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The Woman in the Middle: the perfect escapist read from the much-loved Sunday Times bestseller
Par Milly Johnson. 2021
PRE-ORDER THE BRAND NEW MILLY JOHNSON NOVEL, COMING IN SPRING 2024! Shay Bastable is the woman in the middle. She…
is part of the sandwich generation – caring for her parents and her children, supporting her husband Bruce, holding them all together and caring for them as best she can. Then the arrival of a large orange skip on her mother&’s estate sets in motion a cataclysmic series of events which leads to the collapse of Shay&’s world. She is forced to put herself first for a change. But in order to move forward with her present, Shay needs to make sense of her past. And so she returns to the little village she grew up in, to uncover the truth about what happened to her when she was younger. And in doing so, she discovers that sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to find the only way is up.Praise for The Woman in the Middle: 'An unputdownable tale of redemption and hard-won wisdom, this is a book that speaks for us all wherever we are in our lives. Milly Johnson always delivers an absolutely cracking read' Katie Fforde &‘The main characters are wise, loveable and so relatable. The humour is down to earth, the emotions are real and the storyline compelling. No one else writes quite like Milly and, with The Woman in the Middle, she has produced yet another winner&’&’ Jill Mansell 'Written from the heart ... honest, inspirational and great fun ... I loved it' Janie Millman 'This book is delicious. As moreish as a freshly made sandwich, full of your favourite filling. It's well worth the wait and joyous to bite into' Jo Thomas &‘Immensely relatable, tender and wise; Milly&’s magic sparkles from every page&’ Cathy Bramley &‘A complex family drama with a big heart, a light touch and lots of surprises&’ Veronica Henry 'The perfect pick-me-up that you won't be able to put down. I loved it' Matt DunnPraise for Milly Johnson: &‘The feeling you get when you read a Milly Johnson book should be bottled and made available on the NHS&’ Debbie Johnson 'Every time you discover a new Milly book, it&’s like finding a pot of gold' heat 'A glorious, heartfelt novel' Rowan Coleman &‘Absolutely loved it. Milly's writing is like getting a big hug with just the right amount of bite underneath. I was rooting for Bonnie from the start' Jane Fallon &‘Bursting with warmth and joie de vivre&’ Jill MansellA Summer Fling: These Girls Are About To Have A Summer They'll Never Forget! (THE FOUR SEASONS)
Par Milly Johnson. 2011
A heartwarming and hilarious novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author &‘The feeling you get when you read a Milly Johnson…
book should be bottled and made available on the NHS&’ Debbie JohnsonWhen five women become friends, it's one for all, and all for one! When dynamic, power-dressing Christie blows in like a warm wind to take over their department, five very different women find themselves thrown together at work. But none of them could have predicted the fierce bond of friendship that her leadership would inspire ...Anna, 39, is reeling from the loss of her fiancé, who ran off with a much younger woman. Her pride in tatters, these days Anna finds it difficult to leave the house. So when a handsome, mysterious stranger takes an interest in her, she's not sure whether she can learn to trust again? Then there's Grace, in her fifties, trapped in a loveless marriage with a man she married because, unable to have children of her own, she fell in love with his motherless brood. Grace worries that Dawn is about to make the same mistake: orphaned as a child, engaged to love-rat Calum, is Dawn more interested in the security that comes with his tight-knit, boisterous family? When a sexy, footloose rock singer catches her eye, will Dawn have the courage to follow her heart? At 28, Raychel is the youngest member of their little gang. And with a loving husband, Ben, and a cosy little nest for two, she would seem to be the happiest. But what dark secrets are lurking behind this perfect facade, that make sweet, pretty Raychel so guarded and unwilling to open up?Praise for Milly Johnson: 'Every time you discover a new Milly book, it&’s like finding a pot of gold' heat 'A glorious, heartfelt novel' Rowan Coleman &‘Absolutely loved it. Milly's writing is like getting a big hug with just the right amount of bite underneath. I was rooting for Bonnie from the start' Jane Fallon &‘Bursting with warmth and joie de vivre&’ Jill Mansell &‘Warm, optimistic and romantic&’ Katie FfordeChef's Kiss: A Novel (Chef's Kiss #1)
