan en el borde del abismo, permanecen allí, intercambian algunas palabras a la espera de que el hombre tome la decisión de moverse, de descender. En esos minutos, el mundo se abre para Kathmandu: un pueblo soleado en otro continente, las páginas de Julio César. Montañismo, colonialismo, compromisos y obligaciones; en la fluida prosa de Sebastián Martínez Daniell, cada respiro es cristalino, y brinda una perspectiva desde la que se puede ver la inmensidad del mundo. An Englishman has fallen from a cliffside in Nepal, and lies inert on a ledge below. Two sherpas kneel at the edge, stand, exchange the odd word, waiting for him to move, to make a decision, to descend. In those minutes, the world opens up to Kathmandu, a sun-bleached beach town on another continent, and the pages of Julius Caesar. Mountaineering, colonialism, obligation—in Sebastián Martinez Daniell's effortless prose each breath is crystalline, and the whole world is visible from here.Mount Everest, and all it means to royalty, explorers, imperialists, and two sherpas, perched on a cliffside, waiting for a man on the ledge below to move.A British climber has fallen from a cliffside in Nepal, and lies inert on a ledge below. Two sherpas kneel at the edge, stand, exchange the odd word, waiting for him to move, to make a decision, to descend. In those minutes, the world opens up to Kathmandu, a sun-bleached beach town on another continent, and the pages of Julius Caesar. Mountaineering, colonialism, obligation—in Sebastián Martínez Daniell's effortless prose each breath is crystalline, and the whole world is visible from here.Trade Review"Daniell reveals a fascinating universe in scintillating prose, precisely translated by Croft….It’s a stunner." —Publishers Weekly, starred review"An ambitiously inventive, profoundly intelligent trek through highly personal experiences of lingering imperialism." —Kirkus, starred review"Brilliantly tangential...this book becomes a viewpoint from which we can see the whole world." —The Observer

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Book SynopsisThe thistle plant has a beautiful bloom, but it is protected by sharp barbs and prickly leaves. How many blooms would be plucked if not for those organic fortifications? Thistle, a name she adopts for herself, is an emotionally damaged young woman who experiences abuse, abandonment and loneliness in her childhood. As she attempts to move beyond her traumatic past, Thistle develops complex relationships with two other women, Hilary and Fliss. Set against the social landscape of the 1970s and 80s, this sensitive and considered psychological drama explores themes of friendship, self-discovery and the female experience. As in real life, there is humour and pathos. The novel invites the reader to consider the circumstances which lead its characters to make the decisions that they do and to empathise with their personal conflicts.

