'A magical novel, so uplifting, heartwarming, funny ... Feels as if it was written specifically to give comfort' MARIAN KEYES

'Warm and addictive . . . escapism at its finest' i paper
'If you're looking for a perfect holiday read, this is it' Red
'A slice of sunshine in book form' Good Housekeeping

Sail to the tropical paradise where secrets don't stay hidden for long ...

Zoologist Charlotte Walker has taken up a fellowship on the tiny, remote island of Tuga de Oro to study the endangered gold coin tortoises in the jungle interior. She can claim the best of reasons for this year in paradise - what better motivation than to save a species? - but the reality is more complex. For Charlotte has a secret that connects her to the island and has finally determined to solve the mystery ...

A complete and vivid world to escape to, Welcome to Glorious Tuga celebrates a fictional island, and the warm-hearted families who live there. Enchanting, uplifting and very funny, this is a captivating novel about love, belonging, and what it really means to come home.

'A gorgeous book ... brilliantly and thoroughly imagined. I didn't want to go home' NICK HORNBY

'Sparkling and sophisticated ... reminded me of the pleasures to be had in reading' JESSIE BURTON

'Imagine a modern-day Jane Austen washed up on a fictional island ... Warm, clever, thoughtful, funny, moving and brilliantly written' ELIZABETH DAY
Winner of the Costa Award for First Novel, 2012

About the Author

Francesca Segal is an award-winning writer and journalist. She is the author of two critically acclaimed novels, The Innocents (2012) and The Awkward Age (2017), and a memoir of NICU motherhood, Mother Ship (2019). Her writing has won the 2012 Costa First Novel Award, a Betty Trask Award, and been longlisted for the Women's Prize.

Segal says: 'Writing this novel was a deliberate reaching out for joy. The world can feel very bleak, and bringing Tuga to life became my own magical portal to wide beaches, crystal seas, endless sunshine, and most vitally, to a warm, eccentric community of good people mostly just trying to do their best. Tuga de Oro was a refuge for its first settlers, and I hope will offer refuge for readers, too.'

Reviews
'If you're looking for the perfect holiday read without even going on holiday, just as a much-needed escape from it all, I warmly recommend this beauty . . . Cannot wait for the next volume in the series' * Nigella Lawson *
'A magical novel, so uplifting, heartwarming, funny . . . I cannot TELL you how much I adored it! This feels as if it was written specifically to give comfort - the perfect antidote to current climes' * Marian Keyes, author of GROWN UPS *
'For anyone feeling a bit battered by life, this novel is the tonic ... It's a book to escape into (who doesn't want to be on a tropical island?) but it's also a book about community ... [Segal's] descriptions of the island and its inhabitants are elegantly written, lush and vivid' * Pandora Sykes *
'If you can imagine a modern-day Jane Austen washed up on a fictional island ... you would get close to the wonder of Francesca Segal's new novel. But you wouldn't capture it completely because Segal has a style and wit all of her own. WELCOME TO GLORIOUS TUGA is warm, clever, thoughtful, funny, moving and brilliantly written. I relished every page and can't wait to press it into everyone's hands' * Elizabeth Day, author of MAGPIE *
'Perfect for summer . . . Immersive, vibrant and funny' * Nina Stibbe, 'Your holiday reading 2024' Guardian *
'WELCOME TO GLORIOUS TUGA is a gorgeous book ... Everything, right down to the fruit, has been brilliantly and thoroughly imagined. I didn't want to go home' * Nick Hornby, author of ABOUT A BOY *
'Sparkling and sophisticated, Welcome To Glorious Tuga is a rare joy. With a cast of complex characters who will restore your belief in humanity, and a tropical setting to escape into, Francesca Segal's novel reminded me of the pleasures to be had in reading. Profound and comic by turns, she has made us an offering of light, and I would recommend every reader take it' * Jessie Burton, author of THE MINIATURIST and THE HOUSE OF FORTUNE *
'A warm, funny, totally addictive novel, with characters, locations, and wisdom that stay with you long after you finish reading. Welcome to Glorious Tuga provided me with the escape I needed, before I realised that I even needed it' * Sathnam Sanghera, author of EMPIRELAND *
'Pure joy in book form, a hilarious, inviting holiday for the spirit' * Naomi Alderman, author of THE POWER *
'What a treat to spend time in glorious Tuga, where birds are protected and ice pops handed out to children, where donkeys are ridden like communal bicycles, and Charlotte struggles to shake off the dilemma she arrives with. Moving and funny, and fabulously imagined, I was with her through every twist and turn' * Esther Freud, author of HIDEOUS KINKY *
'I really enjoyed this charming and beautifully written novel. It's original and uplifting and full of humour, intrigue and colour' * Santa Montefiore. *
'Francesca Segal's fantastic and exuberant novel, Welcome to Glorious Tuga, asserts that 'small islands are drama factories' and in the case of this book, it's because of the unforgettable characters who populate this tropical setting. Told with such a potent mixture of tenderness and comedy, this is a story you can't forget, a world you won't want to leave' * Kevin Wilson, author of Now Is Not the Time to Panic and Nothing to See Here *
'Welcome to Glorious Tuga will draw you in and demand-with a warm smile-that you embrace island life and stay a while. Francesca Segal's latest asks hard questions about what it means to belong, while charming with an irresistible cast of characters who are deliciously intertwined. A delight from start to finish!' * Shelby Van Pelt, author of instant New York Times bestseller, Remarkably Bright Creatures *
'Slow down, grab a Fizzycan and join ambitious herpetologist Charlotte Walker on lush and tropical Tuga, the most remote inhabited island in the world. In this wry, lively, uplifting, sometimes perilous, often hilarious novel, Charlotte ultimately discovers just how far from home she must go to find herself. A pure delight' * Valerie Martin, author of PROPERTY *
A joyful escape - funny, tender and wise * Fiona Valpy, author of The Dressmaker's Gift *
This warm and completely addictive novel is escapism at its finest * i *
Stunningly well-written; full of great characters; warm and wise; twisty and dramatic, this is a novel I never wanted to end. I hope desperately for a sequel * Daily Mail *
Beautifully written, this is a glorious dose of pure summer escapism * Glamour *
[Welcome to Glorious Tuga has] Brilliant characters and stunning descriptions that will transport you far away * Woman & Home *
If you're looking for a perfect holiday read, this is it * Red *
'This book takes you to an island which is both magical and feels real and accessible. A perfect read for summer' * Mishal Husain *
Reading this in rainy London, it was like having sand between my toes and a cocktail in my hand. Fun and joyous; Segal was moved to write it as an "escape hatch" and she has more than succeeded * Jewish Chronicle *
Sharp, funny, and infused with perfectly judged romance and enchantment, it's the first in a projected trilogy - which is just as well, since Tuga is a world you won't want to leave * Mail on Sunday *
A slice of sunshine in book form!... The descriptions of the island and its community are particularly gorgeous * Good Housekeeping, *Summer Reads of 2024* *



Book Information
ISBN 9781784745387
Author Francesca Segal
Format Hardback
Page Count 368
Imprint Chatto & Windus
Publisher Vintage Publishing
Weight(grams) 585g
Dimensions(mm) 242mm * 161mm * 37mm