Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers

Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers

LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2021

'A WORD-OF-MOUTH HIT' Evening Standard

'A very fine book... It's witty and sharp and reads like something by Barbara Pym or Anita Brookner, without ever feeling like a pastiche' David Nicholls

'Perfect' India Knight

'Beautiful' Jessie Burton

'Wonderful' Richard Osman

'Miraculous' Tracy Chevalier

'A wonderful novel. I loved it' Nina Stibbe

'Effortless to read, but every sentence lingers in the mind' Lissa Evans

'This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. I honestly don't want you to be without it' Lucy Mangan

'Gorgeous... If you're looking for something escapist and bittersweet, I could not recommend more' Pandora Sykes

'Remarkable... Small Pleasures is no small pleasure' The Times

'An irresistible novel - wry, perceptive and quietly devastating' Mail on Sunday

'Chambers' eye for undemonstrative details achieves a Larkin-esque lucidity' Guardian

'An almost flawlessly written tale of genuine, grown-up romantic anguish' The Sunday Times

Synopsis:

Set in 1957, in the suburbs of South East London, Jean Swinney is a journalist on a local paper, trapped in a life of duty and disappointment. When a young woman, Gretchen Tilbury, claims her daughter is the result of a virgin birth, Jean must uncover the truth—miracle or fraud. As her investigation turns her quiet life upside down, Jean is unexpectedly offered a chance at friendship, love, and possibly happiness, but there will inevitably be a price to pay.

Book of the Year for: The Times, Daily Telegraph, Evening Standard, Daily Express, Metro, Spectator, Red Magazine, and Good Housekeeping

Details: 368 pages; Published: 29/04/2021