Recommendations from our site
“A difficult relationship between a father and son forms the heart of this book: Cal is a graduate who has returned home after fashion school, and his father John is a repressed, lonely man with secrets of his own. Set in the nineties, this lovely novel evokes a rich sense of time and place, drawing out the social world of the island of Harris.” Read more...
The Best Novels of 2026: The Booker Prize Shortlist
Rebecca Liu, Journalist
“This is Douglas Stuart’s third novel. It follows a young, gay artist as he returns to the Scottish Outer Hebrides, where he grew up as the closeted son of a dour Presbyterian crofter and lay preacher. There, he encounters many people from his past, many of whom are hiding secrets of their own. “ Read more...
Must-Read Novels of Early 2026
Cal Flyn, Five Books Editor
