Description

Sugar is young, confident and hoping to start over.

‘Poignant and bittersweet, this novel is a joy’ Richard & Judy

When she arrives in the southern town of Bigelow, it isn’t long before the neighbourhood is alight with gossip and suspicion. Sugar fears her past is catching up with her. Then she meets Pearl, a woman trying to forget her own trauma. As these next-door neighbours become unlikely friends, they wonder if their lives could finally be changing for the better. But small towns have long memories.

Perfect for fans of Demon Copperhead and The Bluest Eye, Sugar is a classic waiting to be rediscovered.

‘Riveting… Searing and expertly imagined’ TONI MORRISON on The Warmest December by Bernice L. McFadden

‘A page-turning novel guaranteed to be looked back on as a timeless classic’ INDEPENDENT

‘This book is so engaging and beautiful and intriguing and satisfying that I could not put it down’ ELLE

Readers are falling for Sugar

‘Such an enjoyable read… beautifully written, raw and impactful’
‘Riveting, heart-breaking’
‘Very powerful, poignant’
‘Beautifully written… brutal and moving… a must read book’
‘Well-written with rich characters and many twists and turns’
‘So descriptive yet easy to read, and it made me fall in love with all the characters’

Richard and Judy Book Club Pick, Autumn 2021

Publisher Review

Strong and folksy storytelling...think Zora Neale Hurston...Sugar speaks of what is real * Dallas Morning News * A literary explosion...McFadden reveals amazing talent * Chicago Defender * An earthy slice of life in a small Southern town... A novel of friendship and loss * Library Journal * Sugar was a masterful debut, an electrifying and profoundly realized addition to African American women's literary fiction. And importantly, Sugar introduced us to the brilliant author, Bernice L. McFadden, who would bring forth The Book of Harlan, Gathering of Waters, Glorious, and Nowhere is a Place. -- Sapphire A great book. I love it! -- Alicia Keys