A SMART, SEXY AND SPIKY MODERN LOVE STORY, FROM DEBUT NOVELIST JENNY MUSTARD 'A perfect Millennial love story . . . with its acidic dialogue and languid sex scenes. A charming and clever romance, a perfect summer read'Irish Times'Reminiscent of Sally Rooney . . . a complex and joyous ode to being in love, messing up and finding your way' StylistSam is 28, Swedish, carefree and chaotic. Doing a work placement in London over the course of three sticky summer months, she falls hard for Lucas, a man she first met as a teenager.Lucas, 27, sensitive and calm, is trying to get a foothold in the adult world while struggling to hold the pieces of his life together. Sam is a gorgeous distraction.But you can only avoid reality for so long, and both Sam and Lucas know their relationship can't last. Nobody can be this happy forever, surely?Okay Days tells the story of the rise and fall of Sam and Lucas's affection for each other, while looking unflinchingly at male body dysmorphia, women's reproductive rights, and the pitfalls of modern love.When is okay good enough? And what are we willing to lose in the search for a life that is much better than just okay?

'Playful and witty' Cecile Pin, author of Wandering Souls'Will go straight to your heart'Lucy Caldwell, author of These Days'Reminiscent of the power and grace of writers like Rachel Cusk and Raven Leilani'Molly Aitken, author of Bright I BurnTwenty-one and friendless, Sickan arrives at Stockholm University utterly unprepared for adult life. After a chronically lonely childhood, the city represents a fresh start, a chance to finally make friends and the right kind of mistakes. And just as Sickan begins to fit in, she meets Abbe: beautiful, confident, charming - and by some miracle he wants her too. Tender and intelligent, What a Time to Be Alive is a story about class, sex, loneliness, and the trials of young womanhood. About asking yourself the question: how much of myself am I willing to sacrifice to simply be normal?'Jenny Mustard writes with honesty and wit about the strange, mundane, and wondrous aspects of youth'Ayşegül Savaş, author of The Anthropologists

'Playful and witty, What A Time To Be Alive is a charming meditation on coming-of-age, privilege, and grief' Cecile Pin, author of Wandering Souls'Jenny Mustard writes with honesty and wit about the strange, mundane, and wondrous aspects of youth'Ayşegül Savaş, author of The Anthropologists'A beautifully plangent coming-of-age novel . . . will go straight to your heart'Lucy Caldwell, author of These Days'A timeless writer . . . reminiscent of the power and grace of writers like Rachel Cusk and Raven Leilani'Molly Aitken, author of Bright I Burn'A measured and gorgeous writer, in command of the senses in a way that makes the reader feel alive'New York TimesSome people move to the big city hoping to find themselves - Sickan Hermansson isn't leaving it up to chance. Twenty-one, friendless, without money but not without hope, Sickan's arrival at Stockholm University represents a new start. Her lonely childhood in a small southern town has left her utterly unprepared for intimacy: for friends, for sex, for love even. But Sickan is determined to build a new version of herself from the ground up, to make up for lost time. To simply be normal.Just as Sickan seems to be finding her first ever friends, in whose company she finally feels safe, she meets Abbe: beautiful, charming - and by some miracle he wants her too. Unlike Sickan, Abbe seems completely at ease in his own skin. A solid foundation then, on which to build a relationship? Maybe?What A Time To Be Alive is a story of class, sex, loneliness, and the trials of young womanhood. But above all, it's a story of firsts: the first party you're actually invited to, the first moment you fall in love, the first time you betray a friend. The first time you ask yourself, how much of myself am I willing to sacrifice, to finally fit in?