Par Tj Alexander. 2022
&“Like a dish of comfort food you&’ll want to devour.&” —The Washington Post &“It&’s hard to say which aspect of…
TJ Alexander&’s novel is sweeter: the slow-burn romance or the drool-worthy desserts.&” —Time A high-strung pastry chef&’s professional goals are interrupted by an unexpected career transition and the introduction of her wildly attractive nonbinary kitchen manager in this deliciously fresh and witty queer rom-com. Simone Larkspur is a perfectionist pastry expert with a dream job at The Discerning Chef, a venerable cookbook publisher in New York City. All she wants to do is create the perfect loaf of sourdough and develop recipes, but when The Discerning Chef decides to bring their brand into the 21st century by pivoting to video, Simone is thrust into the spotlight and finds herself failing at something for the first time in her life. To make matters worse, Simone has to deal with Ray Lyton, the new test kitchen manager, whose obnoxious cheer and outgoing personality are like oil to Simone&’s water. When Ray accidentally becomes a viral YouTube sensation with a series of homebrewing videos, their eccentric editor in chief forces Simone to work alongside the chipper upstart or else risk her beloved job. But the more they work together, the more Simone realizes her heart may be softening like butter for Ray. Things get even more complicated when Ray comes out at work as nonbinary to mixed reactions—and Simone must choose between the career she fought so hard for and the person who just might take the cake (and her heart).Chef's Choice: A Novel (Chef's Kiss #2)
Par Tj Alexander. 2023
&“Urgent and intimate.&” —The New York Times Book Review A fake dating arrangement turns to real love in this deliciously…
delightful queer rom-com from the author of the sweetly satisfying Chef&’s Kiss.When Luna O&’Shea is unceremoniously fired from her frustrating office job, she tries to count her blessings: she&’s a proud trans woman who has plenty of friends, a wonderful roommate, and a good life in New York City. But blessings don&’t pay the bills. Enter Jean-Pierre, a laissez-faire trans man and the heir to a huge culinary empire—which he&’ll only inherit if he can jump through all the hoops his celebrity chef grandfather has placed in his path. First hoop: he needs a girlfriend, a role that Luna is happy to play…for the right price. She&’s got rent to pay, after all! Second hoop: they both need to learn how to cook a series of elaborate, world-renowned family recipes to prove that Jean-Pierre is a worthy heir. Admittedly, Luna doesn&’t even know how to crack an egg, but she&’s not going to let that—or any pesky feelings for Jean-Pierre—stop her. Another swoon-worthy and heartwarming queer love story from a charming new voice in romance.PRE-ORDER THE BRAND NEW MILLY JOHNSON NOVEL, THE HAPPIEST EVER AFTER, COMING IN SPRING 2024!Together again after years apart, can…
they find a new beginning? The brilliant novel full of laughter, love, tears and hope from the Sunday Times bestselling author Milly Johnson. 'This masterpiece honestly describes the strength and acceptance required to be a family. 5 STARS' ADELE PARKS, Book of the Month, Platinum magazine 'Darkness and light, complexity and humour, Milly has nailed the perfect cocktail for a compelling, page-turning read. Absolutely magnificent.' VERONICA HENRY &‘Emotional, empowering and heart-wrenching – sisterhood at its finest&’ CATHY BRAMLEY Sisters Jolene, Marsha and Annis have convened at their beautiful family home, Fox House, following the death of their mother, the tricky Eleanor Vamplew. Born seven years apart, the women are more strangers than sisters. Jolene, the eldest, is a successful romantic novelist who writes about beautiful relationships even though her own marriage to the handsome and charming Warren is complicated. Marsha, the neglected middle child, has put all of her energy into her work, hoping money will plug the gap in her life left by the man who broke her young heart. Annis is the renegade, who left home aged sixteen and never returned, not even for the death of their beloved father Julian. Until now. So when the sisters discover that their mother has