In the early 1980s, Glasgow is in decline, Thatcher's policies have plunged entire families into unemployment, and everyone is trying to survive in every possible way. Agnes Bain had greater expectations for life. She dreams of grander things: her own home, a life with bigger luxuries, like those she sees in magazines, anything that could somewhat brighten her gray existence.

She tries to maintain her dignity by staying well-groomed and beautiful, but ultimately resorts to drinking, finding increasing relief in it. When her husband leaves her, Agnes and her three children find themselves in a dead end in this broken city. And as she sinks deeper into alcoholism, the children will be forced to leave, to save themselves.

But little Shug stays. And he never stops hoping. He hopes that the days to come will be better, that his mother will be saved. At the same time, he struggles to find his identity, to understand who he is and why everyone treats him as something different. A deeply moving story about addiction, poverty, and sexuality, but above all a story about love.

Douglas Stuart, with raw yet tender writing, speaks about deprivation, abuse, and broken families. Yet through the darkness, he reveals the light, the devotion, and ultimately the hope.

BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021 AND BEST DEBUT NOVEL 2021 BRITISH BOOK AWARDS. SUE KAUFMAN AWARD FROM THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND LETTERS. SCOTTISH AUTHOR OF THE YEAR 2020 THE WATERSTONES. NOMINATED FOR 8 MORE AWARDS.

This debut novel left us speechless, creating an astonishingly intimate, compassionate, and shocking portrait of addiction, courage, and love. It is a desperately sad, almost hopeful examination of family and the oppressive forces of desire. Booker Prize Jury.

THE PRESS WROTE: A novel that digs into the dirt and gloom of 1980s Glasgow to reveal a story that touches and captivates from the very first moment. Think D.H. Lawrence. Think James Joyce... A literary triumph. Washington Independent Review of Books.

Just as Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting carved a permanent spot in our hearts and minds for Edinburgh's drug addicts in the late 1980s, Stuart's debut novel celebrates the lives of the Bain family in Glasgow with its language, imagery, and story... Its emotional truth will bring you to your knees. You will never forget Shug Bain. Scene by scene, this book is a masterpiece. Kirkus.

A heartbreaking story about identity, addiction, and abandonment. Time.