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Book SynopsisThe gripping psychological thriller from the Top 10 Sunday Times bestselling author of After Anna, Seven Days and The Choice.Imitation is the most terrifying form of flatteryWhich Sarah Havenant is you?When an old friend gets in touch, Sarah Havenant discovers that there are two Facebook profiles in her name. One is hers. The other, she has never seen.But everything in it is accurate. Photos of her friends, her husband, her kids. Photos from the day before. Photos of her new kitchen. Photos taken inside her house.And this is just the beginning. Because whoever has set up the second profile has been waiting for Sarah to find it. And now that she has, her life will no longer be her ownWhat readers are saying about CopycatTense and compelling, it'll have you hooked throughout!'I was gripped right from the very beginning''You will not be able to put this book down!!''Among the best three thrillers I have ever read'A very special thriller, one that I will not forget in a long time'A rollercTrade Review‘I devoured COPYCAT in 24 hours and could barely put it down. A thoroughly entertaining, gripping read’ Cass Green, bestselling author of The Woman Next Door ‘I was totally hooked from the first page – there's no way once you begin this novel, that you'll be able to put it down. The short chapters reeled me in, giving the right amount of suspense and tension. It was a cleverly plotted, compelling read, where I kept saying 'just one more chapter' – until I'd devoured the entire novel! COPYCAT is the very definition of a page-turner – it was a fast-paced, thrilling race to the end. Loved it.’ Sam Carrington, bestselling author of Saving Sophie ‘COPYCAT is one of the best psychological thrillers I have read this year’ Rachel’s Random Reads ‘If I could only choose one word to describe this book, it would be WOW’ Novel Kicks ‘Very creepy indeed’ I Read Novels ‘Life is a frightening place in the world of COPYCAT’ For Winter Nights ‘Will have your pulse racing and your nerves frayed’ If In Doubt Read ‘Fabulous stuff!’ Northern Crime ‘Keeps you guessing with lots of twists and turns until the very last page’ Reading, Willing & Able ‘A brilliant, tense read’ Grab This Book ‘Hugely addictive, tense and chilling right from the first page, this is a fast-paced, edge-of-your seat reading from beginning to end’ Cosy Books ‘A highly recommended read for lovers of thrillers and mystery readers alike’ Booky Ramblings of a Neurotic Mom ‘To say that this novel is creepy is to underestimate the term, 'creepy'’ Jaffa Reads Too ‘I honestly loved every page of COPYCAT’ Girl Vs Books ‘I really enjoyed this thriller and would definitely say it’s one to look out for’ Bookbum Praise for Alex Lake: ‘You’ll find it hard to fall asleep when the lights go out’ Evening Standard ‘A nail-biting psychological thriller … maintains high suspense to the very end’ Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisFrom the acclaimed author ofFish Soup, a wickedly self-aware novel of family, memory, and possibility just this side of the uncanny.A tolerable, ordinary life: an adequate, if boring, freelance job; reliably irritating video calls with your sister; half-hearted plans for the future (a writing residency, a child); and, in the middle of your half-furnished apartment, an enormous crate. Unopened, delivered days ago, and getting in the way.InThe Delivery , what’s inside is your estranged mother, and her arrival brings to a head the tentative motions you’ve made to examine the past and the subtle fissures in the life you’ve built. Semi-ordinary happenings take on an otherworldly cast when you look at them sideways, but nothing is stranger, in this place far from home, than the tenuous bonds of family that hold us together, or don’t.Trade Review"This multi-centred novel contains everything: death, life and all the stuff in between." —The Guardian"A sharp and perceptive novel." —Irish Times"The microscopic precision with which García Robayo delves into the human soul is striking." —El País"An unsettling novel about uncertainty, memories and fears, solitude, family relationships and hopes for the future." —Diario Popular"Robayo masterfully constructs a story of family ghosts and memories that put into question what it means to leave behind a country, family and friends for a new place." —Morning Star"Once again, a Colombian literary star has blended absurdism, realism and great linguistic skill to create a novel that may be neatly packaged but proves to contain multitudes." —Lunate"Completely engrossing. García Robayo’s best yet. " —Sounds & Colours"Inside the music of Robayo’s prose, one encounters an argument about the vigor of personal history, its relentless capacity to emboss the present." —The Believer"By throwing her characters off their typical paths, García Robayo continues to show readers that she is one of the brightest voices in Latin American literature." —On the Seawall"The Delivery reveals the fissures, gaps, and spaces of incomprehension that can exist between speakers of the same language." —Full Stop"This chamber piece, which chronicles the narrator’s various procrastinations, succeeds thanks to its voice, its pacing, and its glaring omissions." —Necessary Fiction"Questions about motherhood, belonging, and exile hang over this quietly unsettling work." —Southwest Review"García Robayo has written a novel that, avoiding any complacency, situates us in the interstices of identity." —El Mundo"If for this narrator having a child is like ‘resisting extinction’ (…), novels like The Delivery fulfil a similar injunction to permanence: not to pass through the world without leaving anything behind." —El País"An intimate, mature work that confirms Margarita García Robayo as one of the most promising Latin American writers today." —La Razón"The Colombian writer makes the daily routine of her protagonist seem like a disturbing sequence of events." —Expansión"A brilliant and exhaustive relationship with language that draws on a search for origins." —El Tiempo"Thoughts that achieve a sparking lucidity that contrasts with the bewilderment experienced by the main character." —La Nación"You can’t put it down until you find out what happens at the end." —Pagina/12"The Delivery is one of those novels that mark a before and an after, just as happens to its main character when she manages to open the crate sent by her sister." —Pagina/12"A book of contained intensity, full of glimpses more than certainties, which confirms the author as one of the leading voices of Latin American fiction." —El Siglo de Torreón**********Praise for Margarita García RobayoBiblioteca de Narrativa Colombiana Prize (Finalist)"García Robayo writes with caustic insight, brittle humour and a fair whack of cynicism (...) Holiday Heart is brilliant." —The Guardian"Understated, lyrical, and delivers its insights by means of acute observation. (5 stars)" —The Arts Desk"Cunningly well achieved." —Irish Times"Holiday Heart is a poignant and searing story of love ending." —Gutter Magazine"Coombe’s translation brilliantly captures the bite in García Robayo’s humour." —iNews"One of Colombia’s greatest living writers." —The Monthly Booking"Brilliantly dramatises the disjunction between an idealized picture of life like sitting on a sunny beach and the reality of that life like getting sand caught in your teeth." —Lonesome ReaderBest Fiction Books of 2017 —New York Times (Español)"Darkly funny throughout, this examination of two lives will stay with you long after you read the final words and lay the book down." —Lunate"Every sentence in the book seems to be written with a scalpel infused with acid. " —Morning Star"Acute, provocative, concise and raw." —Translating Women"An incredibly insightful portrayal of a disintegrating marriage...provides a sharp-eyed view of estrangement and personal identity." —Book Riot"Frightening, alluring, and inescapable." —Books and Bao**********Casa de las Américas Prize (Winner)Society of Authors Valle-Inclán Prize (Shortlist)"García Robayo’s prose bristles with restrained energy and a wry humour which captures the disaffection of her characters." —The Times Literary Supplement"[Fish Soup] is a gorgeous, blackly humorous look into the lives of Colombians struggling to find their place in society, both at home and abroad." —Publishers Weekly, starred review"A remarkable genre-bending effort." —The Guardian"The tackiness of the Caribbean coast and its discontents are marvellously rendered." —The Times Literary Supplement"If you’re a fan of Ottessa Moshfegh or Melissa Broder, then this is for you." —The Guardian"An evocative collection that conveys the potency of desire in even the most ordinary lives." —Kirkus"García Robayo is building one of the most solid and interesting oeuvres in Latin American literature."" —Juan Cárdenas , author of ORNAMENTAL"Her stories combine the atmosphere of Desperate Housewives, Hemingway’s iceberg theory and a memorable, bittersweet ending."" —Jorge Carrión , author of BOOKSHOPS"Margarita shows sharp insight into contemporary life. Her voice speaks with surreptitious irony and sophisticated psychological perception. She is the creator of an exceptional poetics of displacement."" —Juan Villoro , author of THE WITNESS"There are very few writers who can challenge expectations the way Margarita García Robayo does. Margarita is simply one of the best of the new generation that respects, yet no longer identifies with, the Latin American Boom."" —Mariana Enríquez , author of THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE"This is a text written from within the belly of the beast. (…) One of the most essential books of the year." —Asymptote"García Robayo’s prose is concise and startling, her voice versatile and capable of packing a serious punch." —LA Review of Books"One of the most potent figures of contemporary Latin American literature." —ABC Cultural"Full of everyday details that reveal the most vulnerable aspects of feminine subjectivity." —La Nación**********

