Bernard and the Cloth Monkey

by Judith Bryan

When it was first published in 1998, this book won awards for “trailblazing new black British novelists”. Recently republished to bring lost writing back into circulation, the text is as contemporary and inspiring as if it had been written today. A beautiful portrayal of the complex relationship between two sisters and how they each cope with the family they were given, the novel is a brilliant lesson in weaving past and present to gradually reveal dreadful wrong-doings that have been kept secret for too long. The subtle change in pronouns and POV is beautiful, taking us deep into the lives, minds and motives of all the characters, and what is unspoken often reads loudest. A quiet but outstanding book that deserves a new readership.