Woman & home BOOK CLUB Awards WINNERS
From exciting debuts to clever thrillers and insightful memoirs, 2023 was a stellar year for books. Our awards celebrate the very best reads, which we hope you will love as much as we did
HISTORIC
A compelling novel from a debut author who’s one to watch. The year is 1834, the setting is Barbados and slavery has been abolished. But what does that really mean when former slaves are still required to work for another six years – for free? In the ultimate act of resistance, Rachel goes on a hopeful and heartbreaking journey through the Caribbean and South America in search of her five children – who are now adults – who were taken away from her. Powerful, moving and lyrical.
LIFE-AFFIRMING
A book about death and dying shouldn’t be funny, yet this novel is bursting with humour and warmth as well as raw honesty. When her best friend Edi is transferred to a hospice with terminal cancer, Ash is by her side. After a friendship of 40 years, these two women know each other intimately, which is shown through the prism of Edi’s dying days and Ash’s messy relationships. Quirky characters and plenty of wit are the cherry on top of a beautiful, candid and uplifting testament to female friendship.
MYSTERY
Set in the 1920s and based on a real story, this is a mix of romance, thriller and courtroom drama. Like most women he meets, Bea Cade can’t resist the charms of Tom Ryan. Whenever the attractive salesman visits the offices where Bea works she goes weak at the knees – despite being old enough to know better. Unfortunately for Bea, Tom is married to Kate. The two women meet briefly, yet prove to be pivotal in each other’s lives. While it’s no wonder Bea and Tom’s affair will end in disaster, no one could predict the huge scandal it causes.
THOUGHTPROVOK ING
A terrible accident involving drunk teenagers changes the trajectories of the Wilf family, altering their lives forever. Yet as the family grows old, the Shenkmans move into the neighbourhood and Dr Wilf forges a special friendship with a little boy who’s obsessed with stars. Beautifully written, Shapiro explores time, memory and our interconnectedness. A tender and moving portrayal of the ripple effect one event and one person’s actions can have on many lives.
THRILLER
Another triumph for the bestselling author of Our House. When a nature trail is proposed for the disused land near Alex’s home, it puts his comfortable life under threat. But, why? What secrets will be unearthed if it goes ahead? Alternating between the present and the 90s, where we meet a seductive woman called Marina and witness a murder that was
