Two Daughters

‘Sharply observed and skilfully drawn, this clever debut novel is an exploration of motherhood, abandonment and class … exactly my kind of book!’ – Sally Hepworth, author of Darling Girls

‘With a pacy, intricate plot that weaves across decades and continents, Two Daughters is a gripping and witty debut.’ – Diana Reid, author of Love & Virtue

‘Fresh, vivid and original … an incisive exploration of social justice, class, identity, and what it means to challenge the expectations set for women’s lives.’ – Clare Stephens, writer and host of the Mamamia podcasts Cancelled and But Are You Happy?

For Ava, heading to university in Sydney is her escape from a poverty-stricken upbringing. Her mother is long gone, her father able to provide love but little else. On the other side of the world, Laurie tolerates university only at the insistence of her father, a Marxist professor. Her mother died in childbirth, and Laurie dreams of freedom, far from the Cambridge cloisters.

It is within these college grounds that Ava and Laurie cross paths. They could not be more different, and yet as each grapples with the lasting effects of losing a mother, their lives become entwined in ways neither could have anticipated.

Alison Edwards’ brilliant novel Two Daughters explores family, class, social justice and love with a large dose of wit, the occasional detour into darkness, but always with the heartbeat of hope.

Format: Paperback
Pages: 336
Imprint: Atlantic Books UK
Publication date: 30/07/2024