‘Mongrel is so beautiful that I became lost in it . . . Simply, it must be read’ LISA TADDEO
‘A brilliant explosion of writing and storytelling . . . This feels like reading an Oscar-winning film’ AISLING BEA
‘Heart-shatteringly visceral and precise . . . a triumphant tribute to the self’ WIZ WHARTON
‘This compulsive, engrossing, and gorgeous debut will utterly consume you. 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.
‘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 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
‘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
‘A sublime and deeply moving mediation on belonging and home, Mongrel resonates with poetic clarity, offering in each line searing and yet familiar truths. Read it now. This compulsive, engrossing, and gorgeous debut will utterly consume you‘ – Stephanie Scott, author of WHAT’S LEFT OF ME IS YOURS, shortlisted for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award
‘Dark, sometimes tender, sometimes visceral, Mongrel draws on the complications that arise from power imbalance and cultural collisions. Footman draws us into the devastating worlds of three young women, illuminating their stories with her simple, clear words, while unflinchingly exploring the way identity and belonging shapes them. A beautiful debut‘ – Helena Lee, editor of EAST SIDE VOICES
‘A beautiful, haunting debut. Hanako Footman’s writing is sensuous and evocative. Her characters are vividly sketched and complex. This book will stay with you‘ – Nell Hudson, author of JUST FOR TODAY
‘An engrossing tale about living in between identities’ – ‘Fiction to Be Excited for in 2024’, i-D
‘An exploration of that fragile intersection between grief and desire. Poetic and razor-sharp, Mongrel is about longing in all forms; to be seen, to be known and to be loved’ – Eliza Moss
Hanako Footman is a British-Japanese actor and author living in London.
Mongrel is her debut novel.