left everything to Annis in her will, it undermines everything they thought they knew. Can saying their final goodbyes to Eleanor bring them together again?Together, Again is the story of truths uncovered and lies exposed, of secrets told – and kept. It is a novel about sister helping sister to heal from childhood scars and finding in each other support, forgiveness, courage and love. Your favourite authors love Milly Johnson: &‘Reading a Milly Johnson book is like spending time with a best friend – you always end up feeling better about the world. Written with genuine warmth and heart, they&’re an absolute treat&’ Lucy Diamond &‘Milly Johnson always delivers an absolutely cracking read&’ Katie Fforde &‘One of those novels that draws you in to its world and makes you wish you could be friends with Shay. A tantalising juicy tale full of twists and turns that kept me gripped. Warm, funny and moving. One to curl up with and devour&’ Ruth Jones &‘The feeling you get when you read a Milly Johnson book should be bottled and made available on the NHS&’ Debbie Johnson &‘Milly&’s writing is like getting a big hug with just the right amount of bite underneath&’ Jane FallonThe Darlings: A Novel
Par Hannah McKinnon. 2023
On a secluded stretch of Cape Cod, a wedding is being planned at a beloved beach house—only for a long…
kept secret to emerge that hurtles both the wedding and the family off course, in this fresh, lyrical new novel from the acclaimed author of the &“charming and warmhearted&” (PopSugar) The Summer House.At age ninety-two, Tish Darling is the matriarch and protector of what&’s left of the Darling family fortune, including the decades-old beach house, Riptide. Located on the crook of Cape Cod, it&’s a place she once loved but has not returned to in decades, since a tragic family accident one perfect summer day. Still, she is determined to keep Riptide in the family. Even if that means going back there on the cusp of her granddaughter&’s wedding. Even if it means revealing someone else&’s truth. Her daughter-in-law Cora has her own complicated feelings surrounding Tish&’s return as well as doubts about her place within the Darling family. After all, Cora came into the family carrying a secret that her husband promised to keep for her forever. Tish&’s sudden return to Riptide may force everything they&’ve worked so hard to protect out into the light. Meanwhile, Cora&’s eldest daughter, Andi isn&’t exactly looking forward to her little sister&’s wedding so soon after her own divorce. To make matters worse, her ex has arrived on the Cape with his insufferable new girlfriend. Andi has no idea how she&’ll be able to survive this family reunion…until she bumps into an old friend from the past. A friend who may just offer her a second chance. As the three distinct generations of Darling women arrive at Riptide, they have no idea that this summer will forever change them. One old secret, kept with the best of intentions, threatens to not only divide the family, but shatter each member&’s sense of who they really are. Can the ties that bind survive, when the history you&’ve always been told turns out to be untrue?Duty & Devotion (Faith, Love, & Devotion #3)
Par Tere Michaels. 2014
Faith, Love, & Devotion: Book ThreeA year after deciding to share their lives, Matt and Evan are working on their…
happily ever after—which isn’t as easy as it looks. As life settles down into a routine, Matt finds happiness in his role as the ideal househusband of Queens, New York, but he worries about Evan’s continued workaholic—and emotionally avoidant—ways. Trying to juggle his evolving relationship with Evan and his children, Matt turns to his friend, former Seattle Homicide Detective Jim Shea.The continued friendship between Matt and Jim is a thorn in Evan’s side. Jealous and uncomfortable with imagining their brief affair, Evan struggles to come to terms with what being in a committed relationship with a man means, and the implications about his love for his deceased wife, the impact on his children, and how other people will view him. His turmoil threatens his relationship with Matt, who worries that Evan will once again chose a life without him. But now, the stakes are much higher.Faith & Fidelity (Faith, Love, & Devotion #1)
Par Tere Michaels. 2014
Faith, Love, & Devotion: Book OneReeling from the recent death of his wife, police officer Evan Cerelli looks at his…