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Book SynopsisThree decades after her pioneering anthology, Daughters of Africa, Margaret Busby curates an extraordinary collection of contemporary writing by 200 women writers of African descent, including Zadie Smith, Bernardine Evaristo and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. A glorious portrayal of the richness and range of African women''s voices, this major international book brings together their achievements across a wealth of genres. From Antigua to Zimbabwe and Angola to the USA, overlooked artists of the past join key figures, popular contemporaries and emerging writers in paying tribute to the heritage that unites them, the strong links that endure from generation to generation, and their common obstacles around issues of race, gender and class.Bold and insightful, brilliant in its intimacy and universality, this landmark anthology honours the talents of African daughters and the inspiring legacy that connects them-and all of us.The New Daughters of AfricaDiane AbbottYassmin Abdel-MagiedLeila AboulelaAyobami AdebayoSade AdeniranChimamanda Ngozi AdichieZoe AdjonyohPatience AgbabiAgnès AgbotonCandace AllenLisa Allen-AgostiniEllah Wakatama AllfreyAndaiyeHarriet AnenaJoan Anim-AddoMonica Arac de NyekoYemisi AribisalaYolanda Arroyo PizarroAmma AsanteMichelle AsantewaNana Asma''uSefi AttaAyesha Harruna AttahGabeba BaderoonYaba BadoeYvonne Bailey-SmithDoreen BainganaEllen Banda-AakuAngela BarryMildred K. BaryaJackee Budesta BatandaSimi BedfordLinda BellosJay BernardMarion BethelAma BineyJacqueline BishopMalorie BlackmanTanella BoniMalika BookerNana Ekua Brew-HammondBeverley BryanAkosua BusiaCandice Carty-WilliamsRutendo ChabikwaBarbara Chase-RiboudPanashe ChigumadziGabrielle CivilMaxine Beneba ClarkeAngela CobbinahCarolyn CooperJuanita CoxMeta Davis CumberbatchPatricia CumperStella DadzieYrsa Daley-WardNana-Ama DanquahEdwidge DanticatNadia DavidsTjawangwa DemaYvonne Denis RosarioAnni DomingoNah DoveEdwige-Renée DroCamille T. DungyAnaïs DuplanReni Eddo-LodgeAida EdemariamEsi EdugyanSummer EdwardYvvette EdwardsZena EdwardsSafia ElhilloZetta ElliottNawal El SaadawiDiana EvansBernardine EvaristoEve L. EwingDeise Faria NunesDiana FerrusNikky FinneyAminatta FornaIfeona FulaniVangile GantshoRoxane GayDanielle Legros GeorgesPatricia Glinton-MeicholasHawa Jande GolakaiWangui wa GoroBonnie GreerJane Ulysses GrellRachel Eliza GriffithsCarmen Harriszakia henderson-brownJoanne C. HillhouseAfua HirschZita HolbourneNalo HopkinsonRashidah IsmailiNaomi JacksonSandra Jackson-OpokuDelia Jarrett-MacauleyMargo JeffersonBarbara JenkinsCatherine JohnsonEthel Irene KabwatoElizabeth KeckleyFatimah KelleherDonika KellyAdrienne KennedySusan Nalugwa KiguliRosamond S. KingDonu KogbaraLauri KubuitsileGoretti KyomuhendoBeatrice LamwakaPatrice LawrenceAndrea LevyLesley LokkoKaren LordKaren Ládípò ManyikaRos MartinLebogang MashileIsabella MatambanadzoNomaVenda MathianeImbolo MbueMaaza MengisteArthenia Bates MillicanBridget MinamoreNadifa MohamedNatalia MolebatsiWame MolefheAja MonetSisonke MsimangBlessing MusaririGlaydah NamukasaMarie NDiayeJuliana Makuchi Nfah-AbbenyiWanjiku wa NgugiKetty NivyabandiElizabeth NunezSelina NwuluTrifonia Melibea ObonoNana Oforiatta AyimIrenosen OkojieNnedi OkoraforJuliane Okot BitekChinelo OkparantaYewande OmotosoMakena OnjerikaChibundu OnuzoTess OnwuemeYvonne Adhiambo OwuorLouisa Adjoa ParkerDjaimilia Pereira de AlmeidaAlake PilgrimWinsome PinnockHannah Azieb PoolOlúmìdé Pópó?láClaudia RankineH. Cordelia RaySarah Parker RemondFlorida Ruffin RidleyZandria F. RobinsonZuleica Romay GuerraAndrea Rosario-GborieLeone RossJosephine St. Pierre RuffinMinna SalamiMarina Salandy-BrownSapphireNoo Saro-WiwaTaiye SelasiNamwali SerpellKadija SesayClaire ShepherdVerene A. ShepherdWarsan ShireLola ShoneyinDorothea SmarttZadie SmithAdeola SolankeCelia SorhaindoAttillah SpringerAndrea StuartSuAndiValerie Joan TagwiraJennifer TeegeJean évenetNatasha TretheweyNovuyo Rosa TshumaHilda J. TwongyeirweChika UnigweYvonne VeraPhillippa Yaa de VilliersKit de WaalElizabeth Walcott-HackshawEffie Waller SmithRebecca WalkerAyeta Anne WangusaZukiswa WannerJesmyn WardVerna Allette WilkinsCharlotte WilliamsSue Woodford-HollickMakhosazana XabaTiphanie YaniqueTrade ReviewBusby opens the door wide and allows her readers to witness the conversations that have occurred between black women writers, conversations about culture, love, inheritance and more, without mediation from the powerful institutions of publishing and academia. The effect is marvellous. It is also necessary -- Imani Perry * Financial Times *An incredible introduction to black women's writing from around the world -- Bernardine EvaristoThis remarkable book constitutes a powerful affirmation of literary achievement, demonstrating that contemporary black women writers are part of a vital and extensive tradition * Times Literary Supplement *New Daughters of Africa is a beautiful, essential anthology. It is both long-awaited and urgently needed; it recognises the individual voices and interwoven histories of every facet of womanhood -- Preti TanejaNew Daughters of Africa is indispensable because African voices have been silenced or diminished throughout history, and women's voices even more so * The Irish Times *

