Penguin Random House, Belletristik, The Fat Lady Sings (Englisch, Jacqueline Roy, 2021)

A ground-breaking novel depicting the British mental health system through the lives of two black women attempting to find a way back to themselves 'A strong and humane work of fiction' Jackie Kay 'That is the glory of being a mental patient. Nothing is impossible.' Gloria is unapologetically loud, audacious and eternally on the brink of song. She has been living in the London psychiatric ward for several years, when another young Jamaican woman arrives, full of silences and fear. After struggling to connect with doctors who feel distant and unknowable, they are tasked with a therapeutic project instructing them to journal their pasts. Whispered into tape recorders and scrawled ferociously at night, the remarkable stories of their lives are revealed. In this tender, deeply-moving depiction of mental health, Roy creates a beautifully intimate portrait of two women finding strength in their shared vulnerability, as they navigate a system that doesn't feel designed to protect them. Life-affirming and fearlessly hopeful, this is an unforgettable story. 'A striking commentary' Scotsman 'A strong, humorous and moving piece of fiction . . . such is the life injected into the characters that by the end of the novel there remains that reluctance to part with people you have come to love' calabash 'A joy' Pride 'Unflinchingly told . . . harrowing but also shockingly funny' Big Issue.