The Cactus

A RICHARD AND JUDY AUTUMN BOOK CLUB PICK
LONGLISTED FOR THE BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD

‘One of the funniest, quirkiest books either of us has read for a long time … stand by for a slam-bam finish’ Richard & Judy Book Club
‘The Cactus will be compared to Gail Honeyman’s appealingly eccentric Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine‘ Sunday Times

It’s never too late to bloom … People aren’t sure what to make of Susan Green. Family and colleagues find her prickly and hard to understand – but Susan makes perfect sense to herself.

Age 45, she thinks her life is perfect, as long as she avoids her feckless brother, Edward – a safe distance away in Birmingham. She has a London flat which is ideal for one; a job that suits her passion for logic; and a personal arrangement providing cultural and other, more intimate, benefits.

Yet suddenly faced with the loss of her mother and, implausibly, with the possibility of becoming a mother herself, Susan’s greatest fear is being realised: she is losing control. And things can only get worse … at least in Susan’s eyes.

This sparkling debut is a breath of fresh air with real heart and a powerful emotional punch. In Susan we find a character as exasperating and delightful as The Rosie Project’s Don Tillman. An uncompromising feminist and a fierce fighter, it’s a joy to watch her bloom.

‘Quirky, poignant and extremely readable’ Sunday Mirror
‘Brilliantly comic’ The Lady
‘Wonderfully funny and astute’ Red
‘Funny, compelling, well-written…for fans of Marian Keyes who demand a bit of grit in their comic writing’ Emerald Street