An Olive Grove in Ends

*** ONE OF THE OBSERVER'S 10 MUST-READ DEBUT NOVELISTS OF 2022 ***

'A rare glimpse into the harsh realities of street life and love in luminous prose rendered with sensitivity and without sentimentalism. An astonishing debut' Cherie Jones author of HOW THE ONE-ARMED SISTER SWEEPS HER HOUSE

Sayon Hughes a young Black man from Bristol dreams of a world far removed from the one in which he was raised. Far removed from the torn slips outside the bookie's the burnt spoons and the crooked solutions his community embraces; most of all removed from the Christianity of his uncaring parents and the prejudice of law-makers.

Growing up Sayon found respite from the chaos of his environment in the love and loyalty of his brother-in-arms Cuba; in the example of his cousin Hakim a man once known as the most infamous drug-dealer in their neighbourhood now a proselytising Muslim; and in the tenderness of his girl Shona whose own sense of purpose galvanises Sayon's.

In return Sayon wants to give the people he loves the world: a house atop a grand hill in the most affluent area of the city a home in which they can forever find joy and safety. But after an altercation in which a boy is killed Sayon finds his loyalties torn and his dream of a better life in peril.

MORE PRAISE FOR AN OLIVE GROVE IN ENDS:

'A remarkable debut bristling with sharp prose and daring originality' Nathan Harris author of THE SWEETNESS OF WATER

'A phenomenally good novel tense and thrilling and complex with breath-stealing moments on every page' Donal Ryan author of STRANGE FLOWERS

'This consummately crafted work can only be a harbinger of a stellar and truly significant career. I urge you to read it' Patrick McCabe author of THE BUTCHER BOY

'Engrossing . . . A tough yet tender story of faith and friendship' OBSERVER