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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''Original, tender, thoughtful and true. Can''t wait for people to read!'' Reese Witherspoon ''Part tender coming of age story, part electrifying tale of political awakening, part heartfelt love letter to Deaf culture, True Biz is a wholly a wonder'' Celeste NgA transporting novel that follows a year of seismic romantic, political, and familial shifts for a teacher and her students at a boarding school for the deaf, from the acclaimed author of Girl at War.ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2022 - Oprah Daily, The Millions, Lit Hub, BookPageTrue biz (adj./exclamation; American Sign Language): really, seriously, definitely, real-talkTrue biz? The students at the River Valley School for the Deaf just want to hook up, pass their history finals, and have politicians, doctors, and their parents stop telling them what to doTrade ReviewGoodness, I can't even begin to put into words all the feelings this book provoked!...An eye-opening and heartfelt story about human connection and the beauty and adversity woven into the deaf community and culture. It is both an educational and electrifying peek into a family's life as they fight to forge connections even as the outside world threatens to close the door on them. I loved this story so much, it is not one to miss * Reese Witherspoon (Reese’s Book Club April ’22 Pick) *Tender, beautiful and radiantly outraged...True Biz is moving, fast-paced and spirited... Novic, who is deaf and spent time at deaf schools researching the novel, makes an urgent and heartfelt case for the schools' importance in providing language access, and in nurturing community and a sense of self. Great stories create empathy and awareness more effectively than facts do, and this important novel should - true biz - change minds and transform the conversation. * Maile Meloy, New York Times Book Review *For those who loved the Oscar-winning film CODA, a boarding school for deaf students is the setting for a kaleidoscope of experience * Washington Post *Part tender coming of age story, part electrifying tale of political awakening, part heartfelt love letter to Deaf culture, True Biz is a wholly a wonder. Sara Novic examines the ways language can include, exclude, or help forge an identity - as well as what it means to carve out a place for yourself in a world that sees you as other * Celeste Ng *I fell in love with Sara Novic's True Biz from the first page: delicate, nuanced, playful, and at the same time sweeping in its ideas and reach, this book is a literary novel that is a page turner with a vision which will speak to many a reader in our times and beyond. Sara Novic is one of the best writers of my generation - not just *the* novelist of Deaf culture, but of human nature writ large. Do yourself a favor and get this book- it is inimitable * Ilya Kaminsky, author of Deaf Republic and Dancing in Odessa *I loved True Biz, it's warm, complex and compelling. Of course I love the way it provides a window into a culture that will be unfamiliar to many of us, but what really marks it out is its humanity and intelligence - the threads of coming-of-age, birth, death, and all the rites of passage are interwoven brilliantly, surrounding a core of passion for justice and equality.' * Bridget Collins *This is my favorite kind of novel, fascinating and smart and brimming with contrasts. It's a coming-of-age story but also one of anarchy and protest. It's about the ways communities are bound but also the ways they bind. It's about belonging versus conforming, individual strength alongside solidarity. I laughed. I learned. I entered a world I knew too little about, at once different from mine and of course the same. I will be recommending this book to absolutely everyone * Laurie Frankel, New York Times bestselling author of This Is How It Always Is and One Two Three *Reading True Biz was a transformative experience - it's as important a book as I've read in years. I was in awe of the care and love and hard-won wisdom that went into the writing of it. Sara Novic is the real deal * Jami Attenberg, author of All This Could Be Yours *True Biz is exquisitely crafted and absolutely riveting * Vendela Vida, author of We Run the Tides *Sara Novic's gifts for character, story, and language are evident from the first page. True Biz feels like the discovery of a new written form, a love letter to language itself * Liz Moore, New York Times bestselling author of Long Bright River *Rollicking, immersive, and boldly, exquisitely felt, True Biz delves into the deepest questions about community, communication, and collective action, inviting the reader into a world of language made new * Alexandra Kleeman, author of Something New Under the Sun *An electrifying narrativeset at a present-day boarding school for Deaf high school students, where they find love and friendship and battle a series of injustices...With complex characters seething with rage against the injustices they face, and an immersive and novel treatment of Charlie's experience learning ASL, Novic offers an unforgettable homage to resilience. This is brilliant * Publishers Weekly starred review *Tender, beautiful and radiantly outraged...True Biz is moving, fast-paced and spirited - we have vivid access to all of the main characters' points of view - but also skillfully educational: The lessons Charlie learns about A.S.L. and deaf culture are interspersed in the text and illustrated by Brittany Castle. Novic, who is deaf and spent time at deaf schools researching the novel, makes an urgent and heartfelt case for the schools' importance in providing language access, and in nurturing community and a sense of self. Great stories create empathy and awareness more effectively than facts do, and this important novel should - true biz - change minds and transform the conversation. -- Maile Meloy * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisBy the winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in LiteratureAbbas has never told anyone about his past; about what happened before he was a sailor on the high seas, before he met his wife Maryam outside a Boots in Exeter, before they settled into a quiet life in Norwich with their children, Jamal and Hanna. Now, at the age of sixty-three, he suffers a collapse that renders him bedbound and unable to speak about things he thought he would one day have to.Jamal and Hanna have grown up and gone out into the world. They were both born in England but cannot shake a sense of apartness. Hanna calls herself Anna now, and has just moved to a new city to be near her boyfriend. She feels the relationship is headed somewhere serious, but the words have not yet been spoken out loud. Jamal, the listener of the family, moves into a student house and is captivated by a young woman with dark-blue eyes and her own, complex story to tell. Abbas''s illness forces both children home, to the dark silenTrade Review‘Gurnah is a master storyteller ... A subtle and moving tale of a family coming to terms with itself: one to read at leisure and absorb at length' * 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 *‘A well-made novel about identity and, at a time of forbidding public rhetoric about immigration, Gurnah's sensitive and sympathetic portrayal of his cast feels welcome.' * Sunday Times *'Stories and identities are rarely what they seem in The Last Gift, which is full of carefully guarded secrets. Beneath these multiple clandestine narratives, is a story replete with black humour and contemplative politics, told with great generosity' * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE 'Brilliant, fresh and compulsively readable' ANN PATCHETT 'A blazing mystery . . . tremendous' GUARDIAN 'Masterful storytelling' WASHINGTON POST 'Gloriously orchestrated . . . kaleidoscopic'IRISH TIMES 'A thrilling success' WALL STREET JOURNALAn epic tale of unsettlement, history, myth, art and love - and of a small boy lost in the Australian desert from the prize-winning author of The Night Guest and The High Places.In September 1883, in a small town in the South Australian outback, six-year-old Denny Wallace goes missing.As a dust storm sweeps across the landscape, the entire community is caught up in the search. Scouring the desert and mountains, the residents of Fairly - newlyweds, farmers, mothers, artists, Indigenous trackers, cameleers, policemen - confront their relationships with each other and with the ancient land they inhabit. A land haunted by many gods - the sun among them, rising and falling on each day in which Denny could be found, or lost forever.PRAISE FOR FIONA MCFARLANE 'I can't think of another writer working today who I admire more' KEVIN POWERS, AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF THE YELLOW BIRDS'An extraordinary writer'MICHELLE DE KRETSER, AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF SCARY MONSTERS 'McFarlane has a gift for cutting into a story at precisely the right angle'THE TIMES'An intelligent and distinctive voice . . . a marvel'SYDNEY MORNING HERALD'An exceptionally fine writer'PUBLISHERS WEEKLYTrade ReviewA blazing mystery set in the colonial outback . . . The writing is tremendous . . . This is a beguiling novel, not just of ideas about history and place but of fiercely beautiful translations -- Elizabeth Lowry * Guardian *A sensitive, slow-burn panorama of society in colonial Australia. Moving persuasively between a vast, impressively diverse array of characters, young and old, incoming and indigenous, privileged and deprived, she lets us listen in on their private (often competing) hopes and desires as the community pulls together to hunt for the boy. The result is moving and masterful - rich slices of life made vivid by the old-fashioned nitty-gritty of flesh-and blood character-making -- Anthony Cummins * Daily Mail *Ambitious . . . McFarlane amplifies her theme in ways that are often touching and ingenious . . . its style is at once spare and attentive to detail, and Fiona McFarlane has a sharp eye for historical injustices -- Andrew Motion * Times Literary Supplement *A thrilling success . . . A novel full of mystery and wonder * Wall Street Journal *Gloriously orchestrated . . . kaleidoscopic . . . This book earns its place by the simultaneous seriousness and playfulness of its commitment to all the voices in the contested times and spaces of its setting. McFarlane knows what she's doing, and she does it exceptionally well -- Sarah Moss * Irish Times *This novel is also made hypnotic by its wonderfully atmospheric dreaminess -- Andrew Martin * Mail on Sunday *McFarlane's treatment of the dust storm has a simple Steinbeckian majesty . . . Her prose is full of detail, comparable to Claire Keegan's keen-eyed novellas, Foster and Small Things Like These -- Claire Lowdon * Sunday Times *Ambitious . . . McFarlane's figures emerge in intricate detail, defined by their petty desires, their moral imperfections, and their relationship both to the cataclysm of colonization and to the grandiosity of the landscape and the sun * New Yorker *Masterful storytelling . . . Tension mounts every time tragedy looms or disaster strikes. We read on with queasy dread when the spotlight falls on frightened and exhausted Denny . . . But we also read on captivated by the novel's beautiful prose and polyphonic voices, and marveling at both its epic scope and rare intimacy * Washington Post *In precise, often glorious prose, the novel affords each character, including little Denny, a rich interiority, even as the landscape itself - a terrain layered with significance and myth for aboriginal peoples, while for Europeans "civilization" there appears thin - provokes awe . . . With this remarkable novel, McFarlane establishes her place in the firmament of Australian letters, reworking and expanding the imaginary of its early years -- Claire Messud * Harper's *Fiona McFarlane's last book was scintillating. The Sun Walks Down is even better. It's compelling: old-fashioned in all the best ways, historically sensitive, generous in storytelling and yet modern and sharp -- Sarah Moss, author of SUMMERWATERThe Sun Walks Down is the book I'm always longing to find: brilliant, fresh and compulsively readable. It is marvellous. I loved it from start to finish -- Ann Patchett, author of THE DUTCH HOUSEGorgeous storytelling and superb characters are among the glories of The Sun Walks Down. Fiona McFarlane is an extraordinary writer, one of the best working today. Her magnificent reworking of the lost child story showcases the profound understanding she brings to people, places and the past. I lived in this wise, majestic novel for days and never wanted it to end -- Michelle de Kretser, author of SCARY MONSTERSAn exceptional, multi-layered historical novel with a beautifully styled plot. The power with which Fiona McFarlane evokes the place and time is extraordinary - a gorgeously written book -- Evie Wyld, author of THE BASS ROCKQuite simply, the best novel I've ever read about 19th-century Australia. A tense search for a lost child unfolds with rising dread against a landscape of harsh and radiant beauty, amid lives as tangled as barbed wire -- Geraldine Brooks, author of HORSEThe Sun Walks Down is a revelation. McFarlane places her lens first over the disappearance of a small boy in the Australian Outback and zooms out, weaving the stories of the people involved in the search for him into a tapestry as richly imagined and fully realized as anything I've read in recent memory. Her sentences fit together with the beauty of fine carpentry, and with them she's constructed a novel that calls to my mind no less than Patrick White's The Tree of Man. I can't think of another writer working today who I admire more -- Kevin Powers, author of THE YELLOW BIRDSMesmerising . . . It's a story with the quality of a myth or fable, that somehow manages to seem both restrained and infinite at once. And if that's all sounding a bit hoity-toity, be assured it's an engrossing mystery * Sydney Morning Herald *An extraordinary work of fiction that I have no doubt will become a classic of Australian literature -- Emily Bitto, author of THE STRAYSThis tale of a farming community's search for a missing child offers intimate human drama, ruminations on the intersections of art and life, and a sweeping, still relevant view of race and class in Australia . . . A masterpiece of riveting storytelling * Kirkus *Taut, rich, intelligent and mesmerizing * ABC News *The Sun Walks Down is a brilliant, intimate epic, a book about a family and also about history that is full of heart and heat. Fiona McFarlane's ear for the gurgles and clamor and hidden symphonies of her characters' souls is flawless; the way their lives intertwine is propulsive, heartbreaking. She is, simply, one of the best writers around -- Elizabeth McCracken, author of THE HERO OF THIS BOOKWith a child missing in remote Australia, this may sound like any recent 'outback noir' thriller - but McFarlane's beautifully written second novel has much more in common with Lanny by Max Porter or Reservoir 13 by Jon McGregor: all vibrant, otherworldly stories of a small community in flux, discombobulated by a singular tragedy * Guardian Australia *The Sun Walks Down is that rare kind of novel, where there is something to enjoy and admire on every page. McFarlane's elegant, sharply observed prose beautifully conjures an unforgettable time and place -- Carys Davies, author of THE MISSION HOUSE

