fiction

Paris For One And Other Stories

Jojo Moyes, Michael Joseph, £12.99

The jewel in the crown of this collection is the novella that shares its title.

Herione Nell’s carefully planned life is thrown into wonderful chaos when she finds herself stood-up and alone in Paris.

If you’re a sucker for feel-good stories, this is one for you. Nell’s rebirth is one of 10 tales involving strong women and the complexities of relationships.

OUR VERDICT 7/10

Whatever Happened To Interracial Love?

Kathleen Collins, Granta, £12.99

Written with such freshness, it’s hard to comprehend that this perfectly crafted collection of stories was written in the late 1960s and early ’70s. And it’s even harder to accept that there will be no more. Collins – a pioneering black woman deeply involved in civil rights – died in 1988, aged 46. She never saw these stories published. Cherish them – they are pure gold.

OUR VERDICT 9/10

The End Of Eddy Edouard Louis, Harvill Secker, £12.99

This is a semi-autobiographical account of Louis’s early days in rural France, looking at his struggles in a poverty-ridden society where men were expected to be macho. A nuanced and critical study of the conservatism of small communities, the book explores how we reconcile our individual nature with what is expected of us.

OUR VERDICT 8/10