four children and can only see how he fails them. His loving wife was the caretaker and nurturer, and now the single father feels himself being crushed by the pain of loss and the heavy responsibility of raising his kids.At the urging of his partner, Evan celebrates a coworker’s retirement and meets disgraced former cop turned security consultant Matt Haight. A friendship born out of loneliness and the solace of the bottle turns out to be exactly what they both need.The past year has been a slow death for Matt Haight. Ostracized from his beloved police force, facing middle age and perpetual loneliness, Matt sees only a black hole where his future should be. When he discovers another lost soul in Evan, some of the pieces he thought he lost start to fall back in place. Their friendship turns into something deeper, but love is the last thing either man expected, and both of them struggle to reconcile their new and overwhelming feelings for one another.Love & Loyalty (Faith, Love, & Devotion #2)
Par Tere Michaels. 2014
Faith, Love, & Devotion: Book TwoSeattle Homicide Detective Jim Shea never takes work home with him—until now. A judge banged…
his gavel, declared a defendant not guilty, and laid waste to a family. The emotional fallout of the trial leaves Jim vulnerable and duty-bound to the victim’s dying father.It’s that man’s story that screenwriter Griffin Drake and his best friend, actress Daisy Baylor, see as their ticket out of action blockbusters and into more serious fare. But to get the juicy details, Griffin needs to win over the stoic and protective Detective Shea. Their attraction is immediate, and Daisy encourages Griffin to use it to their advantage: secure the man, secure the story. Neither man has had much luck when it comes to love, and when their one night together evolves into a long weekend of rapidly intensifying feelings, both Griffin’s fierce loyalty to Daisy and his very career is put to the test.Because the more Griffin is drawn into a new life with Jim, the more his Hollywood life falls apart. Secrets and broken trust threaten Griffin’s relationships, and he’ll have to choose between telling the truth or writing a Hollywood ending.Apple y Rain
Par Sarah Crossan. 2014
Una de las autoras literarias de novela juvenil más galardonadas. Finalista del Premio Carnegie, del Irish BookAward 2015 y del…
Guardian's Children's Book 2016. Una novela que cura corazones destrozados. Cuando la madre de Apple regresa después de once años de ausencia, Apple se siente feliz de nuevo, y por fin puede tener respuesta a la pregunta que la ha acompañado durante tanto tiempo: ¿por qué te fuiste? Ahora tendrá a alguien que entiende de verdad qué significa ser adolescente, a diferencia de Nana, quien parece no comprenderla. Pero del mismo modo que la noche en la que su madre la abandonó, el regresoa casa de esta se acaba convirtiendo en algo agridulce, y Apple se preguntará de nuevo quién está realmente cuidando de quién. Una historia llena de emociones, que te hará reír y llorar. La crítica ha dicho...«Incluye poesía y creo que es algo que está genial. Totalmente recomendado.»Chococrispis «Narra una historia muy real y habitual en nuestro día a día.»Érase un libro «Genial intensidad narrada con las palabras justas en esta novela que os recomiendo sinceramente.»Fantasymundo«Es una preciosa historia llena de esperanza que me ha hecho reír y emocionarme.»Prácticamente magiaBurnt Sugar: A Novel
Par Avni Doshi. 2021
Shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize, a searing literary debut novel set in India about mothers and daughters, obsession and…
betrayal “I would be lying if I say my mother’s misery has never given me pleasure," says Antara, Tara’s now-adult daughter. This is a love story and a story about betrayal—not between lovers but between a mother and a daughter. . . . In her youth, Tara was wild. She abandoned her arranged marriage to join an ashram, embarked on a stint as a beggar (mostly to spite her affluent parents), and spent years chasing a disheveled, homeless “artist,” all with little Antara in tow. But now Tara is forgetting things, and Antara is an adult—an artist and married—and must search for a way to make peace with a past that haunts her as she confronts the task of caring for a woman who never cared for her. Sharp as a blade and laced with caustic wit, Burnt Sugar unpicks the slippery, choking cord of memory and myth that binds mother and daughter: Is Tara’s memory loss real? Are Antara’s memories fair? In vivid and visceral prose, Avni Doshi tells a story at once shocking and empathetic of a mother-daughter relationship and a daughter’s search for self. A journey into shifting memories, altering identities, and the subjective nature of truth, Burnt Sugar is the stunning and unforgettable debut of a major new voice in contemporary fiction.The Turtle Catcher: A Novel
