The debut novel from French author Claire Baglin (translated by Jordan Stump) is a revelation. It features two strands, both apparently drawn from Baglin’s own life. In one, we follow a working-class family – mother, father, young daughter (presumably Beglin) and even younger son – who are trying to make ends meet. They bicker in fast-food restaurants, visit relatives, and holiday at a campsite in Brittany. All the while, the kind-hearted father is trying to hold down his job as a low-paid electrician in a factory. This strand is woven neatly together with another, which sees a young woman (presumably Beglin) undertaking her first job in a fast food restaurant. It’s boring work, but little victories over the hated bosses are precious. Baglin’s nimble prose is a joy, and littered with sardonic humour, as she shines a light onto those often desultory chunks of existence that jigsaw together to make up working class lives. RM

Published by Daunt Books