Expectation

'The MOST BUZZED-ABOUT, ADDICTIVE read' - STYLIST

An edgy, emotionally confronting, contemporary novel of friendship, sex, desire, motherhood, and feminism.

THE MUST-READ SUMMER 2020 RICHARD AND JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK

'If you wished Normal People had tackled female friendship, try Expectation' - GRAZIA

'Profoundly intelligent and humane. Deserves to feature on many a prize shortlist' - GUARDIAN

'A brilliant exploration of friendship, feminism and thwarted ambition' - PANDORA SYKES

What happened to the women we were supposed to become?

Hannah, Cate, and Lissa are young, vibrant, and inseparable. Living on the edge of a common in East London, their shared world is ablaze with art and activism, romance and revelry - and the promise of everything to come. They are electric. They are the best of friends.

Ten years on, they are not where they hoped to be. Amidst flailing careers and faltering marriages, each hungers for what the others have. And each wrestles with the same question—what does it take to lead a meaningful life?

The most razor-sharp and heartbreaking novel of the year, Expectation is a novel about finding your way—as a mother, a daughter, a wife, a rebel.

'Thoughtful, beautifully written, honest. A sensual book. I URGE YOU TO READ IT' - MARIAN KEYES

'Beautiful, sharp, moving. I urge you to read it' - ELIZABETH DAY

'A brilliant exploration of friendship, feminism and thwarted ambition' - PANDORA SYKES

'I loved it ... 10 out of 10' - BRYONY GORDON

'Will resonate with approximately 99% of women' - RED MAGAZINE summer pick

'One of the most intensely readable novels this year' - METRO

'One of our most gifted contemporary writers' - WATERSTONES

'SO GOOD. A 'What they did next' story of characters from a Sally Rooney novel' - SARAH FRANKLIN

'The story of 3 college friends, if you're a fan of Sally Rooney, you'll love Expectation' - IRISH EXAMINER

'A must-read' - FABULOUS MAGAZINE

'A generation-defining book on motherhood, ambition and sex. Like NORMAL PEOPLE with female friendship under the microscope.' - ERIN KELLY

'Few novels leave me so genuinely breathless with their brilliance' - HANNAH BECKERMAN

'Sublime' - GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, Book of the Year

'A marvellously tangy London novel' - DAILY MAIL

'A grown-up, honest take on female camaraderie. Packed with talking points' - MAIL ON SUNDAY

'Hugely absorbing, massively enjoyable' - LISSA EVANS

'Totally unputdownable, immersive, sharp, FAB' - HARRIET EVANS

'Beautifully observed study of female friendship and a moving account of the collision between aspiration and reality' - DAILY MAIL MUST-READ

'Fantastically well-realised portrait of female friendship's joys and pains from an exciting new voice in British fiction' - DAILY TELEGRAPH