{"product_id":"rainbow-milk-9780349700588","title":"Rainbow Milk","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAN \u003ci\u003eOBSERVER \u003c\/i\u003eTOP TEN DEBUT 2020, SHORTLISTED FOR THE GORDON BURN PRIZE, JHALAK PRIZE, POLARI PRIZE, AND THE FICTION DEBUT CATEGORY OF THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eRainbow Milk\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cb\u003eis an intersectional coming-of-age story, following\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e nineteen-year-old Jesse McCarthy as he grapples with his racial and sexual identities against the backdrop of a Jehovah''s Witness upbringing and the legacies of the Windrush generation.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the Black Country in the 1950s, ex-boxer Norman Alonso is a determined and humble Jamaican who has moved to Britain with his wife to secure a brighter future for themselves and their children. Blighted with unexpected illness and racism, Norman and his family are resilient in the face of such hostilities, but are all too aware that they will need more than just hope to survive.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt the turn of the millennium, Jesse seeks a fresh start in London - escaping from a broken immediate family, a repressive religious community and t\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThis debut cements Mendez as a stunning new voice in fiction. \u003c\/b\u003eSemi-autobiographical, this \u003cb\u003egripping \u003c\/b\u003ecoming-of-age story set in the Black Country in the 1950s follows 19-year-old Jesse as he comes to terms with his racial and sexual identity against the backdrop of his repressive religious upbringing . . . \u003cb\u003eAn original addition to the queer fiction canon\u003c\/b\u003e * Cosmopolitan *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eExquisite descriptions of the body, of longing and lust, set against the recent history of the nation.\u003c\/b\u003e Proof once more there can be no discussion of English history that isn't also a discussion of blackness, queerness and class -- Andrew McMillan\u003cbr\u003eSensuous and thrillingly well written * Observer *\u003cbr\u003eEye-poppingly frank, urgent and fresh -- Suzi Feay * Financial Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMoving and memorable\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003ci\u003eRainbow Milk\u003c\/i\u003e heralds Mendez as \u003cb\u003ean original new voice\u003c\/b\u003e in queer fiction * AnOther Magazine *\u003cbr\u003eThis book is \u003cb\u003emarvellous\u003c\/b\u003e. It is \u003cb\u003ebeautifully written\u003c\/b\u003e, balancing fine observation and pathos, sexuality and high culture, struggle with triumph. It's \u003cb\u003epacy, witty and gentle\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003cb\u003e I loved every minute \u003c\/b\u003eof reading this, and I am excited for its future readers -- Okechukwu Nzelu, author of The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney\u003cbr\u003eMendez's powerful coming-of-age story tackles subjects from immigration and religion to sex and race as nineteen-year-old Jesse struggles to make sense of the world * The i *\u003cbr\u003eWhen did you last read a novel about a young, black, gay, Jehovah Witness man from Wolverhampton who flees his community to make his way in London as a prostitute? This might be a debut, but Mendez is \u003cb\u003ean exciting, accomplished and daring storyteller \u003c\/b\u003ewith a great ear for dialogue. Graphic Erotica Alert! Don't read this book if you like your fiction cosy and middle-of-the-road -- Bernardine Evaristo\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eRainbow Milk \u003c\/i\u003eis \u003cb\u003ea rich, beautifully-crafted story\u003c\/b\u003e, uncompromising in its exploration of identity and privilege. The characters are portrayed with such \u003cb\u003etenderness and honesty\u003c\/b\u003e - I know that I'll be thinking about them for years to come\u003cbr\u003eThe kind of novel you never knew you were waiting for. \u003cb\u003eAn explosive work \u003c\/b\u003ethat reels from sex, to sin, to salvation all the while grappling with what it means to black, gay, British, a son, a father, a lover, even a man. \u003cb\u003eA remarkable debut\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVivid, moving and packs a visceral punch\u003cbr\u003eMendez's remarkable debut is a fervent, hope-filled and ultimately uplifting coming-of-age story * The i *\u003cbr\u003eThis is a debut novel but it reads like a pro . . . His prose is cool, slippery and cuts clean to the quick. He takes you places unfamiliar and confusing and with a sentence connects you to the core of the character's mind. It's a fast ride in an astonishingly cool car . . . His sensual explorations of desire are mixed together with withering condemnations of British imperialist ideology, folded in with tender reflections on parenting, and what it means to be young, queer and black in the UK today * GScene *\u003cbr\u003eOne of the most widely anticipated books of 2020 (\u003ci\u003eThe Observer\u003c\/i\u003e named Mendez as one to watch), \u003ci\u003eRainbow Milk\u003c\/i\u003e is a coming-of-age story that touches on racism, the Windrush generation, sexual identity and love. \u003cb\u003eBeautifully written, this is a must for your reading list\u003c\/b\u003e this month * Stylist *\u003cbr\u003e[\u003ci\u003eRainbow Milk\u003c\/i\u003e] is more real and generous than most contemporary novels.Ultimately, this is a searing account of the human need for physical connection. Mendez never shies away from the melodrama of sex, the cymbal-crashing opera of desire. He is a unique new voice in the British novel -- Johanna Thomas-Corr * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eA novel that does what great debuts do - bringing an originality of voice and vision to the form, refreshing our ideas of what is possible in fiction . . . a novel of huge power and emotional impact, written in language that is sharp, distinctive and often beautiful. 