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE JAMES TAIT BLACK PRIZE FOR BIOGRAPHY 2023A Times Best Literary Non-Fiction Book of the YearCritic and writer Darryl Pinckney recalls his friendship and apprenticeship with Elizabeth Hardwick and Barbara Epstein and the introduction they offered him to the New York literary world.At the start of the 1970s, Darryl Pinckney arrived in New York City and at Columbia University and enrolled in Elizabeth Hardwick's writing class at Barnard. After he graduated, he was welcomed into her home as a friend and mentee, and he became close with Hardwick and her best friend, neighbor, and fellow founder of The New York Review of Books, Barbara Epstein. Pinckney found himself at the heart of the New York literary world. He was surrounded by the great writers of the time, like Susan Sontag, Robert Lowell, and Mary McCarthy, as well as the overlapping cultural revolutions and communities that swept New York: the New Wave in film, rock, and writing; the art of Felice Rosser, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Lucy Sante, Howard Brookner, and Nan Goldin; the influence of feminism on American culture and literature; the black arts movement confronted by black feminism; and New Negro veterans experiencing the return of their youth as history. Pinckney filtered the avant-garde life he was exposed to downtown and the radical intellectual tradition of The Review through the moral values he inherited and adapted from abolitionist and Reconstruction black culture.In Come Back in September, Pinckney recalls his introduction to New York and the writing life. The critic and novelist intimately captures this revolutionary, brilliant, and troubled period in American letters. Elizabeth Hardwick was not only the link to the intellectual heart of New York, but also a source of continual support and inspiration-the way she worked, her artistry, and the beauty of her voice. Through his memories of the city and of Hardwick, we see the emergence and evolution of Pinckney himself: as a young man, as a New Yorker, and as one of the essential intellectuals of our time.Trade Reviewoffers a tender and unvarnished glimpse of two cultural milieus * Vanity Fair *A wise, rueful reflection on a lost milieu but an ever more present and essential writer. * Irish Times *Dreamlike and gossipy, this beautifully written memoir of reading, writing and partying in 1970s New York is supremely smart and enjoyable. * Daunt Books *An elegant, intriguing pleasure * The Times *It is the intelligent, elegant, gossipy book on Hardwick I have been waiting for since I read Pinckney's letters to the author. -- Lauren Aimee Curtis * White Review (Book of the Year) *Evocative... freewheeling... like being at a particularly fabulous literary party * The Observer *[A] compelling paeon to a vital, if unlikely, friendship * FT *[A]n intriguing glimpse into a generation of serious intellects * Sunday Business *

