Description

The unmissable novel from Fran Littlewood, the New York Times bestselling author of Read With Jenna pick Amazing Grace Adams

–
AS FEATURED ON BBC RADIO 4 WOMAN’S HOUR
A STYLIST MUST-READ BOOK OF 2025
A SUNDAY TIMES ‘STUFF EVERYONE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT’ PICK
AN OPRAH BEST SUMMER BOOKS TO READ
A PEOPLE MAGAZINE MOST ANTICIPATED SUMMER BOOK
–
‘FABULOUS . . . God, I wish I had written it. Funny, dark, fascinating and UTTERLY convincing. On my QWJ (Queasy With Jealousy) Scale, I award it 16/10’ MARIAN KEYES
‘Once I picked up The Favourite, I did not want to put it down until the last page was turned’ LOTTIE HAZELL, author of Piglet
‘Wonderful and very funny. You’re in for such a treat’ GEORGINA MOORE, author of The Garnett Girls
‘Excellent. A detailed and fascinating look at the effects of sibling order in families and what it feels like to think your parent has a favourite child’ STYLIST
‘Tender, funny and truthful , Littlewood’s tale reveals long-held secrets, chronicles treacherous inner thoughts, and revels in the sweet , spiky nature of sisterhood’ MAIL ON SUNDAY
‘A powerful and emotional tale, rich in nuance, exploring loyalty, truth and the fragile nature of love’ WOMAN’S WEEKLY
–

Nothing derails a family holiday like your father revealing that he has a favourite child.
Alex, Nancy and Eva Fisher. Three grown-up sisters; each wonderful and imperfect in their own individual ways. And loved equally by their parents, Vivienne and Patrick.
Or so they thought.
Right up to the moment when, during a family party, Patrick inadvertently lets slip that he has a favourite.
While they try to gloss over it, this begins to unravel everything the sisters thought they knew.
As their past is re-written, secrets and lies are uncovered, and the Fisher clan implodes in a way they could never have dreamed possible.
But will it take falling apart to bring them closer together?

PRAISE FOR THE FAVOURITE

‘You’ll be captivated by the well-drawn characters’ GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

‘So sharp, funny, pacey and incredibly well-observed. I loved it’ REBECCA WAIT, author of I’m Sorry You Feel That Way

‘Fabulous – funny and brilliantly claustrophobic on family dynamics’ LAUREN BRAVO, author of Preloved

‘Fran Littlewood has the incredible ability to write like she’s been observing you and your family for years’ ORE AGBAJE-WILLIAMS, author of The Three of Us

‘Sizzles with familial tension . . . Heartbreaking, candid and witty’ JUSTIN MYERS

‘Brilliantly funny, dark, insightful, wildly satisfying’ NATASHA POLISZCZUK

‘Has a cinematic quality . . . Every moment feels alive. Full of tender moments and thoughtful insights, The Favourite will be a favourite of readers, perfect with those with imperfect families – which is to say, all of us’ SHELF AWARENESS

‘What makes this sibling dramedy so delectable is Littlewood’s writing . . . All the nuances of sisterhood, daughterhood, wifehood, motherhood, divorcehood, and more are illuminated by this tale of spilled wine, slapped faces, and enduring family love.’ OPRAH DAILY

Publisher Review

Now and again I read a book which is so FABULOUS I get queasy with jealousy. This is one such book. God, I wish I had written it. Funny, dark, fascinating and utterly UTTERLY convincing. On my QWJ (Queasy With Jealousy) Scale, I award it 16/10. — Marian Keyes Fran writes like a wilder, more breathless Claire Lombardo . . . A huge talent. Set over the course of a family reunion that goes very wrong, THE FAVOURITE is a layered, textured story about the reverberations of the past and secrets in a family, and a psychologically astute look at love and relationships. It’s wonderful and very funny. You’re in for such a treat. I LOVED it. — Georgina Moore, author of The Garnett Girls Fran Littlewood is an expert chronicler of family dynamics, and particularly the complex, competitive, and sparkling nature of sisterhood. Once I picked up THE FAVOURITE, I did not want to put it down until the last page was turned — Lottie Hazell, author of Piglet So sharp, funny and pacey, and incredibly well-observed, especially when it comes to the small but treacherous undercurrents that run beneath the family. I loved it. — Rebecca Wait, author of I’m Sorry You Feel That Way THE FAVOURITE is an absolute knockout – ferociously observed, fantastically funny and deeply relatable. I could not stop reading this dark-edged, pacy, moving novel and was consumed with thoughts about the characters whenever it wasn’t in my hands. Sensationally good — Rosie Walsh, bestselling author of The Man Who Didn’t Call There’s to be no Difficult Second Album Syndrome for Fran Littlewood. The Favourite starts with a (literally) cracking premise, and gets messier and more mysterious from there. It is darkly funny, keenly observed, and full of poignant, vivid images. — Tim Minchin Fran Littlewood has that incredible ability to write minute family dynamics with such insane accuracy and wit that it feels like she’s been observing you and your family for years. It’s the incisive level of detail she holds that makes The Favourite such a brilliant read with a concept that is both relatable and hilariously messy. This is a novel that captures the big and little things about siblings and family life that create the beautiful and fractured thing we call family. You’ll want to pass this book onto your siblings and your parents, but be warned!! — Ore Agbaje-Williams, author of The Three of Us The Favourite is fabulous – sharp and funny and brilliantly claustrophobic on family dynamics and the way everyone is the main character and unreliable narrator of their own lives. — Lauren Bravo, author of Preloved The Favourite sizzles with familial tension that keeps the pages turning. A heartbreaking, candid, and witty take on family and their determination to f**k us up at every level possible. I loved it — Justin Myers (AKA The Guyliner), author of The Fake Up A brilliantly funny, dark, insightful, wildly satisfying story of family secrets and sisterly dynamics. — Natasha Poliszczuk The Favourite is just wonderful. I laughed; I cried; I enjoyed every moment. Fran Littlewood writes with such precision, humour and understanding, creating believeable characters and complex relationships. The drama, the humour, the emotion – everything is pitch-perfect. I adored it — Katie Lumsden Fran has done it again! A masterclass in storytelling, The Favourite is an utterly compelling, entertaining family drama about rivalries, things unsaid, love and the messy dynamics within sibling relationships. Acutely observed, relatable and humorous, this joy of a book had me hooked from the very first page — Fiza Saeed McLynn, author of The Midnight Carousel