Girls: The stunning new novel from the Women's Prize longlisted author of CARELESS (Paperback) - Kirsty Capes

A searing novel from Women's Prize longlisted author, Kirsty Capes. GIRLS follows two sisters, Mattie and Nora, on an all-or-nothing road trip across the US, exploring the intricacies of motherhood, friendship and the ties that bind us - or break us. Perfect for fans of Expectation by Anna Hope and Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

'A memorable portrayal of a family and damaged relationships. Richly rewarding, stand-out fiction'
BERNARDINE EVARISTO

'Every word has the touch of a genius' BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH

'Expect to see this on every sun lounger this summer!' THE SHIFT

'A pin-sharp, propulsive story' KIRAN MILLWOOD HARGRAVE

'Daisy Jones and the Six fans will love this!' GRAZIA

'I was bereft when I finished. A contender for my books of the year list' PRIMA

'Bold, brilliant, shocking and shattering' CHRIS WHITAKER

Everyone has heard of Girls.
But what happened to the women they became?

At the time of her death, the press wrote many things about Ingrid Olssen:

She was a brilliant artist. She was a terrible mother to her girls, Mattie and Nora. And that her legacy would live on forever.

Even so, it's unlikely the world will ever see another Ingrid Olssen exhibition - her last request to her daughters was to throw her ashes in the canyon and her paintings in the sea.

But as Mattie and Nora reluctantly embark on an all-or-nothing trip to fulfil her wishes, they start to unpick the painful scars of their past.

And soon they begin to realise that the ties that bound them, might also break them...

Perfect for fans of Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason and Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. GIRLS is as devastating as it is hilarious, as tender and moving as it is shocking - this is a book that will stay with you long after you have turned the final pages.

** PRAISE FOR GIRLS **

'A memorable portrayal of a family and damaged relationships painted with all the colour, ambition, texture and psychological complexity that makes for richly rewarding, stand-out fiction' BERNARDINE EVARISTO

'Bold, brilliant, shocking and shattering. GIRLS takes a beautiful, funny and moving look at family, loss, and the complex notion of forgiveness. I adored it.' CHRIS WHITAKER

'Every word has the touch of genius' BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH

'A beautiful, rich, expansive novel. It'll be a while before I stop crying' JENNIE GODFREY

'Beautifully written, tender, moving. I can't say enough good things about it' LOUISE O'NEILL

'An ode to sisters, surviving and families. Loved it.' PRIMA

'I adored GIRLS by Kirsty Capes. The ending is brilliant & sad. The journey there is full of thrills & brilliant insights into the dark burden of the past, sisters & mothers, emotional damage & baggage. Five stars from me.' GEORGINA MOORE

'A funny, heartbreaking, astute look at art, trauma, the nature of celebrity, mothers, daughters, sisters and the awful things we do to each other. Expect to see this on every sunlounger this summer' THE SHIFT

'I can't think when I last encountered a story world of this depth and faultless plausibility. Everything about it was perfect: intricate; warm; uncluttered' ANSTEY HARRIS

'A pin-sharp, propulsive story about connection and family, legacy and art' KIRAN MILLWOOD HARGRAVE

About the Author

Kirsty Capes works in marketing and lives in Slough with her golden retriever, Doug. She holds a PhD from Brunel University London; her thesis investigates representations of the care experience in contemporary British fiction. Her first novel, Careless, was longlisted for the Women's Prize 2022. Girls is her third novel.