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Book Synopsis'Clever, sharp, and deliciously dark... A one-sitting read.' Andrea Mara_____________________________When you fake it for a living, the truth is hard to find...Former child star Lily Thane is now a struggling thirty-something actress. Her old stage-school buddy, Adam Harker, is on the brink of making it big, but he needs an appropriate red-carpet companion to seal the deal, and Lily fits the bill.Soon after signing on the dotted line, Adam's dark side starts to surface and their perfect fauxmance turns toxic. But when Adam winds up dead in a swimming pool, Lily is the only person who cares enough to find out why. She's convinced someone was out to get Adam - and now they're after her...Trade ReviewClever, sharp, and deliciously dark - I flew through Let's Pretend. A one-sitting read. * Andrea Mara *'An award-winning performance' * The Times *You can't help but be captivated by the glamour and grit of celebrity life * Belfast Telegraph *The ultimate twist is both sad and shocking in its credibility * Literary Review *A gripping story about the dark realities of the showbusiness world which is packed with deliciously egocentric characters who will do anything to be famous. I absolutely loved it! Unputdownable and totally addictive * Katy Cox, author of M is for Mummy *A treat ... excellent insights ... elegant prose * Daily Mail on The Favour *Intensely captivating ... will cast its spell, leaving you on edge with unexpected twists * Heat Magazine on The Favour *Intelligent, elegant and immersive -- Claire Kendal, bestselling author of 'The Book of You', on 'The Favour'Absorbing, intelligent and atmospheric ... Genius -- Elizabeth Haynes on 'The Favour'