Par Nicole Lea Helget. 2007
A young woman&’s secret may tear her rural Minnesota community apart, in this &“emotional tale of star-crossed love, vengeance and…
regret&” (Publishers Weekly). In the tumultuous days after World War I, Herman Richter returns from the front to find his only sister, Liesel, allied with Lester Sutter, the &“slow&” son of a rival clan who spends his days expertly trapping lake turtles. Liesel has sought Lester&’s friendship in the wake of her parents&’ deaths and in the shadow of her own dark secret. But what begins as yearning for a human touch quickly unwinds into a shocking, suspenseful tragedy that will haunt the rural town of New Germany, Minnesota, for generations. Woven into this &“great, rattling, breathless mystery&” (NPR&’s Weekend Edition) are the intense, illuminating experiences of German immigrants in America during the war and the terrible choices they were forced to make in service of their new country or in honor of the old. It is a vibrant, beautifully wrought look at a fascinating piece of American history—and the echoing dangers of family secrets. &“Historical fiction with a slight touch of magical realism, The Turtle Catcher is a moving portrait of difficult times and vividly realized characters&” (Booklist) from &“the most promising Minnesota writer in a generation&” (Minneapolis Star Tribune). &“One mark of a good book is that it keeps you up all night reading it. But if it&’s nearly dawn and the book is closed and you still can&’t sleep, the book&’s either brilliant or scary as hell. Nicole Helget&’s first novel, The Turtle Catcher, is both.&” —MinnPostPlot Twist: A Novel (The Hollywood Series #2)
Par Erin La Rosa. 2023
&“I give it five stars—and five chili pepper emojis.&” —Kate Spencer, author of In a New York MinuteShe&’s written off more than…
she can chew…Romance author Sophie Lyon&’s ironic secret just went viral: she&’s never been in love—and it&’s ruining her reputation. With a manuscript deadline looming, Sophie makes an ambitious plan to overcome her writer&’s block: reunite with her exes (including her last girlfriend Carla, the one person she could have loved) to learn why she&’s never fallen in love, and document it all for her millions of new online followers. Luckily, Sophie&’s reclusive landlord, Dash Montrose—a former teen heartthrob—has social media all figured out and is willing to help. What he doesn&’t mention is that he&’s an anonymous online crafter, a hobby that helps him maintain his sobriety. No one knows about his complicated relationship with alcohol, and with a family that&’s Hollywood royalty, Dash has to steer clear of scandal. As Sophie and Dash grow closer, they discover a heat between them that rivals Dash&’s pottery kiln. But Sophie needs to figure out who she is outside her relationships, and Dash isn&’t sure he&’s stable enough for the commitment she deserves. So Sophie suggests what any good romance author would: a friends-with-benefits arrangement. Surely a strictly casual relationship won&’t cause any trouble… &“Spicy. Sexy. Swoony. Rachel Lynn Solomon and Christina Lauren fans will love this story!&” —Suzanne Park, author of So We Meet Again and The Do-OverMi tío Pachunga
Par José Ignacio Valenzuela. 2018
¿Qué quieres ser de grande? ¿Por qué tus papás se pelean tanto? Son de esas preguntas que internet no puede…
responderte y mejor miras a las estrellas. "¡PACHUNGA! ¿Y AHORA QUÉ HAGO CONTIGO?", exclamó mi tío Nino viéndome de arriba abajo. Así es él, si está contento, aúlla de emoción, y si no le hace gracia, igual te lo dice con voz de orquesta.Es chistoso, pero mis papás no le tienen paciencia. Bueno, ni a mí, ni a las mascotas, ni siquiera entre ellos. Se van a ir de viaje solos, a ver si así solucionan sus problemas. Y mientras, yo tengo que vivir con Nino y sus treinta mil reglas raras. A veces anda de gala sin motivo, o hace trucos y te sorprende con lo que ni te imaginas, pero sospecho que mi tío lleva algo escondido en el corazón... Ilustraciones de Patricio BetteoA Very Inconvenient Scandal: A novel
