Showing results by publisher "Wildfire" in Coming of Age

It is 1938 in China, and the Japanese are advancing. A young mother, Meilin, is forced to flee her burning city with her four-year-old son, Renshu, and embark on an epic journey across China. For comfort, they turn to their most treasured possession - a beautifully illustrated hand scroll. Its ancient fables offer solace and wisdom as they travel through their ravaged country, seeking refuge. Years later, Renshu has settled in America as Henry Dao. His daughter is desperate to understand her heritage, but he refuses to talk about his childhood.

'Edgy, dark, funny and perceptive' The Herald 'Immensely readable' Jo Brand 'Brilliant' The Sun 'Vulnerable and raw' Tom Allen A life-affirming debut novel from one of Britain's most-loved comedians, Kevin Bridges - exploring dysfunctional friendships, family, and how to face your problems head...

'Sensory and visceral from page one . . . M. L. Rio is a force to be reckoned with' JENNIFER EGAN 'The sleaze of the Stooges, the energy of the Ramones and the glamour of the Cramps - Hot Wax is a pure foot-on-the-monitors, amps-up-to-ten rock 'n' roll classic' MAT OSMAN A vivid and immersive...

'Part thriller, part fable, this is fascinating, funny and very moving - highly recommended.' - GUARDIAN 'Brilliant, compulsive and thrilling. I will be reading this book again!' - Alice Winn, author of IN MEMORIAM 'One of the best novels I've read this year.' - Joanna Quinn, author of The...

Mary grew up longing for information about the mother she never knew. Her brother could barely remember her, and their father numbed his pain with drink. Now aged thirty-seven, Mary has lived in the same house her whole life. She's never left Belfast. TJ, who's about to turn eighteen, is itching to see more of the world. But when his mother disappears, TJ begins to realise what he's been taking for granted.

Bristol, 1980. In the tight-knit neighbourhood of St. Pauls, 14-year-old Jabari is proud of his position as the only son of revered community leader Ras Levi. Raised in a world of sus laws and council neglect, Jabari finds hope in his Rastafari faith, which offers the comforting vision that one day he and his fellow believers will repatriate to the motherland, where they will at last be free from oppression and prejudice. But in St Pauls a local firebrand activist has been arrested, and violence soon overflows, pulling both father and son into its maelstrom.

Ivy Lin, a Chinese immigrant growing up in a low-income apartment complex outside Boston, is desperate to assimilate with her American peers. Her parents disapprove, berating her for her mediocre grades and what they see as her lazy, entitled attitude. But Ivy has a secret weapon, her grandmother Meifeng, from whom she learns to shoplift to get the things she needs to fit in. Ivy develops a taste for winning and for wealth. As an adult, she reconnects with the blond-haired golden boy of a prominent political family and thinks it's fate. 

It's the turn of the millennium and, landing in London with nothing but her CD collection and demo tape, Orla Quinn moves into a squalid Kilburn house with her best mate and a band called Shiva. Orla wants to make music, but juggling two jobs and partying every night isn't helping. Back in Ireland her parents' marriage has crumbled, she's not speaking to her father, and her mother and sister are drinking too much.

'Dreams that are laughable when said aloud are what's worth pursuing. Even if you fall, you do so with much poise.' In a small, enigmatic café in Hsinchu, Taiwan, everyone is waiting for someone. Whether it's love, a second chance, or a sign of something greater. The café is more than just an...

In a small farming village in Punjab, India, a boy crouches over his brother's phone in a rapeseed field watching clips of Godard's Bande à part on YouTube. His name is Happy Singh Soni and when he's not sleeping among the cabbages and eating sugary rotis, Happy dreams of becoming an actor, one who plays the melancholy roles; the sad, pretty boys, rare in Indian cinema. He plans a clandestine journey to Europe, where he'll finally land a breakout role.