GOLDEN CHILD to be Radio 4’s Book at Bedtime

Claire Adam’s debut novel Golden Child is to be serialized on Radio 4’s Book at Bedtime for two weeks from 25th February.

A deeply affecting debut novel set in Trinidad, it follows the lives of a family as they navigate impossible choices about scarcity, loyalty, and love.

‘In Claire’s spare and elegant prose, the remote country of Trinidad is brought to life with a simmering lyricism and quiet and secretive agony, and the characters she’s crafted feel real, immediate, and thrillingly truthful.’ Sarah Jessica Parker*

‘Utterly convincing, horrifying and, ultimately, intensely moving, it’s almost impossible to believe this small masterpiece is a first novel. Adam is a true and rare talent. I’m in awe.’ Julie Myerson

‘Partly a fable about choices and children; partly a sensual immersion into life in Trinidad; and wholly a bracing, brave and wise corrective to Western sentimentality about poverty and migration, I was enthralled, appalled and finally very moved by this story.’ Kate Clanchy

’The characters in Golden Child are so completely real that I keep forgetting that their home is the page; they seem to breathe and think on their own. This is a devastating, wonderful book, and I can’t help but wait impatiently for whatever Claire Adam writes next.’ Sara Taylor, author of The Lauras

‘Golden Child swells with wisdom about masculinity, family, violence and sacrifice. I read it in a sitting, gripping the pages, nails chewed down by the final word. An intense, heart-breaking debut.’ Daniel Magariel, author of One of the Boys

‘Golden Child is a stunning novel written with force and beauty. Though true to herself, Adam’s work stands tall beside icons of her tradition like V.S. Naipaul.’ Jennifer Clement, author of Gun Love

It’s dark now; the bats are out. Insects knock against the light on the patio and the dog sits at the gate. A boy has not returned home and a family anxiously awaits. A father steps out into the night to search for his son.

As the hours turn into days, this man will learn many things. He will learn about being a father to twin boys who are in no way alike. He will learn how dangerous hopes and dreams can be. He will learn truths about Trinidad, about his family, and himself. He will question received wisdom and question his judgement. He will learn about sacrifice and the nature of love – and he will be forced to act.

Claire Adam’s electrifying first novel reckons with the secrets of the human heart. It tells a story about wanting more for our children; it casts its spell with uncommon wisdom and grace.

Claire Adam was born and raised in Trinidad. She read Physics at Brown University and later took an MA in Creative Writing at Goldsmiths, University of London, where she gained a distinction. She lives in London.

*Golden Child is the second acquisition by Sarah Jessica Parker for her imprint SJP for Hogarth in the US.

Press contact: Maria Garbutt-Lucero | Publicity & Campaigns Manager | mariagl@faber.co.uk | 0207 927 3886 | @mariagluc