Jacqueline Roy - Böcker

A groundbreaking novel exploring the intersection between race, class and mental health in the UK'A strong and humane work of fiction' Jackie Kay'That is the glory of being a mental patient. Nothing is impossible.'It is the 1990s, and Gloria is living in a London psychiatric ward. She is unapologetically loud, audacious and eternally on the brink of bursting into song. After several months of uninterrupted routine, she is joined by another young black woman - Merle - who is full of silences and fear.Unable to confide in their doctors, they agree to journal their pasts. Whispered into tape recorders and scrawled ferociously at night, the remarkable stories of their lives are revealed.In this tender, deeply-moving depiction of mental health, Roy creates a striking portrait of two women finding strength in their shared vulnerability, as they navigate a system that fails to protect them. Life-affirming and fearlessly hopeful, this is an unforgettable story.'This is a novel of daring - enjoyable, surprising and original' Bernardine Evaristo'A striking commentary' Scotsman'A strong, humorous and moving piece of fiction . . . such is the life injected into the characters that by the end of the novel there remains that reluctance to part with people you have come to love' Calabash 'A joy' Pride 'Unflinchingly told . . . harrowing but also shockingly funny' Big Issue

‘[The Gosling Girl] interrogates the context of a child's crime and simplistic notions of evil by society and the media. It fosters understanding & empathy and draws us deep inside the protagonist's psychology’ Bernardine EvaristoMonster?  Murderer?  Child? Victim?Michelle Cameron’s name is associated with the most abhorrent of crimes. A child who lured a younger child away from her parents and to her death, she is known as the black girl who murdered a little white girl; evil incarnate according to the media. As the book opens, she has done her time, and has been released as a young woman with a new identity to start her life again.   When another shocking death occurs, Michelle is the first in the frame. Brought into the police station to answer questions around a suspicious death, it is only a matter of time until the press find out who she is now and where she lives and set about destroying her all over again.  Natalie Tyler is the officer brought in to investigate the murder. A black detective constable, she has been ostracised from her family and often feels she is in the wrong job. But when she meets Michelle, she feels a complicated need to protect her, whatever she might have done.  The Gosling Girl is a moving, powerful account of systemic, institutional and internalised racism, and of how the marginalised fight back. It delves into the psychological after-effects of a crime committed in childhood, exploring intersections between race and class as Michelle's story is co-opted and controlled by those around her. Jacqueline writes with a cool restraint and The Gosling Girl is a raw and powerful novel that will stay with the reader long after they have turned the last page.Praise for The Gosling Girl:‘This intriguing procedural is above all a portrait of two damaged women and a moving demonstration of how race and class have affected their lives' The Times and The Sunday Times Crime Club'This is a beautifully written, insightful and thought-provoking novel. Michelle's story drew me in immediately, and while it's heartbreaking in places, it's uplifting in others. Jacqueline Roy writes with deep compassion and empathy, and I have a feeling this wonderfully compelling novel will stay with me for a long time' Susan Elliot Wright, author of All You Ever Wanted'A thoughtful, slow-burn exploration of how damaged children damage, The Gosling Girl asks whether some children are born evil - and shows emphatically that an abusive childhood is to blame. I felt increasing sympathy for Michelle Cameron, in all her manifestations. At times, disturbing, poignant, and thought-provoking' Sarah Vaughan, author of Anatomy of a Scandal and Reputation‘It was refreshing to read a thriller that wasn’t full of twists, though I kept waiting for them, as I’ve been conditioned to expect them. This well-plotted story follows Michelle, who’s recently been released from prison. Does someone who’s committed an awful crime deserve to start again?’ Prima‘Written with compassion, and an exceptional sense of identity by Roy — born to a Jamaican father and a British mother — it is both striking and powerful’  Daily Mail‘(a)…provocative tale of institutional racism, and how the marginalised fight back’ Stylist Magazine‘A powerful look at institutionalised racism and the after-effects of a childhood crime' S Magazine‘The Gosling Girl is one of the most moving thrillers I’ve read for some time' Observer

What does it mean to remember?Joined at birth, then pulled apart, Selina and Zora’s relationship is marked by a pattern of closeness and separation. Growing up in 50s’ and 60s’ London under the shadow of Enoch Powell, they are instinctively dependent on each other, and yet Zora yearns for her own identity. But in the eyes of the people around them, the twins are interchangeable.  They come as a pair.They are Selzora.  Now in her seventies and living with the early stages of dementia, Selina is tracing shards of memory. She is intent on untangling the traumatic events of the past that changed the twins’ lives. Perhaps Lydia, who has reintroduced herself to Selina with sharp, cool charisma, will help her find answers. But even as Selina struggles to make sense of her memories, it’s all too clear that Lydia is hiding something.  In Memory of Us is a profound evocation of memory, and the strategies employed for illusion and survival in the wake of racism. It offers an often-overlooked insight into life as a Black Briton after the Windrush generation.Praise for In Memory of Us:‘This reflective study of memory and illusion as a survival technique is fascinating. Offering insight into life as a Black Briton after the Windrush generation, this thoughtful novel entertains and educates' Platinum'Pacily written' The Observer   'A heartstring-tugging exploration of memory, grief and race in Britain. Roy's prose drips with poignancy and elegance; her characters come to life on the page and you have no choice but to surrender your heart to their journey' Elvin James Mensah, author of Small Joys‘Jacqueline Roy’s poignant and deeply moving novel draws you into the unique world of living as an identical twin, and a mixed-race one in a deeply racist society at that…A deeply powerful read’ heat  'Around and within this tale of toxic friendship, sibling rivalry and betrayal, Roy unfolds a history of British race-relations . . . This is an important novel. Roy’s writing is both subtle and supple. In compelling but understated prose, she exposes inequalities of race, class and gender that corrupt our interpersonal relationships and our sense of self. In her novels, Roy demonstrates that the personal is always political. Here, she also reminds us of the necessity of facing the past to understand the present' Judith Bryan