Par Jacquelyn Mitchard. 2023
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jacquelyn Mitchard comes a page-turning family drama that explores the emotional consequences of loyalty, deception…
and jealousy. Stunned by her recently widowed father&’s reckless behavior, a young woman must learn to navigate a new world—where the people she should trust the most have become strangers she cannot trust at all.Frankie Attleboro returns home to Cape Cod with thrilling news. She&’s met the love of her life, and they&’re getting married with a baby on the way. That&’s the moment her father makes his own jaw-dropping announcement: at sixty, he&’s getting married as well, to Frankie&’s best friend, Ariel, who is also pregnant, and due soon.As Frankie and Ariel struggle to adjust to their new relationship, Ariel&’s estranged mother, Carlotta, returns after a decade-long absence. She claims to be a changed woman—but is she really? And where has she been all these years? Frankie is suspicious, and as Carlotta&’s unpredictable behavior intensifies, Frankie must untangle the threads of the past to protect Ariel&’s future—and her own."The characters and relationships are all smartly drawn, and the narrative is shot through with plenty of humor and scandal. Mitchard fans will lap this up."—Publishers WeeklyAn Ordinary Youth
Par Walter Kempowski. 1978
An Ordinary Youth is a novel drawn directly from the author's boyhood in Nazi Germany. Nine-year-old Walter's family is moving…
house when the novel opens, but Walter's main concerns are his tin soldiers and his older brother&’s jazz records, his father&’s fluctuating moods, and his mother&’s ministrations and anxieties. While Walter is absorbed by his private life, the extraordinary accumulation of contemporary idioms that accompany his point of view—dialogue, song, literary quotations, commercials, and political slogans—tell a different story. Through this echo chamber of voices, Kempowski shows a hugely turbulent and murderously intolerant nation racing toward disaster. An immediate bestseller when it was first published in Germany in 1971 (as Tadellöser & Wolff) and the best known of Kempowski's novels in Germany, An Ordinary Youth is now available in English for the first time.The Girls
Par John Bowen. 1986
A wry, macabre tale of simple living, brutal murder, and a reasonably happy couple. In their lovely old Cotswolds village,…
Janet and Susan are known to all the other villagers as &“the girls&”—a fixture. Partners in love and work, co-proprietors of a picturesque shop specializing in the work of local artisans and farmers, they lead an enviable, enviably settled life. So it&’s no catastrophe when Sue, the younger of the two, feels the need to take a month to travel on her own, leaving Jan alone to run their stall at the Inland Waterways Rally Craft Fair. Nor is it any real threat when a kindly gay man named Alan lends Jan a hand in Sue&’s absence, or when the two wind up sharing some wine and even a bunk for the night. If Jan turns out to be pregnant some weeks after Sue&’s return to the nest, what&’s that but cause for joy? And when Alan happens to come visiting, by and by, finding the delighted girls raising a beautiful baby boy, who can blame him for wanting to share in a small part of their bliss? Yes, theirs is an enviable, enviably settled life. And the girls will defend it with every tool at their disposal.Pritty
Par Keith F. Miller Jr.. 2023
Concrete Rose meets Things We Couldn’t Say in Pritty, a debut novel by Keith F. Miller Jr.—the inspiration behind the forthcoming animated short film of Kickstarter…
fame—that follows two boys who get caught in the crossfire of a sinister plot that not only threatens everything they love but may cost them their own chance at love. On the verge of summer before his senior year, Jay is a soft soul in a world of concrete. While his older brother is everything people expect a man to be—tough, athletic, and in charge—Jay simply blends into the background to everyone, except when it comes to Leroy.Unsure of what he could have possibly done to catch the eye of the boy who could easily have anyone he wants, Jay isn’t about to ignore the surprising but welcome attention. But as everything in his world begins to heat up, especially with Leroy, whispered rumors over the murder of a young Black journalist and long-brewing territory tensions hang like a dark cloud