An exquisite, glimmering contemporary re-imagining of Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, which asks what it means for a woman to fall from grace today, from the critically acclaimed author of What A Time To Be Alive'A novel of rare emotional intensity ... An exceptional achievement' Elaine FeeneyKarro is on the cusp of her fortieth birthday, and has everything she thought she wanted: a beautiful son, a husband on the rise in British politics, a home in affluent Highgate, and enough money to lose her days to literature and the occasional dose of opium.When Karro falls into a consuming affair with a younger American artist, her world is derailed. What begins as an awakening soon becomes a scandal, and society’s repercussions are immediate and severe. As she confronts her desires, her desperate pursuit of happiness threatens to unravel not only her sense of self, but her entire existence.Moving seamlessly between the high-society circles of London, Stockholm, New York City and the Côte d’Azur, Karro bravely revisits the age-old concept of the fallen woman and asks what freedom looks like today. Intelligent, sensual, and searingly honest, it paints a psychologically astute portrait of a woman collapsing under the weight of motherhood and societal expectations, and forces us to weigh up our obligations to each other, and to ourselves.'An ingenious contemporary nod to Tolstoy's classic ... A gripping psychological exploration of family trauma, high-society performance and the devastating cost of self-alienation' Yiyun Li‘A measured and gorgeous writer, in command of the senses in a way that makes the reader feel alive' The New York Times Book Review'With echoes of Raven Leilani, Natalia Ginzburg and even Virginia Woolf ... I was blown away. Karro is easily Mustard’s masterpiece’ Molly Aitken

A SMART, SEXY AND SPIKY MODERN LOVE STORY, FROM DEBUT NOVELIST JENNY MUSTARD

''A perfect Millennial love story''Irish Times''Reminiscent of Sally Rooney''Stylist''Tender and spell-binding''Annie Lord, author of Notes on Heartbreak

''A beautifully observed portrait of self-discovery and uncertain love''Natasha Brown, author of Assembly

Sam is 28, Swedish, carefree and chaotic. Over the course of three sticky months in London, she falls hard for Lucas.

Lucas, 27, sensitive and calm, is struggling to get a foothold in the adult world - Sam is a gorgeous distraction.

But you can only avoid reality for so long. Nobody can be this happy forever, can they?

Okay Days is the story of two people trying to hold the pieces of the life together, while also holding on to each other.

''Don''t think I''ll ever be over this book''Amazon reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

''If you love Sally Rooney, you''ll devour this . . . hands down one of my favourite books of this year'' Amazon reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

''Comforting to read and radiates good vibes''Amazon reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

''I am in love'' Amazon reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

A New York Times Editors'' Choice

''A fresh, tender, and resonant bildungsroman''R. O. Kwon, author of Exhibit''A measured and gorgeous writer, in command of the senses in a way that makes the reader feel alive''New York Times''Playful and witty, What A Time To Be Alive is a charming meditation on coming-of-age, privilege, and grief''Cecile Pin, author of Wandering Souls''A dark coming-of-age story set in Stockholm [with] a really light touch that makes it really beautiful''Natasha Brown, author of Universality

Some people move to the big city hoping to find themselves - Sickan Hermansson isn''t leaving it up to chance.

Twenty-one, friendless, without money but not without hope, Sickan''s arrival at Stockholm University represents a new start. Her lonely childhood in a small southern town has left her utterly unprepared for intimacy: for friends, for sex, for love even. But Sickan is determined to build a new version of herself from the ground up, to make up for lost time. To simply be normal.

Just as Sickan seems to be finding her first ever friends, in whose company she finally feels safe, she meets Abbe: beautiful, charming - and by some miracle he wants her too. Unlike Sickan, Abbe seems completely at ease in his own skin. A solid foundation then, on which to build a relationship? Maybe?

What A Time To Be Alive is a story of class, sex, loneliness, and the trials of young womanhood. But above all, it''s a story of firsts: the first party you''re actually invited to, the first moment you fall in love, the first time you betray a friend. The first time you ask yourself, how much of myself am I willing to sacrifice, to finally fit in?

