Shipping Through the Holidays ☀️📦
Boxing Day Sale Boxing Day
Holiday Delivery Delivery
Store Hours Store Hours
Gift Cards Gift Cards

Boxing Day Sale is live! Up to 20% off 2000+ Books

Small Pleasures

Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction
By Clare Chambers
0.0 (0 reviews)
3.76 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating. ( 66,906 ratings, 6,703 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers is set in 1957, where a feature writer named Jean Swinney investigates an extraordinary claim of a virgin birth. As she delves deeper into the story, she builds unexpected relationships and faces transformative experiences that reshape her life. The tale intricately weaves themes of love, longing, and unexpected joy, offering a heartfelt exploration of post-war England.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2799
FAST NZ-WIDE DELIVERY Ships from our Auckland Warehouse. In-store pickups from our Auckland store.

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you're drawn to evocative narratives exploring the intricate tapestry of human emotions and ordinary life. Set in post-war England, it weaves mystery with personal discovery, capturing a world on the brink of change while delving into the complexities of finding joy amidst life's challenges.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Small Pleasures

A novel of unexpected second chances set in 1950s England

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION

A BBC 2 'BETWEEN THE COVERS' BOOK CLUB PICK

'Wonderful' RICHARD OSMAN

'Perfect' INDIA KNIGHT

'Beautiful' JESSIE BURTON

'Witty and sharp' DAVID NICHOLLS

1957, the suburbs of south east London. Jean Swinney is a journalist on a local paper, trapped in a life of duty and disappointment from which there is no likelihood of escape. When a young woman, Gretchen Tilbury, contacts the paper to claim that her daughter is the result of a virgin birth, it is down to Jean to discover whether she is a miracle or a fraud. As the investigation turns her quiet life inside out, Jean is suddenly given an unexpected chance at friendship, love and - possibly - happiness.

'Gorgeous . . . I could not recommend it more' PANDORA SYKES

'Remarkable . . . Small Pleasures is no small pleasure' THE TIMES

'Irresistible . . . wry, perceptive and quietly devastating' MAIL ON SUNDAY

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers has garnered acclaim for its rich storytelling and the way it weaves together themes of love, loneliness, and mystery within a 1950s setting. The novel is praised for its witty and sharp prose, reminiscent of authors like Barbara Pym and Anita Brookner, without being pastiche. Reviewers highlight its ability to evoke a vivid sense of place with tender and atmospheric descriptions, along with its exploration of emotions and societal nuances of the era, making it a compelling read that lingers in the reader's mind.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781474613903

Publisher: Orion Publishing Co

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 29 April 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Weidenfeld & Nicolson

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 26.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 260g

Pages: 368

Collections

Clare Chambers Crime & Thriller Featured Fiction General Fiction In-Stock Fiction Books Literary Fiction New Release Fiction New Zealand's Best Selling Books Romance

About the Author

Clare Chambers's first job after university was working for Diana Athill at Andre Deutsch. Her first novel Uncertain Terms was published in 1992 and she is the author of eight other novels.

Small Pleasures, her first work of fiction in ten years, became a word-of-mouth hit on publication, was selected for BBC 2 Between the Covers book club and for BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime, and was selected as a Book of the Year by The Times, the Evening Standard, Daily Telegraph, Spectator, Metro, Red and Good Housekeeping. It also won Pageturner of the Year Award at the British Book Awards 2022 and was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction in 2021.

Also by Clare Chambers

View all

More from General Fiction

View all

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 80,000 books and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.