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Title details for Rosewater by Liv Little - Available

Rosewater

A Novel

by Liv Little
Suhaiyla Hippolyte
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
For fans of Queenie and Such a Fun Age comes a deliciously gritty and strikingly bold debut novel about discovering love where it has always been. Elsie is a sexy, funny, and fiercely independent woman in south London. But, at just 28, she is also tired. Though she spends her days writing tender poetry in her journal, her nights are spent working long hours for minimum wage at a neighborhood dive bar. Not even sleeping with her alluring coworker, Bea, can quell her existential dread. The difficulty of being estranged from her family, struggle of being continually rejected from jobs, and fear of never making money doing what she loves is too great. But Elsie is determined to keep the faith, for a little longer at least. Things will surely turn around. They have to. But when Elsie is suddenly evicted from her social housing, her fragile foundations threaten to collapse entirely. With nowhere left to go, Elsie turns to her childhood friend, Juliet, for help. Among Juliet's mismatched cushions and shelves lined with trinkets, Elsie is able to breathe for the first time in years. But between their reruns of Drag Raceand nights smoking on the balcony, something else soon begins to glimmer in Elsie's heart . . . Sometimes what you've been searching for has been there all along. Can Elsie see it in time? Featuring the incredible poetry of Kai-Isaiah Jamal, Rosewater is a story of intergenerational love, healing, and one woman's journey home. A remarkable debut by an exciting new talent, readers are sure to be enchanted by Liv Little's distinctive and captivating contemporary voice.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    April 25, 2023

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781666633757
      • File size: 271259 KB
      • Duration: 09:25:07

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Booklist

      Starred review from February 15, 2023
      Journalist Little's debut novel incorporates the poetry of Kai-Isaiah Jamal to tell the story of Elsie, a queer, 28-year-old bartender, poet, and woman-about-town in south London. Elsie is reluctant to rely on others owing to her ongoing estrangement from her traditional Ghanaian family, illustrated by an extremely awkward visit from her parents. Eviction from her subsidized apartment coincides with the closure of the bar where she works, pushing her to move in with Juliet, a longtime friend she hasn't spoken with for several months. Settling into Juliet's place, hustling for writing gigs in between job interviews, and socializing on the literary scene keep Elsie busy in between long talks about life and watching Drag Race with Juliet. She longs to support herself with her writing, and her disappointment with each setback is palpably rendered. The reader gradually learns why Elsie and Juliet fell out of touch and recognizes their fundamental connection long before Elsie is prepared to confront it. This vividly rendered story of a dynamic young woman finding her way is a compelling and engaging read for fans of Talia Hibbert, Sally Rooney, and Candice Carty-Williams. The novel has been optioned for film development.

      COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Suhaiyla Hippolyte gives a quietly emotional performance of this coming-of-age novel about Elsie, a Black, queer 20-something living in London who dreams of making it as a poet. When she's evicted from her apartment, she moves in with her childhood best friend, an arrangement that brings up old hurts and new feelings for both of them. Hippolyte's narration is understated yet engaging; she captures all of Elsie's shifting emotions as she struggles to make a place for herself in the world. Much of Elsie's slam poetry is scattered throughout the book, and Hippolyte delivers it beautifully. It's easy to imagine being there with Elsie as she performs her work in a series of crowded caf�s and queer open-mic nights. L.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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