What readers are saying about What A Time To Be Alive

''I know so many people will adore this as much as I did!'' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ''Read if you love: Sally Rooney style messy relationships, relatable characters you don''t want to stop reading about, and 20 somethings still figuring things out.'' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ''I loved okay days so expectations were high - and I was not disappointed!! I absolutely loved this.'' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ''Jenny mustard you have done it again.'' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

A New York Times Editors' Choice'A fresh, tender, and resonant bildungsroman'R. O. Kwon, author of Exhibit'A measured and gorgeous writer, in command of the senses in a way that makes the reader feel alive'New York Times'Playful and witty, What A Time To Be Alive is a charming meditation on coming-of-age, privilege, and grief'Cecile Pin, author of Wandering Souls'A dark coming-of-age story set in Stockholm [with] a really light touch that makes it really beautiful'Natasha Brown, author of Universality'Jenny Mustard writes with honesty and wit about the strange, mundane, and wondrous aspects of youth'Ayşegül Savaş, author of The Anthropologists'A beautifully plangent coming-of-age novel . . . will go straight to your heart'Lucy Caldwell, author of These Days'A timeless writer . . . reminiscent of the power and grace of writers like Rachel Cusk and Raven Leilani'Molly Aitken, author of Bright I BurnSome people move to the big city hoping to find themselves - Sickan Hermansson isn't leaving it up to chance.Twenty-one, friendless, without money but not without hope, Sickan's arrival at Stockholm University represents a new start. Her lonely childhood in a small southern town has left her utterly unprepared for intimacy: for friends, for sex, for love even. But Sickan is determined to build a new version of herself from the ground up, to make up for lost time. To simply be normal.Just as Sickan seems to be finding her first ever friends, in whose company she finally feels safe, she meets Abbe: beautiful, charming - and by some miracle he wants her too. Unlike Sickan, Abbe seems completely at ease in his own skin. A solid foundation then, on which to build a relationship? Maybe?What A Time To Be Alive is a story of class, sex, loneliness, and the trials of young womanhood. But above all, it's a story of firsts: the first party you're actually invited to, the first moment you fall in love, the first time you betray a friend. The first time you ask yourself, how much of myself am I willing to sacrifice, to finally fit in?'Sharp, well-observed and warmly human. I hate comparing anyone to Sally Rooney, but I think that if you enjoy her writing you will, just as I did, love spending time in the company of Jenny Mustard's characters.'Rick O'Shea, Irish Independent

A SMART, SEXY AND SPIKY MODERN LOVE STORY, FROM DEBUT NOVELIST JENNY MUSTARD 'A perfect Millennial love story . . . with its acidic dialogue and languid sex scenes. A charming and clever romance, a perfect summer read'Irish Times'Reminiscent of Sally Rooney . . . a complex and joyous ode to being in love, messing up and finding your way' StylistSam is 28, Swedish, carefree and chaotic. Doing a work placement in London over the course of three sticky summer months, she falls hard for Lucas, a man she first met as a teenager.Lucas, 27, sensitive and calm, is trying to get a foothold in the adult world while struggling to hold the pieces of his life together. Sam is a gorgeous distraction.But you can only avoid reality for so long, and both Sam and Lucas know their relationship can't last. Nobody can be this happy forever, surely?Okay Days tells the story of the rise and fall of Sam and Lucas's affection for each other, while looking unflinchingly at male body dysmorphia, women's reproductive rights, and the pitfalls of modern love.When is okay good enough? And what are we willing to lose in the search for a life that is much better than just okay?

'Playful and witty' Cecile Pin, author of Wandering Souls'Will go straight to your heart'Lucy Caldwell, author of These Days'Reminiscent of the power and grace of writers like Rachel Cusk and Raven Leilani'Molly Aitken, author of Bright I BurnTwenty-one and friendless, Sickan arrives at Stockholm University utterly unprepared for adult life. After a chronically lonely childhood, the city represents a fresh start, a chance to finally make friends and the right kind of mistakes. And just as Sickan begins to fit in, she meets Abbe: beautiful, confident, charming - and by some miracle he wants her too. Tender and intelligent, What a Time to Be Alive is a story about class, sex, loneliness, and the trials of young womanhood. About asking yourself the question: how much of myself am I willing to sacrifice to simply be normal?'Jenny Mustard writes with honesty and wit about the strange, mundane, and wondrous aspects of youth'Ayşegül Savaş, author of The Anthropologists

