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Next Time Will Be Our Turn by Jesse Sutanto (Corvus £9.99, 352pp) The successful Chen family have hired a Michelin-star restaurant for their annual Chinese New Year celebration. This year, however, the ostentatiously expensive event is ruined by the arrival of 73-year-old matriarch Magnolia with a striking white woman with whom she is obviously in a relationship. Immediately concerned with the destruction of their good name, the rest of the family set about having board meetings and hiring lawyers to remove Magnolia and protect their business from scandal. Magnolia’s 16-year-old granddaughter Izzy, who is mostly ignored by the rest of the Chens, is the only one who wants to know more. As Magnolia tells Izzy her story, we travel from Indonesia to Los Angeles and encounter privilege but also a world rife with prejudice, shame and judgment. It’s brilliant on seizing the day and not squeezing yourself into a socially approved box to make others feel comfortable. Other People’s Fun by Harriet Lane (W&N £20, 208pp) Narrator Ruth is at a school reunion, feeling lost and less-than, when she bumps into Sookie, a popular girl who never bothered with Ruth when they were younger. Ruth isn’t in a good place. Her long -marriage has ended, her job is unfulfilling and her daughter doesn’t need her any more. Sookie was part of the in-crowd at school, yet there’s a whiff of loneliness about her now that she has moved back to London from Hong Kong. Despite only remembering Ruth because she used to crib from her essays, Sookie couldn’t be friendlier now. Ruth is insecure and lonely herself so she allows Sookie to use her as a receptacle for her endless chat about the affair she is having. When it transpires it’s with someone Ruth liked herself, things get interesting. Clever and compelling. The Ferryman and his Wife by Frode Grytten (Serpent’s Tail £12.99, 176pp) Gentle soul Nils wakes up one morning and knows it will be the last day of his life. He decides to follow his customary routine and take his ferryboat across the fjord one more time. Nils has dedicated his life to ferrying -people, treating all his passengers with kindness. As he travels on this final journey, he reflects upon his life and is joined by ghosts of companions past, including his faithful dog Luna. Most poignantly, Nils spends time remembering his wife Marta, the woman he loved more than anything. Beautifully written and thought-provoking, this stayed with me for a long time.
