No Small Thing

'A taut generational story set on a South London estate' Independent, July Book of the Month'From the powerful opening scene full of tragedy, this poignant debut about mothers and daughters really gets under your skin' Good Housekeeping'A gem of a book about mothers and daughters, about being Black and working class in today's London. Beautiful writing, taut with emotion, poetry and insight' Priscilla Morris, Women's Prize shortlisted author of Black ButterfliesAlone among the lush tangle of plants on his balcony, Earl watches as a broken family reunites in the flat below. There's Livia, who has been running for long enough to think her past might never catch up with her. Now she's forced to catch her breath and face the daughter she left behind. Then Mickey, angry about having a mother who left, a father who died, about the mess she's made of her own life. With no other place to go, she needs the mother who abandoned her. And Summer, whose new grandmother is weird, and whose mum is always sad or out looking for men to distract her. Left to roam, she finds friends who are willing to give her the attention that Mickey won't. But are they as kind as she thinks they are? This is a novel about the power and pain of mothering. It crackles with desire, burns with hope and sings in a voice as compelling as it is true.

Winner of Kate O'Brien 2025 Short-listed for Nero Prize for Debut Fiction 2025 Short-listed for RSL Ondaatje Award 2025

'A gem of a book about mothers and daughters, about being Black and working class in today's London. Beautiful writing, taut with emotion, poetry and insight.' - Priscilla Morris, Women's Prize shortlisted author of Black Butterflies

'Raw and beautiful: the joys and the torments of the mother-daughter bond, cascading down three brilliantly-observed generations' - Francis Spufford, author of Light Perpetual

'An absolute gem of class literature that's sexy, politically astute, emotionally intelligent, and rivetingly paced in prose that eases between fiery and tender, just like the relationships it so beautifully draws us into' - Holly Pester, author of The Lodgers

'A moving story of maternal love, desire and damage. Orlaine McDonald explores the destructive and redeeming power of this defining relationship when the lives of grandmother, daughter and granddaughter collide over the course of a life changing summer. A bold debut, beautifully written' - Marie-Claire Amuah, author of One for Sorrow, Two for Joy

'Beautifully layered and compelling, No Small Thing is a rich and poetic exploration of love, loss and betrayal across three generations of women - a multifaceted and important story of mothers and daughters told with tenderness and warmth. A bold and powerful debut' - Sussie Anie, author of To Fill a Yellow House

Orlaine McDonald is a writer of Jamaican and Irish heritage with a background in Arts Education for young people, People Referral Units and Youth Offending Units. She has a Masters in Creative and Life Writing from Goldsmiths, where she was shortlisted for the Pat Kavanagh Prize. Her poetry and short fiction have been featured in Smoke Magazine, Fish Anthology and Acumen. No Small Thing is her first novel.

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