'Playful and witty, What A Time To Be Alive is a charming meditation on coming-of-age, privilege, and grief' Cecile Pin, author of Wandering Souls'Jenny Mustard writes with honesty and wit about the strange, mundane, and wondrous aspects of youth'Ayşegül Savaş, author of The Anthropologists'A beautifully plangent coming-of-age novel . . . will go straight to your heart'Lucy Caldwell, author of These Days'A timeless writer . . . reminiscent of the power and grace of writers like Rachel Cusk and Raven Leilani'Molly Aitken, author of Bright I Burn'A measured and gorgeous writer, in command of the senses in a way that makes the reader feel alive'New York TimesSome people move to the big city hoping to find themselves - Sickan Hermansson isn't leaving it up to chance. Twenty-one, friendless, without money but not without hope, Sickan's arrival at Stockholm University represents a new start. Her lonely childhood in a small southern town has left her utterly unprepared for intimacy: for friends, for sex, for love even. But Sickan is determined to build a new version of herself from the ground up, to make up for lost time. To simply be normal.Just as Sickan seems to be finding her first ever friends, in whose company she finally feels safe, she meets Abbe: beautiful, charming - and by some miracle he wants her too. Unlike Sickan, Abbe seems completely at ease in his own skin. A solid foundation then, on which to build a relationship? Maybe?What A Time To Be Alive is a story of class, sex, loneliness, and the trials of young womanhood. But above all, it's a story of firsts: the first party you're actually invited to, the first moment you fall in love, the first time you betray a friend. The first time you ask yourself, how much of myself am I willing to sacrifice, to finally fit in?

An exquisite, glimmering contemporary re-imagining of Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, which asks what it means for a woman to fall from grace today, from the critically acclaimed author of What A Time To Be Alive'A novel of rare emotional intensity ... An exceptional achievement' Elaine FeeneyKarro is on the cusp of her fortieth birthday, and has everything she thought she wanted: a beautiful son, a husband on the rise in British politics, a home in affluent Highgate, and enough money to lose her days to literature and the occasional dose of opium.When Karro falls into a consuming affair with a younger American artist, her world is derailed. What begins as an awakening soon becomes a scandal, and society’s repercussions are immediate and severe. As she confronts her desires, her desperate pursuit of happiness threatens to unravel not only her sense of self, but her entire existence.Moving seamlessly between the high-society circles of London, Stockholm, New York City and the Côte d’Azur, Karro bravely revisits the age-old concept of the fallen woman and asks what freedom looks like today. Intelligent, sensual, and searingly honest, it paints a psychologically astute portrait of a woman collapsing under the weight of motherhood and societal expectations, and forces us to weigh up our obligations to each other, and to ourselves.'An ingenious contemporary nod to Tolstoy's classic ... A gripping psychological exploration of family trauma, high-society performance and the devastating cost of self-alienation' Yiyun Li‘A measured and gorgeous writer, in command of the senses in a way that makes the reader feel alive' The New York Times Book Review'With echoes of Raven Leilani, Natalia Ginzburg and even Virginia Woolf ... I was blown away. Karro is easily Mustard’s masterpiece’ Molly Aitken

A SMART, SEXY AND SPIKY MODERN LOVE STORY, FROM DEBUT NOVELIST JENNY MUSTARD

''A perfect Millennial love story''Irish Times''Reminiscent of Sally Rooney''Stylist''Tender and spell-binding''Annie Lord, author of Notes on Heartbreak

''A beautifully observed portrait of self-discovery and uncertain love''Natasha Brown, author of Assembly

Sam is 28, Swedish, carefree and chaotic. Over the course of three sticky months in London, she falls hard for Lucas.

Lucas, 27, sensitive and calm, is struggling to get a foothold in the adult world - Sam is a gorgeous distraction.

But you can only avoid reality for so long. Nobody can be this happy forever, can they?

Okay Days is the story of two people trying to hold the pieces of the life together, while also holding on to each other.