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Book SynopsisOluwale Now explores the contemporary issues that David Oluwale’s story touches upon through over 40 selections of poetry and prose (including prize-winning submissions from Hannah Stone; Gill Tennant, Gayathiri Kamalakanthan) as well as over 20 featured artworks and photography. Central to this book are the themes of memory, belonging, otherness and optimism. Building upon Remembering Oluwale: An Anthology (edited by SJ Bradley, Valley Press, 2016), this anthology moves through historical and contemporary pain towards hope; there is an upward thrust through Oluwale Now which refuses to deny or sugar-coat the horrors of systematic racism and brutality but allows us a glimpse of a better future. "A powerful, varied, lyrical tribute that mobilises our memory and engages the imagination" Gary YoungeTrade Review"A powerful, varied, lyrical tribute that mobilises our memory and engages the imagination." Gary Younge

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Book SynopsisA sense of belonging - being liked, understood, accepted for who we are - is vital for our mental health. Whether it is fitting in at school, struggling to connect with colleagues in a new job, or just feeling out of place in our own family, we all, at various stages in our lives, find ourselves questioning our identity. For Dr Holan Liang, one of the UK's foremost psychiatrists, this crisis of identity cuts right to the heart of the modern epidemic of anxiety and depression. In this ground-breaking book, she draws on her own experience as an immigrant to the UK, and on 20 years of caring for patients suffering from a range of mental health conditions, from depression and anxiety to ADHD and anorexia, to explore a radical new perspective on mental health.Warm, wise and full of humanity, A Sense of Belonging will help you to: understand the causes of loneliness, reprioritise the people and things that matter, stop people-pleasing, and learn how to accept yourself in order to find genuine connection.

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Book Synopsis Shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award 2018 One of Financial Times'' Best Books of 2017 ''SEA OF RUST is a 40-megaton cruise missile of a novel - it''ll blow you away and lay waste to your heart . . . visceral, relentless, breathtaking'' Joe Hill, Sunday Times bestselling author ************An action-packed post-apocalyptic thriller from the screenwriter of Marvel''s DOCTOR STRANGEHUMANKIND IS EXTINCT.Wiped out in a global uprising by the very machines made to serve them. Now the world is controlled by OWIs - vast mainframes that have assimilated the minds of millions of robots. But not all robots are willing to cede their individuality, and Brittle is one of the holdouts. After a near-deadly encounter with another AI, Brittle is forced to seek sanctuary in a city under siege by an OWI. Critically damaged, Brittle must evade capture long enough to find the essential rare parts tTrade ReviewRead it for the Mad Max style robot on robot action and the full on nature of the story, stay for sense of loss, the gorgeous prose and the unforgettable yet somehow re-affirming bleakness. Recommended. * STARBURST MAGAZINE *Sea of Rust is modern, smart fiction that belies it's majesty with a light touch. One of the science fiction books you should read this year. * SF BOOK *Like a mecha Mad Max, Sea of Rust follows a band of misfits fighting to survive against a scorched, barren landscape. Drawing on Western and war movie traditions, with a philosophical heart that asks big questions about life, death, and the soul, this is accomplished, technically complex scifi. * SFX MAGAZINE *The novel does not stint on action and violence, but what lingers in the mind are its brutal vision of a world cannibalising itself and the poignant questions it raises about soul and sentience. * FINANCIAL TIMES *The book itself is a delightful patchwork of the familiar: the author skilfully blends Asimov (with an interesting twist on the laws of robotics), the Borg from Star Trek, Terminator and even a generous slice of Alice in Wonderland for good measure. These are themes we are familiar with, but arranged in such a way that we can never be quite sure what is going to happen next. I read Sea of Rust in a single day, which is testimony to just how engaging the storyline was. * THE BOOK BAG *A very exciting page-turner. * FORBIDDEN PLANET *Think WALL-E meets MAD MAX in this rumbumptious but also empathetic turbo-charged tale... Wonderfully evocative, a minor masterpiece and certainly quite different from anything else you've read for a long time. * CRIME TIME *Like an AI-centred, desert-bound twist on Children of Men, this is a sensitive and smart novel that surprises you with its depth of feeling. * SCIFINOW *

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Book Synopsis'Stimulating, elengant, distinctive and thought-provoking' Sunday TimesFrom the internationally bestselling, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Interpreter of Maladies comes an exquisitely crafted work of fiction. Jhumpa Lahiri sets her gaze on the eternally beautiful city of Rome, illuminating the frailties of the human condition and dissecting lives lived on the margins.A man recalls a summer party that awakens an alternative version of himself. A couple haunted by a tragic loss return to seek consolation. An outsider family is pushed out of the block in which they hoped to settle. A set of steps in a Roman neighbourhood connects the daily lives of the city’s myriad inhabitants. This is an evocative fresco of Rome, the most alluring character of all: contradictory, in constant transformation and a home to those who know they can’t fully belong but choose it anyway.Rich with Lahiri’s signature gifts, Roman StorTrade ReviewLahiri [works] over her themes with a precise and controlling intellect . . . These stories are stimulating, elengant, distinctive and thought-provoking * Sunday Times *A writer of formidable powers and great depth of feeling * The Observer *One of the most interesting American writers at work today * The Sunday Times *Lahiri steps back from the action, gets out of the way, so the people and things in her stories can exist the way real things do: richly, ambiguously, without explanation. * Time *A writer of uncommon elegance and poise * The New York Times *Lahiri has a talent for capturing the everyday * Spectator *Jhumpa Lahiri is intelligent, astute, informed and genuine * The Irish Times *Jhumpa Lahiri is an elegant stylist, effortlessly placing the perfect words in the perfect order time and again so we’re transported seamlessly into another place * Vanity Fair *Jhumpa Lahiri's writing is wonderful in the literal sense: on every page there is something to take your breath away * Sainsbury's Magazine *Lahiri has an extraordinary voice -- Salman RushdieJhumpa Lahiri is the kind of writer who makes you want to grab the next person you see and say “Read this!” She’s a dazzling storyteller with a distinctive voice, an eye for nuance, an ear for irony. She is one of the finest short story writers I’ve read. -- Amy TanAn urgent and affecting portrait of Rome in nine stories . . . * Guardian *Full of humanity and its joys and disappointments, tiny incidents resonate through time and relationships. The city feels like another character, slipping in and out of focus just as the fleeting lives of the characters do too. * The Independent *

