A funny, addictive and poignant novel about what happens when the lines between friendship, romance, and family begin to blur.

'Loved this clever and funny novel' Anna Mazzola

Kessie and Robin have been best friends since they were small. Now they've reached their mid-thirties, and biological clocks are ticking loudly. But Kessie is single, Robin's partner is ambivalent about trying for a baby, and single parenting sounds almost impossible.

When one of them gets pregnant, the other finds herself helping out to an extent that neither had expected. How far is a supportive friend supposed to go? What do you do when you feel like a mother to a child who isn't yours? Are there alternative ways to conceive of a family?

'Wiles writes with humour, tenderness and wisdom' Marianne Levy

The thought-provoking and hilarious new novel about friendship and family, for 2024

About the Author

Ellen Wiles grew up in Reading and did a music degree at Oxford before turning to human rights and working as a lawyer in Thailand, Botswana, Myanmar and London. Her debut novel, The Invisible Crowd, was inspired by a case she worked on as a barrister, and was a Guardian Readers' book of the year and winner of the Victor Turner Prize for ethnographic writing. She is also the author of Saffron Shadows (2015), a book about literature, censorship and culture in Myanmar. She is a lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Exeter, and is the mother of two small children.

Reviews

'Ellen Wiles shows us how legal forces can shape our most intimate lives. This novel reminds us that chosen families are as complicated, messy and thick with love as biological ones.' Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of The Sleepwatcher

Praise for the author

'A book that makes you see the world differently' Jacinda Ardern, Former Prime Minister of New Zealand

'A wonderful book - brilliantly vivid and human, and I was completely taken up by the story. The characters felt real and the depiction of the shadow world of refugees and how we regard them rang true. I'm so glad to have read it and hope it reaches many people.' Maurice Wren, Chief Executive of the Refugee Council

'A compelling contemporary story that shines a light on the lives of migrants and refugees and our search for common humanity'. Sita Brahmachari, author of Artichoke Hearts

'A fierce, big-hearted novel that celebrates the power of compassion and the resilience of the human spirit. It takes a special gift to explore an issue so urgent and so complex in such an emotionally satisfying way. Ellen Wiles has this gift.' Joe Treasure, author of The Book of Air

'A sensitive, affecting novel, which looks behind the headlines to explore the experience of an asylum seeker in the UK' Francesca Rhydderch, author of The Rice Paper Diaries

'A deeply felt novel using a technique that literally 'gets behind the headlines' on asylum' Tim Finch, author of The House of Journalists

'A brilliant novel that gives voice to those often silenced or dispossessed' Paul Burston, author of The Black Path

'I absolutely loved it. It's beautifully written, fascinating, emotional, serious, brilliant'. Gemma Seltzer, author of Speak to Strangers

Book Information
ISBN 9780008267889
Author Ellen Wiles
Format Paperback
Page Count 432
Imprint HQ
Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
Weight(grams) 280g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 27mm