In the early 1980s, Glasgow is in decline, Thatcher's policies have plunged entire families into unemployment, and everyone is trying by any means to survive. Agnes Bain had greater expectations for life. She dreams of more significant things: her own home, a life with greater luxury, like those she sees in magazines, anything that could somehow brighten her gray life.

She tries to maintain her dignity by staying well-groomed and beautiful, but ultimately she turns to drink, finding increasing relief in it. When her husband leaves her, Agnes and her three children find themselves in a dead end in this broken city. And as she sinks deeper into alcoholism, the children are forced to leave to save themselves.

However, little Saggy stays. And he never stops hoping. He hopes that the days to come will be better, that his mother will be saved. At the same time, he struggles to find his identity, to understand who he is and why everyone treats him like something different. A deeply moving story about addiction, poverty, and sexuality, but above all, a story about love.

Douglas Stuart, with raw yet tender writing, speaks of hardship, addiction, and broken families. Yet through the darkness, he reveals light, devotion, and ultimately hope.

Awards: BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021, BEST DEBUT NOVEL 2021 BRITISH BOOK AWARDS, SUE KAUFMAN AWARD FROM THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND LETTERS, SCOTTISH AUTHOR BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020 THE WATERSTONES.

This debut novel left us speechless, creating an astonishingly intimate, compassionate, and shocking portrait of addiction, courage, and love. It is a desperately sad, almost hopeful examination of family and the oppressive forces of desire. Booker Prize Jury.

THE PRESS WROTE: A novel that digs deep into the dirt and darkness of 1980s Glasgow to reveal a story that touches and captivates from the very first moment. Think D.H. Lawrence. Think James Joyce... A literary feat. Washington Independent Review of Books.

Just as Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting carved a permanent place in our minds and hearts for the drug addicts of Edinburgh in the late 1980s, the language, images, and story of Stuart's debut novel elevate the life of the Bain family in Glasgow... Its emotional truth will make you crumble. You will never forget Saggy Bain. Scene by scene, this book is a masterpiece. Kirkus.

A heartbreaking story about identity, addiction, and abandonment. Time.