Author:Nina Bouraoui,Aneesa Abbas Higgins
'Intense, gorgeous, troubling, seductive - a novel that has to be surrendered to rather than read' Sarah Waters
AN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
WINNER OF AN ENGLISH PEN TRANSLATES AWARD
All Men Want to Know traces Nina Bouraoui's blissful childhood in Algeria, a wild, sun-soaked paradise, with hazy summer afternoons spent swimming, diving, and driving across the desert. Her mother is French, her father Algerian; when racial tensions begin to surface in their neighbourhood, her mother suffers an unspeakable act of violence that forces the family to flee the country.
In Paris, eighteen-year-old Nina lives alone. It's the 1980s. Four nights a week she makes her way to The Kat, a legendary gay nightclub, where she watches women from the sidelines, afraid of her own desires, her sudden and intoxicating freedom. In her solitude, she starts to write - and finds herself writing about her mother.
All Men Want to Know is a haunting, lyrical international bestseller about mothers and daughters, about shame and sexuality, about existing between two cultures and belonging to neither. A phenomenon in France, this is a defining portrait of womanhood from one of Europe's greatest living writers.
'Blown away by the power and lyricism of All Men Want to Know. What a book. Read it' Niven Govinden, author of THIS BRUTAL HOUSE
'Magnificent... a captivating autobiographical novel' Elle
'A tour de force' Le Figaro
'Haunting, spell-binding, luminous' Lire
Intense, gorgeous, troubling, seductive - a novel that has to be surrendered to rather than read
—— Sarah Waters, Booker-shortlisted author of Fingersmith, The Night Watch and The Little StrangerA tour de force
—— Le FigaroHaunting, spell-binding, luminous
—— LireAn incandescent writer
—— Les EchosMagnificent... a captivating autobiographical novel
—— ElleA deeply personal exploration of cultural and personal identity, sexuality and belonging. Raw and sensual, readers will be enraptured by the narrator's intense evocations of guilt, desire and longing
—— ScotsmanIt's a feel-good book, but what really stands out is Prue's voice. She's known a lot of pain, and it all comes out in a tone which is precise, impatient and cold, but which evokes immediate sympathy for her and perhaps reveals more vulnerability than Prue realises
—— HERALDWonderfully written, with both soul and intense drama - it glistens almost, like the mermaid!
—— Diana Evans, author of Ordinary PeopleStunning . . . A mesmerising read
—— Nathan Filer, Costa-winning author of The Shock of the FallExtraordinary, beautifully written . . . We found it completely compelling . . . It feels like a classic in the making
—— Costa Judges, 2020Magical touches blend with precise realism in this bittersweet tale of a mermaid trying to put the sea behind her
—— ObserverArresting . . . Truly original . . . deftly weaving myth, feminism, humour
—— Daily MailHugely entertaining . . . A joy to read, brimming with memorable characters
—— BBC NewsThe tantalising story of a mermaid loved and feared in equal measure . . . A book for our time
—— Ingrid Persaud, author of Love After LoveA dark love story between a fisherman and a mermaid torn from the sea . . . Moving
—— IndependentA dark love story between a fisherman and a mermaid torn from the sea... Touching on themes of love, loss, family and friendship, as well as the negative impacts of jealousy, it's a moving novel
—— IndependentSensuous, beguiling but without whimsy, Roffey's tale convincingly transplants a mythical creature into a modern setting - a striking achievement...wondrous
—— Sunday TimesNot your standard mermaid. No comb and glass, no Lorelei hair. No catch and release...
—— Margaret AtwoodMagical touches blend with precise realism in this bittersweet tale of a mermaid trying to put the sea behind her... What makes the novel sing is how Roffey fleshes out these mythical goings-on with pin-sharp detail from the real world, as Aycayia, hidden away in David's bedroom, navigates the perils (and pleasures) of life on land
—— ObserverThe Mermaid of the Black Conch arrives bearing tragedy and beauty. Monique Roffey has created a new myth for an age of ruined oceans. She continues to be one of our most exciting new Caribbean voices
—— A.L. KennedyArresting... where can Aycayia [the mermaid] be most free, asks this truly original novel, deftly weaving myth, feminism, humour and social realism
—— Daily MailWith easy prose and the tantalising story of a mermaid loved and feared in equal measure, [Roffey] draws the reader in... A book for our time
—— Ingrid PersaudMonique Roffey is a writer of verve, vibrancy and compassion, and her work is always a joy to read
—— Sarah HallMonique Roffey has a sharp, original way of looking at the world... an arrestingly poetic story
—— The Times[Monique Roffey] is the most adventurous of writers and The Mermaid of Black Conch does not disappoint... this is a strange, haunting, original and memorable novel about Aycayia, a mermaid from deep history who is entrapped and taken out of the sea... This is a novel packed with layers of meaning around womanhood, alienation, masculinity, toxic attitudes towards women, and inter-female rivalry, as well as love, compassion and the search for home
—— Bernardine EvaristoMonique Roffey is a unique talent and most daring and versatile of writers. I never know what to expect and I'm never disappointed
—— Bernardine EvaristoThe Mermaid of Black Conch is wonderfully written, with both soul and intense drama - it glistens almost, like the mermaid! I love its all-round charisma and also its great compassion for both humanity and the natural world
—— Diana EvansAn extraordinary, beautifully written, captivating, visceral book - full of mythic energy and unforgettable characters, including some tremendously transgressive women... It is utterly original - unlike anything we've ever read - and feels like a classic in the making from a writer at the height of her powers. It's a book that will take you to the furthest reaches of your imagination - we found it completely compelling
—— Costa Judges, 2020A fiercely modern mermaid story... Roffey subverts the fairtyale... The narrative is interspersed with poetry, journal entries, recollections and passages that give insight into various characters' perspectives; this entertaining novel, like Aycayia [the mermaid], is itself a shape-shifting curiosity.
