Mongrel: Shortlisted for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize 2024

THE DEBUT NOVEL THAT'LL STEAL YOUR HEART <BR>SHORTLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONES DEBUT FICTION PRIZE 2024<BR><BR>'So beautiful ... Simply, it must be read' LISA TADDEO<BR>'This feels like reading an Oscar-winning film' AISLING BEA<BR>'Heart-shatteringly visceral and precise' WIZ WHARTON<BR>'Compulsive, engrossing, and gorgeous ... Read it now' STEPHANIE SCOTT<BR><BR> Mei loses her Japanese mother at age six. Growing up in suburban Surrey, she yearns to fit in, suppressing not only her heritage but her growing desir e for her best friend Fran.<BR><BR>Yuki leaves the Japanese countryside to pursue her dream of becoming a concert violinist in London. Far from home and in an unfamiliar city, she finds herself caught up in the charms of her older teacher.<BR><BR>Haruka attempts to navigate Tokyo's nightlife and all of its many vices, working as a hostess in the city's sex district. She grieves a mother who hid so many secrets from her, until finally one of those secrets comes to light . . .<BR><BR>Shifting between three intertwining narratives, Mongrel reveals a tangled web of desire, isolation, belonging and ultimately, hope.<BR><BR>5 Star Reader Reviews: 'Utterly captivating' | 'Achingly real' | 'Moving and unforgettable' | 'Stunning yet heartbreaking' | 'Devastating, powerful' | 'Easily one of the best books I've ever read'