''Don''t think I''ll ever be over this book''Amazon reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

''If you love Sally Rooney, you''ll devour this . . . hands down one of my favourite books of this year'' Amazon reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

''Comforting to read and radiates good vibes''Amazon reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

''I am in love'' Amazon reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

A New York Times Editors'' Choice

''A fresh, tender, and resonant bildungsroman''R. O. Kwon, author of Exhibit''A measured and gorgeous writer, in command of the senses in a way that makes the reader feel alive''New York Times''Playful and witty, What A Time To Be Alive is a charming meditation on coming-of-age, privilege, and grief''Cecile Pin, author of Wandering Souls''A dark coming-of-age story set in Stockholm [with] a really light touch that makes it really beautiful''Natasha Brown, author of Universality

Some people move to the big city hoping to find themselves - Sickan Hermansson isn''t leaving it up to chance.

Twenty-one, friendless, without money but not without hope, Sickan''s arrival at Stockholm University represents a new start. Her lonely childhood in a small southern town has left her utterly unprepared for intimacy: for friends, for sex, for love even. But Sickan is determined to build a new version of herself from the ground up, to make up for lost time. To simply be normal.

Just as Sickan seems to be finding her first ever friends, in whose company she finally feels safe, she meets Abbe: beautiful, charming - and by some miracle he wants her too. Unlike Sickan, Abbe seems completely at ease in his own skin. A solid foundation then, on which to build a relationship? Maybe?

What A Time To Be Alive is a story of class, sex, loneliness, and the trials of young womanhood. But above all, it''s a story of firsts: the first party you''re actually invited to, the first moment you fall in love, the first time you betray a friend. The first time you ask yourself, how much of myself am I willing to sacrifice, to finally fit in?

What readers are saying about What A Time To Be Alive

''I know so many people will adore this as much as I did!'' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ''Read if you love: Sally Rooney style messy relationships, relatable characters you don''t want to stop reading about, and 20 somethings still figuring things out.'' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ''I loved okay days so expectations were high - and I was not disappointed!! I absolutely loved this.'' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ''Jenny mustard you have done it again.'' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

A New York Times Editors' Choice'A fresh, tender, and resonant bildungsroman'R. O. Kwon, author of Exhibit'A measured and gorgeous writer, in command of the senses in a way that makes the reader feel alive'New York Times'Playful and witty, What A Time To Be Alive is a charming meditation on coming-of-age, privilege, and grief'Cecile Pin, author of Wandering Souls'A dark coming-of-age story set in Stockholm [with] a really light touch that makes it really beautiful'Natasha Brown, author of Universality'Jenny Mustard writes with honesty and wit about the strange, mundane, and wondrous aspects of youth'Ayşegül Savaş, author of The Anthropologists'A beautifully plangent coming-of-age novel . . . will go straight to your heart'Lucy Caldwell, author of These Days'A timeless writer . . . reminiscent of the power and grace of writers like Rachel Cusk and Raven Leilani'Molly Aitken, author of Bright I BurnSome people move to the big city hoping to find themselves - Sickan Hermansson isn't leaving it up to chance.Twenty-one, friendless, without money but not without hope, Sickan's arrival at Stockholm University represents a new start. Her lonely childhood in a small southern town has left her utterly unprepared for intimacy: for friends, for sex, for love even. But Sickan is determined to build a new version of herself from the ground up, to make up for lost time. To simply be normal.Just as Sickan seems to be finding her first ever friends, in whose company she finally feels safe, she meets Abbe: beautiful, charming - and by some miracle he wants her too. Unlike Sickan, Abbe seems completely at ease in his own skin. A solid foundation then, on which to build a relationship? Maybe?What A Time To Be Alive is a story of class, sex, loneliness, and the trials of young womanhood. But above all, it's a story of firsts: the first party you're actually invited to, the first moment you fall in love, the first time you betray a friend. The first time you ask yourself, how much of myself am I willing to sacrifice, to finally fit in?'Sharp, well-observed and warmly human. I hate comparing anyone to Sally Rooney, but I think that if you enjoy her writing you will, just as I did, love spending time in the company of Jenny Mustard's characters.'Rick O'Shea, Irish Independent