Author:Intan Paramaditha,Stephen J Epstein

*The most unusual novel you will read all year, where you create your own story*
'An ingenious choose-your-own-adventure challenge' Lauren Elkin, Guardian
Longlisted for the 2021 Stella Prize
You've grown roots, you're gathering moss. You're desperate to escape your boring life teaching English in Jakarta, to go out and see the world. So you make a Faustian pact with a devil, who gives you a gift, and a warning. A pair of red shoes to take you wherever you want to go.
Turn the page and make your choice.
You may become a tourist or an undocumented migrant, a mother or a murderer, and you will meet other travellers with their own stories to tell. Freedom awaits but borders are real. And no story is ever new.
'Sets you free to roam the Earth... an incisive commentary on the cosmopolitan condition' Tiffany Tsao
'An electrifying novel about cosmopolitanism and global nomadism that keeps readers on their toes' Book Riot
Winner of an English PEN Translates Award, and a Heim Translation Fund Grant from PEN America
An ingenious choose-your-own-adventure challenge... Questions such as: “Where am I going?”... “Which choice will make my life worthwhile?” feel existential and urgent... Who can travel, and on what conditions, is one of the primary human rights questions of our era, and The Wandering skilfully takes it on.
—— Lauren Elkin , GuardianWith its choose-your-own adventure structure, The Wandering is fiction at its most lifelike, presenting the reader with choices and inevitable misgivings... It is also fiction at its most untethered, where readers can hurl themselves across time zones, selves and situations, free of risk, danger or discrimination.
—— Matthew Janney , GuardianAn ingeniously crafted debut which lets you make your own choices about where you want the story to go. This is an electrifying novel about cosmopolitanism and global nomadism that keeps readers on their toes.
—— Rabeea Saleem , Book RiotSets you free to roam the Earth... an incisive commentary on the cosmopolitan condition.
—— Tiffany TsaoThe perfect match of theme and genre...impeccably executed... This book is escapism taken to the next level, while still making serious and significant comments about modern societies... Paramaditha excels at mordant observations about migration, the brutality of Trump’s America, the falsehood of the American dream, and the personal dimension of the 'refugee crisis'... [It] made me think about the world, about chance and fate and the choices we make.
—— Helen Vassallo , Translating WomenA cleverly crafted tale about the illusion of free will, and the stakes and pressures that accompany the choices influenced by one’s identity in the world.
—— Cher Tan , The Saturday PaperA story of migration, of searching the world for happiness and hoping that it will be found over the next page (or if you turn to page 42)... While it might seem at first to be a book about travel, it is in fact a tale of belonging... A deeply affecting, intensely personal novel that uses its experimental method of storytelling to worm its way into your very bones... an interactive adventure like no other.
—— Will Heath , Books and BaoIntan Paramaditha shakes up her readers. Her stories reveal that the most terrifying thing in life is not one of the supernatural ghosts that populate her work, but human prejudice. As far as I’m concerned, only writers of genius are able to convey a layered and nuanced world, and Paramaditha is one of them.
—— Eka KurniawanThis is a book for the new age - put yourself in the shoes of a global nomad and choose which way you want to go.
—— BNE Magazine AustraliaThe light from Laura Zigman’s new novel, “Separation Anxiety,” is generated by a kind of literary nuclear fusion: an intense compression of grief and humor.... [Zigman] has a great humorist’s eye for the comedy we’ve seen but overlooked
—— Washington Post'A hilarious yet thought-provoking exploration of the middle-aged limbo.... With wit and tenderness, Zigman explores life's most important relationships as they develop and change over time.'
—— EMMA STRAUBThere are some very funny moments, but it’s also insightful about midlife disappointment and starting over.
—— GOOD HOUSEKEEPINGA triumph of friendship and storytelling . . . Separation Anxiety confronts the stark plateau of middle age with humor and grace. It’s a book that transforms fractured domesticity into a more honest sense of community and selfhood with great wit and enormous heart.
—— New York ObserverSeparation Anxiety] imparts a life-affirming vigor... Judy is a natural comedian and Zigman has gifted her with a fiercely singular voice.
—— Boston Globe' Like its messy, flawed heroine, Separation Anxiety is so easy to relate to, and to love.’
—— CULTURE FLYA warm-hearted, acutely-observed and knowing revelation of what it feels like when everything starts to go south.
—— WI LIFEClose to perfection
—— Christina Hardyment , The Times, *Audiobooks of the Year*Lawson's writing is clear and emotive... In this poignant novel, rightfully recognised by the Booker judges, the steadfastness of children brings solace to lost grown-ups
—— Francesca Carington , Sunday Telegraph, *Novel of the Week*There's a beauty and simplicity in her [Lawson's] stories set in small-town Canada
—— Nina Pottell , PrimaAnne Tyler is a big fan of this Canadian author and so am I
—— Good HousekeepingA lovely, gentle novel with edge, worthy of Anne Tyler
—— SagaLawson's writing is such that it appears effortless but, as all the strands come together to create a rich and satisfying tapestry, her genius for storytelling becomes apparent.
—— Irish IndependentCompletely absorbing... A Town Called Solace pleases at every level. It's a captivating tale suffused with wisdom and compassion
—— Brett Josef Grubisic , Toronto Star[In A Town Called Solace] doubts, difficulties and uncertainties of the human condition are examined carefully in a way that is both heartbreaking and joyful
—— Bridie Pritchard , UK Press SyndicationSubtle and darkly funny, this tender novel unspools the interconnected lives of her beautifully drawn characters, as they grapple with grief and loss, while steadfastly hoping for a change of happiness in the face of life's uncertainties
—— Eithne Farry , UK Press Syndication[Lawson] writes an unpretentious prose that zings with metaphorical vim and humour
—— Tablet, *Summer Reads of 2021*Exquisitely poignant
—— Liane Moriarty , Good Housekeeping[An] absorbing novel
—— Sunday Express, *Summer Reads of 2022*An assured and engaging look at one of my favourite subjects: what we owe to other people. How long must we keep their secrets, and how long do we wait for those we love? Darkened by pain, A Town Called Solace is nonetheless a kindly book; Clara's lost sister flashes through it like a red-winged blackbird. Warm, clear, and beautifully grounded in the bedrock of the Canadian Shield
—— Marina Endicott, author of Good to a Fault and The Difference'One of the best books I've read in a long time. Original, engaging and unforgettable'
—— Sunday Times bestselling author, Sarah MorganBeautifully written, thought provoking and uplifting, The Authenticity Project is a warm and endearing tale about truth, friendship and the power of connection. Pooley's characters will stay with you long after you turn the final page. It was a joy to read
—— Mike Gayle






