SHUGGIE BAIN by Douglas Stuart (Picador £14.99, 448 pp)SHUGGIE BAINby Douglas Stuart (Picador £14.99, 448 pp)In truth, the young Shuggie Bain occupies less space in this doorstopper debut than his Ma, the magnificently rendered Agnes. With her high heels, mink coat and stunning, porcelain-dentured smile, she could be a 1980s Glaswegian Liz Taylor, but the glamour is a sham. But Jamshed has his own concerns, such as helping his hairdresser nephew, Ravi, become an unlikely country and western star. BURNT SUGAR by Avni Doshi (Hamish Hamilton £14.99, 240 pp)BURNT SUGARby Avni Doshi (Hamish Hamilton £14.99, 240 pp)This caustic tale of a destructive mother-daughter bond is as potent as its title might suggest. It bristles with sharp, chilly aphorisms, but although this first-time author’s gifts are evident, it’s not exactly fun to read.

Source: Daily Mail July 30, 2020 21:08 UTC