over his neighborhood. And when Jay and Leroy find themselves caught in the crossfire, Leroy isn’t willing to be the reason Jay’s life is at risk.Dragged into the world of the Black Diamonds—whose work to protect the Black neighborhoods of Savannah began with his father and now falls to his older brother—Leroy knows that finding out who attacked his brother is not only the key to protecting everyone he loves but also the only way he can ever be with Jay. Wading through a murky history of family trauma and regret, Leroy soon discovers that there’s no keeping Jay safe when Jay’s own family is in just as deep and fighting the undertow of danger just as hard.Now Jay and Leroy must puzzle through secrets hiding in plain sight and scramble to uncover who is determined to eliminate the Black Diamonds before someone else gets hurt—even if the cost might be their own electric connection.Happy: An imaginative and innovative debut novel for fans of Slumdog Millionaire
Par Celina Baljeet Basra. 2023
'A MIRACULOUS NOVEL' MEGHA MAJUMDAR 'PLAYFUL AND PROFOUND . . . USING WRY HUMOUR TO DELIVER A DEAD SERIOUS MESSAGE'…
MELISSA FU'A BONKERS STORY THAT READS LIKE A FINE TEN-COURSE MEAL' GARY SHTEYNGARTA young cinephile leaves his rural village in India with big dreams, only to find himself trapped in menial jobs and forced to work off a debt he may never repay. In a small farming village in Punjab, India, a boy crouches over his brother's phone in a rapeseed field watching clips of Godard's Bande à part on YouTube. His name is Happy Singh Soni and when he's not sleeping among the cabbages and eating sugary rotis, Happy dreams of becoming an actor, one who plays the melancholy roles; the sad, pretty boys, rare in Indian cinema. He plans a clandestine journey to Europe, where he'll finally land a breakout role. After a nightmarish passage to Italy, Happy still manages to find relief in food and fantasy, even as he is forced into ever-worsening work conditions on a radish farm by the syndicate involved in smuggling him to Europe to pay off the supposed debt they claim he has accrued. While disillusionment amongst the farm workers rise, Happy will find the love - and tragedy - that his favourite films always promised. At turns funny and heart-breaking, sunny and tragic, Happy is a formally ambitious novel about the psychic fissures produced by the splintering of nations, and the lovely, generative, artful coping mechanisms created by generations of diasporic people. With this ingenious, daringly cinematic debut, Celina Baljeet Basra argues for the things that are basic to human survival: food, water, shelter, but also pleasure, romance, art, and the right to a vivid inner life.Underburn: A Novel
Par Bill Gaythwaite. 2023
An ex-actress, her son, and his boyfriend flee the scorched California landscape in this &“wonderfully engaging tale of both family…
and the underside of fame.&” —Natalie Jenner, international-bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society Iris Flynn is an acerbic, self-sufficient seventy-three-year-old widow with a minor past as a B-list actress and a streamlined kitchen inspired by Marie Kondo. But her composed and simplified existence is disrupted when her son Frank lands on her doorstep after his rental home is destroyed in a wildfire, the latest in a string of personal setbacks for Frank. He arrives with Logan, his young and handsome boyfriend, a featured extra on a teen soap opera with a loyal Instagram following. Soon, news from Iris&’s estranged family in Maine forces everyone out of their comfort zone. Iris convinces Frank and Logan to travel with her to the potato farm from which she made a quick getaway fifty years earlier, unleashing a funny and poignant family saga about secrets, forgiveness, and the shifting map of the human heart. Underburn is an extraordinary story about family resilience, missed connections, and second chances that assures us it&’s sometimes okay to create our own Hollywood endings. &“Gaythwaite&’s debut novel Underburn mirrors the deceptive richness of the very generational ties it so charmingly explores: the long memories, conflicts big and small, surprisingly pivotal moments, and rediscovered bonds. One rarely encounters characters drawn with such candor, warmth, and humanity: you will gladly cheer and care for everyone as they seek to make peace with the past, while risking it all for a brand-new future.&” —Natalie Jenner