It's here! Browse the 2024 Penguin Christmas gift guide

Judith Bryan

Bernard and the Cloth Monkey

Bernard and the Cloth Monkey

A collection of rediscovered works celebrating Black Britain curated by Booker Prize-winner Bernardine Evaristo

Summary

When Anita finally returns to London after a long absence, everything has changed.

Her father is dead, her mother has disappeared, and she and her sister Beth are alone together for the first time in years.

They share a house. They share a family. They share a past.

Tentatively, they reach out to one another for connection, but the house echoes with words unspoken. Can they confront the pain of the past together?

Dazzling and heart-breaking, Bernard and the Cloth Monkey is a shattering portrait of family, a rebellion against silence and a testament to the human capacity for survival.