{"product_id":"small-joys-by-elvin-james-mensah","title":"Small Joys by Elvin James Mensah","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"mb-4\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn unexpected friendship saves a young man's life in this moving, utterly charming debut about chosen family, the winding road to happiness, and the grace of second chances.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"This funny and bighearted debut is an ode to queer friendship and chosen family. . . . A tender and generous novel about findingyour people, getting vulnerable, and celebrating every joy—big or small.\" —\u003ci\u003eBuzzFeed\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"mb-4\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eHarley is a young queer Black man struggling to find his way in mid-noughties Britain. Returning home, having just dropped out of an undergraduate course in music journalism, he is wracked by feelings of failure and inadequacy. Standing in the local woods one day, on the verge of doing something drastic and irreversible, his hand is stayed by a stranger: a tall husky guy who emerges from the bushes holding a pair of binoculars.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMuddy's lust for his own life makes others feel better by association. A keen birdwatcher, rugby fanatic and Oasis obsessive, he quickly becomes a devoted and loyal friend to Harley who finds his enthusiasm infectious and his dimples irresistible. In no time at all, they become inseparable. Harley starts to think that life may be worth living after all, while Muddy discovers things about himself that the lads down the rugby club may struggle to understand.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut when figures from the past threaten to plunge Harley back into the depths of depression, his only hope of survival is Muddy and the small joys they create together. Moving, funny and tender,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eSmall Joys\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eis an epic novel about ordinary lives that introduces the world to an unforgettable cast of characters and a major new literary talent.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eElvin James Mensah\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e was born and raised in South East London. He graduated from Bournemouth University, where he began writing his first novel, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eSmall Joys\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"You Belong Books and Crafts","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46650891272391,"sku":null,"price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0617\/3258\/5671\/files\/smalljoys.jpg?v=1781315934","url":"https:\/\/youbelongbooksandcrafts.com\/products\/small-joys-by-elvin-james-mensah","provider":"You Belong Books and Crafts","version":"1.0","type":"link"}