No Small Thing

(Hardback, Main)

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'A gem of a book about mothers and daughters, about being Black and working class in today's London. Beautiful writing, taut with emotion, poetry and insight' Priscilla Morris, Women's Prize shortlisted author of Black Butterflies

For a year, the three of them live in the flat below Earl's on the Blossom View Estate.

Livia, who has been running for long enough to think her past might never catch up with her. But now she's been forced to catch her breath and face the daughter she left behind.

Mickey, who is angry: about having a mother who left, a father who died, about the mess she's made of her life. And with no other place to go, she's forced to need the very person who abandoned her.

And Summer, whose new grandmother is weird, and whose mum is always sad or out looking for men to distract her. Left to roam, she seeks refuge with new friends, ones who are willing to give her the attention that Mickey won't. But who are these kind strangers, and will they keep her safe

When the year ends, the family of three becomes two. Burning with hope and desire, this is a debut novel about motherhood, class and race, which sings a soulful song about the damage we do to the people we love most.

Reviews

'A gem of a book about mothers and daughters, about being Black and working class in today's London. Beautiful writing, taut with emotion, poetry and insight.' - Priscilla Morris, Women's Prize shortlisted author of Black Butterflies

'Raw and beautiful: the joys and the torments of the mother-daughter bond, cascading down three brilliantly-observed generations' - Francis Spufford, author of Light Perpetual

'An absolute gem of class literature that's sexy, politically astute, emotionally intelligent, and rivetingly paced in prose that eases between fiery and tender, just like the relationships it so beautifully draws us into' - Holly Pester, author of The Lodgers

'A moving story of maternal love, desire and damage. Orlaine McDonald explores the destructive and redeeming power of this defining relationship when the lives of grandmother, daughter and granddaughter collide over the course of a life changing summer. A bold debut, beautifully written' - Marie-Claire Amuah, author of One for Sorrow, Two for Joy

'Beautifully layered and compelling, No Small Thing is a rich and poetic exploration of love, loss and betrayal across three generations of women - a multifaceted and important story of mothers and daughters told with tenderness and warmth. A bold and powerful debut' - Sussie Anie, author of To Fill a Yellow House

Author Bio

Orlaine McDonald is a writer of Jamaican and Irish heritage with a background in Arts Education for young people, People Referral Units and Youth Offending Units. She has a Masters in Creative and Life Writing from Goldsmiths, where she was shortlisted for the Pat Kavanagh Prize. Her poetry and short fiction have been featured in Smoke Magazine, Fish Anthology and Acumen. No Small Thing is her first novel.