Synopsis
THE DEBUT NOVEL THAT'LL STEAL YOUR HEART
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONES DEBUT FICTION PRIZE 2024
'So beautiful ... Simply, it must be read' LISA TADDEO
'This feels like reading an Oscar-winning film' AISLING BEA
'Heart-shatteringly visceral and precise' WIZ WHARTON
'Compulsive, engrossing, and gorgeous ... Read it now' STEPHANIE SCOTT
Mei loses her Japanese mother at age six. Growing up in suburban Surrey, she yearns to fit in, suppressing not only her heritage but her growing desire for her best friend Fran.
Yuki leaves the Japanese countryside to pursue her dream of becoming a concert violinist in London. Far from home and in an unfamiliar city, she finds herself caught up in the charms of her older teacher.
Haruka attempts to navigate Tokyo's nightlife and all of its many vices, working as a hostess in the city's sex district. She grieves a mother who hid so many secrets from her, until finally one of those secrets comes to light . . .
Shifting between three intertwining narratives, Mongrel reveals a tangled web of desire, isolation, belonging and ultimately, hope.
5 Star Reader Reviews: 'Utterly captivating' | 'Achingly real' | 'Moving and unforgettable' | 'Stunning yet heartbreaking' | 'Devastating, powerful' | 'Easily one of the best books I've ever read'
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONES DEBUT FICTION PRIZE 2024
'So beautiful ... Simply, it must be read' LISA TADDEO
'This feels like reading an Oscar-winning film' AISLING BEA
'Heart-shatteringly visceral and precise' WIZ WHARTON
'Compulsive, engrossing, and gorgeous ... Read it now' STEPHANIE SCOTT
Mei loses her Japanese mother at age six. Growing up in suburban Surrey, she yearns to fit in, suppressing not only her heritage but her growing desire for her best friend Fran.
Yuki leaves the Japanese countryside to pursue her dream of becoming a concert violinist in London. Far from home and in an unfamiliar city, she finds herself caught up in the charms of her older teacher.
Haruka attempts to navigate Tokyo's nightlife and all of its many vices, working as a hostess in the city's sex district. She grieves a mother who hid so many secrets from her, until finally one of those secrets comes to light . . .
Shifting between three intertwining narratives, Mongrel reveals a tangled web of desire, isolation, belonging and ultimately, hope.
5 Star Reader Reviews: 'Utterly captivating' | 'Achingly real' | 'Moving and unforgettable' | 'Stunning yet heartbreaking' | 'Devastating, powerful' | 'Easily one of the best books I've ever read'
Details
06 February 2025
9781804441565Imprint: Footnote Press
Reviews
Sensational books transcend the very form they elevate by delivering a purity ofthought with seeming effortlessness and here, in Mongrel, Hanako Footman conveysthe truth of the world in lucid but spinning, transcendental sentences. It's so beautifulthat I became lost in it, and I can't find the right words because they are all in thisbook. Simply, it must be read
MONGREL is an unforgettable novel that is raw and thought-provoking withexceptional poetic prose. It explores identity and belonging in a way that speaks toyour soul and makes you feel seen. I absolutely loved it - it's nothing short of exquisite
Mongrel is a stunning read. A brilliant explosion of writing and storytelling with one ofthe most unique and powerful voices I've come across in an author. This feels likereading an Oscar-winning film
Mongrel is a hypnotic, haunting exploration of identity and womanhood. A darkly lushtale of three women in search of connection