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Book SynopsisHow far would you go to protect your daughter?Deeply intriguing and provocative, ALL IS NOT FORGOTTEN is not to be missed'KARIN SLAUGHTERSince the night she was attacked, Jenny Kramer hasn''t been able to recall what happened. Her parents and the doctors saw to that. Her mother couldn't prevent the terror in the woods, but she's done all she can to stop it ruining Jenny's life. The only thing that now bothers Jenny is the scar carved into her lower back. Which she can't stop touching.But if Jenny can't remember her attacker, he can't be caught. He could be the man next to her right now, the one who caught just her eye.And he hasn't forgotten anythingTrade Review‘Unpredictable’MAIL ON SUNDAY ‘Disturbing’WOMAN ‘Deeply intriguing and provocative, ALL IS NOT FORGOTTEN explores intricate family relationships against the backdrop of searing suspense. A novel filled with twists, surprises and a plot that keeps you guessing, ALL IS NOT FORGOTTEN is not to be missed’–Karin Slaughter 'Original, compelling and very, very clever'–BA Paris, author of BEHIND CLOSED DOORS ‘An assured, powerful, polished novel that blends suspense and rich family drama. Built on a fascinating scientific premise and laced with moral complexity, it is, in a word, unforgettable’ –William Landay, author of DEFENDING JACOB ‘Captivating and bold, Wendy Walker takes an incisive look at the importance of memory and the power of manipulation. Fascinating and at times shocking, ALL IS NOT FORGOTTEN is one book you won t easily forget. Not to be missed! – Mary Kubica, author of THE GOOD GIRL

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Book SynopsisPure romance magic' Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of The UnhoneymoonersJoyful thoughtful and real' Jasmine Guillory, New York Times bestselling authorWhat if her Hollywood job turns into her Hollywood ending?***Since a crushing breakup three years ago, Nina Rice has written romance, friends, her dreams of scriptwriting for TV, and even L.A. proper out of her life. Instead, she's safely out in the suburbs in her aunt's condo working her talent agency job from home, managing celebrity email accounts, and certain that's plenty of writingand plotfor her life. But a surprise meeting called by Ari Fox, a young actress on everyone's radar, stirs up all kinds of feelings Nina thought she'd deleted for goodAri is sexy, out and proud, and a serious control freak, according to Nina's boss. She has her own ideas about how Nina should handle her emailsand about getting to know her ghostwriter. When she tells Nina she should be writing again, Nina suddenly finds it less scary t

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Book SynopsisWhat would you do if you suddenly and unexpectedly inherited 17million? This is what happens to Andy Larkham, recently jilted lover, and resentfully underpaid publishing minion. Arriving late to the funeral of his favourite schoolteacher, he ends up in the wrong chapel with one other mourner, too embarrassed to leave. Pressured to sign the register, little does he realise what effect that signature will have upon his life.The extraordinary story that follows tells of one man''s failed love, the temptations of unanticipated wealth, the secrets of damaged families and the price of being true to oneself. It is a romance for our times.Trade ReviewOne of our best and truest novelists * The Times *Enviably good -- Louis de Bernières * Sunday Times *Thoughtful and beautifully observed... Never predictable, this novel combines a remarkable narrative force with the lightest of touches. A book to savour and pass on * The Economist *Utterly absorbing and enjoyable...a romance which moves with assurance from wild improbability to a reconciliation with things as they may truly be * Scotsman *Completely riveting and very funny indeed. Shakespeare at his empathetic best, as he mines the fragile seam of our desire to be loved for who we are * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisA timeless American novel about an immigrant girl growing up on the Lower East Side who dares to challenge her Orthodox Jewish family?s narrow conceptions of a woman?s place in the world, featuring a new foreword by the author of the New York Times bestseller Unorthodox?the basis for the hit Netflix series?and cover art by New Yorker cartoonist Liana FinckA Penguin ClassicThe youngest of four daughters in a family that left Poland in the 1920s for the crowded tenements of New York City?s Lower East Side, Sara Smolinsky has seen her sisters resign themselves, under their rabbi father?s iron fist, to loveless marriages and empty futures. They are ?bread givers,? working to feed the family while their father studies the Torah?according to which, as their father reminds them, a woman without her father or husband is ?less than nothing.? But Sara hungers for more. In defiance of her father, she breaks free, escaping home to see what the American dream holds for her in this poignant coming-of-age tale and striking portrait of feminist rebellion.For more than seventy-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 2,000 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.Trade ReviewBread Givers enables us to see our life more clearly, to test its values, to reckon up what it is that our aims and achievements may mean. It has a raw, uncontrollable poetry * New York Times *A fine novel ... Yezierska's sense of vernacular is wonderful * Kirkus Reviews *

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Book SynopsisIn this dazzling collection of stories, a son must repeatedly come out to his senile father while looking for a place that will care for the old man. An elderly couple confronts the note-taking fiction writer eavesdropping on their conversation. A famous actor in recovery has a one-night stand with the world''s most surprising film critic. And in the beautifully romantic title story, a shy twenty-one-year-old studying Latin in Rome during the year of my reinvention finds himself face-to-face with the gorgeous Italian actress of his adolescent dreams.Funny, poignant, and redemptive, this collection takes the reader to Italy and Idaho, Washington and Mississippi. With his signature wit and bighearted approach to the darkest parts of humanity, Walter tackles the modern condition with a timeless touch.Trade ReviewWalter is a writer whose work deserves a wide readership * Sunday Times on The Cold Millions *One of our most gifted builders of fictional worlds * Esquire on The Cold Millions *Walter is a believer in capricious destiny with a fine, freewheeling sense of humour * New York Times on The Cold Millions *

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