—— The TimesI would definitely recommend The Mermaid of Black Conch...a bittersweet love story between a beautiful young woman cursed to live as a mermaid and a fisherman... a joy to read, brimming with memorable characters and vivid descriptions... a hugely entertaining and thought-provoking novel
—— Rebecca Jones , BBC NewsRoffey doesn't limit herself to simple romance, but delves into themes of corruption, prejudice, ecology and more
—— Rihannon Thomas , Radio TimesMagical
—— Maggie O'Farrell , Sunday TimesThe novel is a unique Caribbean fable that takes the familiar story of a mermaid abruptly thrust onshore and brings it to a new place. It reads like the work of a novelist in command of her material and focused on using a mythic 'then' to speak to now
—— Malachi McIntosh, Fiction Chair, OCM Bocas Prize 2021A lyrical love story about a mermaid and a fisherman, but equally, transformation and ancient ways. It's exquisite
—— Sophie Dahl[A] beautiful book... Roffey's writing is lyrical and filled with magic, but there is plenty of bittersweet realism to ground it
—— Sophie Dahl , Daily MailA very beautiful, haunting book
—— StageBusting with witty and poignant observations about the messiness of family
—— Jenna Bush Hager , Read with Jenna Book Club PickEmma Straub has done it again! All Adults Here introduces us to the Stricks, a delightfully flawed family, with matriarch Astrid at the centre...I know I've been having trouble adulting during this time (seriously, I have to cook, again?!), and the characters in this novel feel like they're struggling right alongside me
—— Read It ForwardAll Adults Here will make you question your entire childhood
—— Marie Claire USAll Adults Here is deliciously funny and infectiously warm - a clever blend of levity and poignant insights. Straub's flair for irony and wit shine, and she puts a fresh (and progressive) spin on the age-old multigenerational family saga
—— Washington PostThe queen of the summer novel...we have turned to Emma Straub to bring us highly enjoyable, yet still thought-provoking, tales about witty protagonists in the throes of life changes
—— Entertainment WeeklyStraub's novel takes her signature wit upstate, exploring the complexities of small-town life and what it's
like to live as an adult in the same place where you grew up
If you've spent lockdown at home with the family, this one might just ring true for you. A witty, warm and thoroughly entertaining novel. Relatable
—— LuxeIt takes rare skill to make everyday family ups and downs so pleasurable to read but Straub brings both a deceptive light touch and a flinty sense of humour to this breezy big-hearted portrait of ordinary people trying to negotiate the landscape of being a grown up. A superior slice of domestic fiction for fans of Anne Tyler and Ann Patchett
—— MetroPulsating with perceptive wit . . . entertaining
—— Sunday PostGreat for fans of Liane Moriarty
—— Harpers BazaarWhips along with feel-good momentum, driven by warmth and love
—— Press AssociationWarm, witty, perceptive. Anne Tyler on laughing gas
—— Saga MagazineWritten with true warmth and wit
—— BellaPraise for Emma Straub
—— -It's the beautifully drawn, vibrant characters that make this smart, compelling novel so irresistible
—— Liane MoriartyFunny, poignant and beautifully observed
—— Jojo MoyesStraub writes beautifully and amusingly . . . hard to beat for sheer charm and gentle wit
—— Daily MailSmart and entertaining
—— StylistHugely talented . . . intelligent holiday reading
—— Woman's Hour, BBC Radio 4Warm and big-hearted . . . leaves you smiling for days
—— Maria Semple , bestselling author of Where'd You Go, BernadetteStraub writes with such verve and sympathetic understanding of her characters . . . Reading this novel has all the pleasures of reading one of Anne Tyler's compelling family portraits
—— New York TimesA funny and insightful look at love and relationships
—— Good HousekeepingWritten with true warmth and wit
—— BellaA smart, cool sensibility
—— ElleLovely, satisfying
—— EW.comSmart and fresh, offering new insights into the lives of people all around us
—— Brooklyn MagazineThoughtful and hilarious
—— Real SimpleIt would be easy to compare Straub to other masters of the genre like Meg Wolitzer or Jennifer Egan, but she's already a master in her own right
—— The MillionsWise and often hilarious
—— BuzzfeedReaders will devour this witty and warmly satisfying novel
—— Publishers WeeklyA precise and observant writer whose supple prose carries the story along without a snag. Straub's characters are a quirky and interesting bunch . . . it's a pleasure spending time with them
—— Starred Review , KirkusDevilishly observed
—— Starred Review , BooklistSprinkled with humour and insight
—— Starred Review , Library JournalStraub is consistently excellent
—— Book Riot