An exquisitely observed story of passion and friendship

I loved this so much. Thought-provoking, emotionally intelligent and beautifully written

Carol Anshaw has written a wonderful character in Cate, who is juggling a series of events and relationships, none of which quite connect or overlap with each other. The writing is smart and often funny, and the detail, perceptive and brilliantly observed. I loved being submerged in Cate's chaotic life, and even as I closed the last page, I was completely sure that she and all the other characters were alive and well, and continuing to muddle through, somewhere in Chicago

Anshaw crafts an engaging narrative with her customary precision and tart humor. Another treat from the great Anshaw: sharply observed, unsentimentally compassionate, always cognizant of life's complexities

Anshaw brings a fresh, keen voice to this story of modern lesbian life...[it] will captivate readers

Here's passion and addiction, guilt and damage, all the beautiful mess of family life, Carry the One will lift readers off their feet and bear them along on its eloquent tide

Superb . . . Anshaw sees her characters with startling clarity, an acute alertness to nuance, and no small helping of warmth and humour. A marvellous novel, grown-up, smart and emotionally intelligent

Her deftly episodic novel of love, time and off-beat family life is warm, generous and wise. Enormously engaging

Beautifully observed . . . intimately dissects how one event or choice can alter the trajectory of a life, how a fork in the road can lead to wholly unexpected and divergent outcomes

'Beautifully written...there is a true and wonderful ending to the story'

'Wistful and poignant. A masterpiece in Chekhovian understatement'

'Exciting, evocative and beautifully written. A treasure in itself'

'Shimmers with longing and regret . . . Preston writes with economical grace . . . He has written a kind of universal chamber piece, small in detail, beautifully made and liable to linger on in the heart and the mind. It is something utterly unfamiliar, and quite wonderful'

[It] is pleasingly baffling, suggesting hidden depths and multiple layers without ever quite revealing them.

What stands out, and stays with you, is the fable-like aura which makes this feel like a children’s book for adults.

Coetzee doesn’t want to be understood, or explained. He wants, merely, to be read. The Schooldays of Jesus is, indeed, very readable.

The prose is limpid, the plot simple, the style hypnotic, but what it all means I wouldn’t like to say.