THE DEBUT NOVEL THAT’LL STEAL YOUR HEART
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONES DEBUT FICTION PRIZE 2024
‘So beautiful … Simply, it must be read’ LISA TADDEO
‘This feels like reading an Oscar-winning film’ AISLING BEA
‘Heart-shatteringly visceral and precise’ WIZ WHARTON
‘Compulsive, engrossing, and gorgeous … Read it now’ STEPHANIE SCOTT
Mei loses her Japanese mother at age six. Growing up in suburban Surrey, she yearns to fit in, suppressing not only her heritage but her growing desire for her best friend Fran.
Yuki leaves the Japanese countryside to pursue her dream of becoming a concert violinist in London. Far from home and in an unfamiliar city, she finds herself caught up in the charms of her older teacher.
Haruka attempts to navigate Tokyo’s nightlife and all of its many vices, working as a hostess in the city’s sex district. She grieves a mother who hid so many secrets from her, until finally one of those secrets comes to light . . .
Shifting between three intertwining narratives, Mongrel reveals a tangled web of desire, isolation, belonging and ultimately, hope.
5 Star Reader Reviews: ‘Utterly captivating’ | ‘Achingly real’ | ‘Moving and unforgettable’ | ‘Stunning yet heartbreaking’ | ‘Devastating, powerful’ | ‘Easily one of the best books I’ve ever read’
‘Sensational books transcend the very form they elevate by delivering a purity of thought with seeming effortlessness and here, in Mongrel, Hanako Footman conveys the truth of the world in lucid but spinning, transcendental sentences. It’s so beautiful that I became lost in it, and I can’t find the right words because they are all in this book. Simply, it must be read‘ – Lisa Taddeo, author of THREE WOMEN and ANIMAL
‘MONGREL is an unforgettable novel that is raw and thought-provoking with exceptional poetic prose. It explores identity and belonging in a way that speaks to your soul and makes you feel seen. I absolutely loved it – it’s nothing short of exquisite.’ – Josie Ferguson, author of THE SILENCE IN BETWEEN
‘An engrossing tale about living in between identities’ – ‘Fiction to Be Excited for in 2024’, i-D
‘Mongrel is a stunning read. A brilliant explosion of writing and storytelling with one of the most unique and powerful voices I’ve come across in an author. This feels like reading an Oscar-winning film’ – Aisling Bea
‘Mongrel is a hypnotic, haunting exploration of identity and womanhood. A darkly lush tale of three women in search of connection‘ – Charmaine Wilkerson, author of BLACK CAKE
‘At once witty, honest and dark, Mongrel helps widen the canon of debut British writing’ – Harper’s Bazaar
‘Fearless and deeply felt. Footman’s writing is raw and spiky, yet lyrical and tender – underpinned by bold questions of grief, race, and what it means to live a life on one’s own terms. A devastating and compassionate novel, in which every page brims with complex, beautiful life‘ – Ian Russell-Hsieh, author of I’M NEW HERE
‘grapple[s] with how we belong anywhere with sharp precision and lyrical introspection’ – Service95
‘Heart-shatteringly visceral and precise, Mongrel gives voice to generations of women living on the margins. An urgent story of sexual politics, identity and knowledge but ultimately a triumphant tribute to the self‘ – Wiz Wharton, author of GHOST GIRL, BANANA
‘With verve and poetry, Hanako Footman chronicles the yearnings and ghosts haunting three memorable women – Mei, Yuko, and Hakura – who each are finding their footing in worlds of estrangement. A mosaic composed from shards of mystery, grit, and sensuality, this is a work that unveils the complexities of lineage and racial identity from the deepest chambers of the soul, with visceral prose full of ache and beauty’ – Aube Rey Lescure, author of RIVER EAST, RIVER WEST
Hanako Footman is a British-Japanese author and actor. She grew up in Wimbledon and trained at LAMDA. She now lives in Dalston, East London. As a child she spent her school holidays in Japan, at her grandmother’s house by the sea. She tries to go back whenever she can. Hanako’s debut novel Mongrel was shortlisted for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize in 2024.
