A punk music heroine

Quercus, £14.99 (ebook £6.99) An oral history reminiscent of Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Dawnie Walton’s debut is a smash hit. Chronicling the rise and fall of interracial rock duo Opal & Nev in the 1970s, Walton’s lyrical style exposes the raw truth of systemic racism alongside the power of innovation. At the heart of the story is Opal Jewel, an audaciously unapologetic Afropunk heroine, who is so alive as a character that it feels as though Walton has rewritten music history. In a combination of music, politics, race and feminism that transcends the line between fiction and reality, Walton makes a poignant statement about freedom of expression and finding your own path.