'A masterly work of historical witness and moral reckoning'
Observer, Fiction to look out for in 2026

FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR
TWICE WINNER OF THE COSTA BOOK OF THE YEAR

An immersive and unforgettable novel of one man's life in the aftermath of the American Civil War.

I knew as I made my way home that there was no home. All the old things. . . were gone forever.

Against a rapidly shifting landscape, Tennyson Bouguereau – freed man, devoted brother, nascent singer, conflicted soldier and wanted man – journey to find meaning and belonging. From the relative safety of home in Tennessee with his sister Rosalee, he is offered the possibility of a whole new life in Nashville, until a surprising trip to Victorian England changes everything.

Exquisitely rendered, and with a rich cast of characters, The Newer World is a lyrical, visceral novel about what it is to survive, and what might be lost along the way.