Chrysalis

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In the end, our main character decides to cut out all relationships and focuses on not just slow living but slow moving; she is able to hold a yoga pose for hours on end. Over time, we come to see several different points of origin for the woman’s drive to metamorphosis. As she assumes control of her body, her increasing physical power is accompanied by an equally powerful personal philosophy – or maybe that’s an impression that’s equally dependent on the fantasies of others.

Among the grey and black machines, between the gleaming mirrors and the miniature televisions, surrounded by people in shiny leggings with go-faster stripes on their shoes, she looked like something from the past. She felt helpless raising her, and now she observes as her daughter’s lifestyle impacts strangers’ lives. By far the strongest was the second narrator, the protagonist's mother, as the third narrator hardly appeared to have any point of view at all.

Postmodern speed and complexity are juxtaposed with slowness and simplicity, so ideas that are valued by the mindfulness movement, but which, at least in this story, aren't the solution either. The background noise fades out and the crackle of the breeze is replaced by the tinkly piano and a haunting voice. Hotjar sets this cookie to know whether a user is included in the data sampling defined by the site's daily session limit. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and consider to be richly deserving of the accolade, and I look forward to seeing what else she will produce in future.

For her part, the woman comes across as unfeeling and aloof, and there is something almost distasteful about her. Her mother gives us a history of how she was growing up, her personality and the kind of daughter she was.

Metcalfe was recently included on Granta’s list of the 20 Best Young British Novelists, and this debut proves that this is a worthy inclusion. The novel focuses on a period of transition as this young woman emerges from a difficult childhood and an abusive relationship. Bella, her mother, worries about the intense effect her daughter's new way of life is beginning to have on others, and she reflects on their relationship, a close cocoon from which her daughter has broken free. There is no framing device, no pretext for their telling us what they know about this woman, and the background is so lightly sketched that it feels neutralised.

Although Anna Metcalfe cites Han Kang’s The Vegetarian, a 2007 novel similar in structure and theme, as a source of inspiration, this doesn't detract one iota from Ms.Hotjar sets this cookie to know whether a user is included in the data sampling defined by the site's pageview limit.