Abundance
On sale
20th January 2022
Price: £9.99
National Book Awards, 2021
LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION
SELECTED BY THE TELEGRAPH AS ONE OF THE FOUR BEST DEBUTS OF THE YEAR
‘A tense, yet tender portrait of a father and son trying to escape life on the margin. Determination and despair collide in this unforgettable debut, with an ending that broke my heart’ Douglas Stuart, Booker Prize-winning author of Shuggie Bain
Evicted from their trailer on New Year’s Eve, Henry and his son, Junior, have been reduced to living out of a pick-up truck. Six months later, things are even more desperate. Henry, barely a year out of prison for selling drugs, is down to his last pocketful of cash, and little remains between him and the street. But hope is on the horizon: today is Junior’s birthday, and Henry has a job interview tomorrow.
To celebrate, Henry treats Junior to dinner at McDonald’s, followed by a night in a real bed at a discount hotel. For a moment, as Junior watches TV and Henry practises for his interview in the bathtub, all seems well. But after Henry has a disastrous altercation in the parking lot and Junior succumbs to a fever, father and son are sent into the night, struggling to hold things together.
Each chapter of this deeply emotional and compassionate novel begins with amount of money in Henry’s pocket, showing how literally father and son’s fortunes can turn on a dime. Can they make it through tomorrow?
Praise for Abundance:
‘Full of beauty, honesty and unexpected grace.’ Gary Shteyngart
‘A quest, a page-turner, and above all a love story, Abundance lays bare one father’s brutal, tender hustle to care for his son in a winner-takes-all world.’ Mia Alvar
‘Tender, anxious, angry, and beautiful.’ Mark Doten
SELECTED BY THE TELEGRAPH AS ONE OF THE FOUR BEST DEBUTS OF THE YEAR
‘A tense, yet tender portrait of a father and son trying to escape life on the margin. Determination and despair collide in this unforgettable debut, with an ending that broke my heart’ Douglas Stuart, Booker Prize-winning author of Shuggie Bain
Evicted from their trailer on New Year’s Eve, Henry and his son, Junior, have been reduced to living out of a pick-up truck. Six months later, things are even more desperate. Henry, barely a year out of prison for selling drugs, is down to his last pocketful of cash, and little remains between him and the street. But hope is on the horizon: today is Junior’s birthday, and Henry has a job interview tomorrow.
To celebrate, Henry treats Junior to dinner at McDonald’s, followed by a night in a real bed at a discount hotel. For a moment, as Junior watches TV and Henry practises for his interview in the bathtub, all seems well. But after Henry has a disastrous altercation in the parking lot and Junior succumbs to a fever, father and son are sent into the night, struggling to hold things together.
Each chapter of this deeply emotional and compassionate novel begins with amount of money in Henry’s pocket, showing how literally father and son’s fortunes can turn on a dime. Can they make it through tomorrow?
Praise for Abundance:
‘Full of beauty, honesty and unexpected grace.’ Gary Shteyngart
‘A quest, a page-turner, and above all a love story, Abundance lays bare one father’s brutal, tender hustle to care for his son in a winner-takes-all world.’ Mia Alvar
‘Tender, anxious, angry, and beautiful.’ Mark Doten
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Reviews
Phenomenal. Guanzon is an incredibly exciting new voice. . . . [Abundance] does one of the things I love about fiction, where it really allows you to walk in a character's shoes - books like this don't come around too often.
A tense, yet tender portrait of a father and son trying to escape life on the margin. Determination and despair collide in this unforgettable debut, with an ending that broke my heart.
Extremely heartbreaking, I constantly had a pit in my stomach... My heart hurt so much...I loved it! The emotions and feelings in this story were just written so beautifully.
I guarantee your heart will not leave your throat for one second reading this... Will haunt you long after you set the book down.
Broke my heart but I couldn't stop reading
Gut-wrenching... Truly heartbreaking... Told with compassion and vivid detail... Feels tense right to the very end... Brilliant
Will rip your heart out
Excellent... I read this book in one sitting. Poignant, thought provoking. Highly recommend. One of the best novels that I have ever read
Wow, I really enjoyed this... I found myself gasping... If you're looking for a great story, and an incredible author to bring that story to life, look no further
Full of beauty, honesty and unexpected grace
A quest, a page-turner, and above all a love story, Abundance lays bare one father's brutal, tender hustle to care for his son in a winner-take-all world
Tender, anxious, angry, and beautiful
The reader aches for these characters... An example of how fiction can be more "real" than real life
An impressive debut
[A] devastating portrayal of Henry's hard-scrabble life and desperate love for his son