2020 has been a year of superb debuts and \u003ci\u003eRainbow Milk\u003c\/i\u003e is among the best -- Alex Preston * Observer *\u003cbr\u003eUrgent, original and heartbreaking * Irish Times *\u003cbr\u003eA debut novel set to make a name for its author, \u003ci\u003eRainbow Milk\u003c\/i\u003e is a tightly-written but wide-ranging exploration of race, sexuality, class and religion * New European *\u003cbr\u003eDaring, dexterous, exciting and accomplished, Mendez is a writer with plenty to say * Attitude *\u003cbr\u003eThe prose is muscular, the sex graphic, the dialogue sharp . . . \u003ci\u003eRainbow Milk \u003c\/i\u003eis a complex and intersectional treatment of race, class, sexuality and sex work and a powerful, thrilling and accomplished debut novel * The Skinny *\u003cbr\u003eA fearlessly groundbreaking debut -- Colin Grant * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003eA state of the nation novel . . . extraordinary . . . the voice of the character is so strong . . . Paul Mendez is now a significant new figure in the literary world . . . James Baldwin would be very proud of this book * BBC Radio 4 Front Row *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eExhilarating \u003c\/b\u003e. . . \u003ci\u003eRainbow Milk \u003c\/i\u003eis an \u003cb\u003eimportant and ambitious book\u003c\/b\u003e . . . \u003cb\u003ea bravura piece of writing, with echoes of Andrea Levy's \u003ci\u003eSmall Island . . . \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003ethink Barry Jenkins's \u003ci\u003eMoonlight \u003c\/i\u003ebut set in the West Midlands, with Bibles instead of crack . . . if \u003ci\u003eRainbow Milk \u003c\/i\u003eis anything to go by, Mendez looks set to shake up the literary establishment in the most thrilling way * i newapaper *\u003cbr\u003eA fearless and hopeful account of one black man's entry into adulthood that explores identity, family and sexuality against the backdrop of the Windrush legacy . . . this is a wonderful read from an exciting new voice in British fiction * Independent *\u003cbr\u003eA very beautifully and tenderly written account of what it was like to come to the \"mother country\", expecting a welcome and finding prejudice -- Stephen Hough * Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003eRainbow Milk is a bold and raw novel . . . memorable and affecting -- Nadifa Mohamed * New Statesman *\u003cbr\u003eDescribed as \"explosive\", \"beautiful\", \"original\", this exciting debut is all of these things . . . Full of lust, longing and pathos -- Kit de Waal * The Week *\u003cbr\u003eMendez's novel, based on his experience of growing up black and gay in a West Midlands Jehovah's Witness community, is one of the most exciting debuts of recent years. His vivid prose elevates and brings to life an already extraordinary story * The Times *\u003cbr\u003eThere's something particularly thrilling about discovering a great debut, and none this year could be more electric than Paul Mendez's Rainbow Milk. Sex, blackness, class, religion, male bodies, self-understanding and finding a community are all explored in new ways with startling assurance -- Daniel Hahn * Spectator *\u003cbr\u003eFull of tenderness and soul, it's a book about shame and humiliation and how you overcome it -- Johanna Thomas-Corr * New Statesman *\u003cbr\u003eHard-hitting and lingers long after the final page * i newspaper *\u003cbr\u003eNew writer Paul Mendez explores sexuality, race, class and religion across generations and cultures in his semi-autobiographical debut novel \u003ci\u003eRainbow Milk\u003c\/i\u003e * BBC *\u003cbr\u003eBrilliant * Stylist *\u003cbr\u003eFearless -- Justine Jordan * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003eUnflinching, revelatory -- Maaza Mengiste * Observer *\u003cbr\u003eA page turner with a lot of heart * Observer *\u003cbr\u003eI was more than happy to spend time reviewing Paul Mendez' \u003ci\u003eRainbow Milk\u003c\/i\u003e, an ambitious, clever and candid debut -- Nicole Flattery * Irish Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis sharp coming-of-age novel explores exactly what it means to be a young, queer Black man in Britain. It's bold, fearless\u003cbr\u003eand fresh\u003c\/p\u003e * Esquire *","brand":"Dialogue","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49083488305495,"sku":"9780349700588","price":9.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780349700588.jpg?v=1725549105","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/rainbow-milk-9780349700588","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}