{"product_id":"hard-place-4","title":"Hard Place","description":"\u003cp\u003e‘An impeccable rendering of modern queer life, \u003ci\u003eHard Place \u003c\/i\u003eis a closely-held mirror to the tenderness and brutality of what it means to be young, gay and trying today – in all its unflinching, and sometimes unflattering, glory. Torr is a new champion of the form.’\u003cb\u003e Rebecca K Reilly, author of \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eGreta and Valdin\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e‘\u003c\/i\u003eRuthless yet tender, funny yet devastating, with language sharp enough to cut. An essential read for our times.’ \u003cb\u003eAmy Twigg, author of \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eSpoilt Creatures\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘A triumph of contemporary queer satire.’\u003cb\u003e Jodie Matthews, author of \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eMeet Me at the Surface\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Brutal, nuanced, compassionate and critical all at once,\u003ci\u003e Hard Place \u003c\/i\u003eshows the messy, human hypocrisy of existing in the current moment – but it also shows the necessity of creating imperfect connections and allowing ourselves to both change and be changed. Funny, heartwarming and socially aware all at once, it signals the arrival of a major new talent'\u003cb\u003e Heather Parry, author of \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eCarrion Crow\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eHard Place is a stunning debut, a beautifully observed, darkly funny exploration of modern relationships and London life. So savage and so tender, it marks Gab Torr as one of the brightest new talents in British writing' \u003cb\u003eTom Newlands, author of \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eOnly Here, Only Now\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eEveryone's healing. No-one's happy.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor years, Billy’s decisions have been made for her by long-term girlfriend Rose, leaving her free not to think for – or about – herself. But when they break up and Billy is left without anywhere to live, she’s forced to take up an unappealing but affordable SpareRoom ad. Her new flatmates, Sid and Rhoda, are the kinds of people who talk very seriously about \u003ci\u003etaking accountability\u003c\/i\u003e, adhering to the flat’s \u003ci\u003ecommunity guidelines\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eholding space \u003c\/i\u003efor one another. Meals are communal by force, polyamory is assumed, and whatever the problem, capitalism’s usually to blame. Yes, Rhoda’s parents own the flat, but that doesn’t matter: they’re unapologetically political and loudly queer, and slowly Billy becomes enmeshed in their radical, vulnerable world. But as Billy’s past starts to catch up with her, and all of their boundaries begin to crumble, each of them must reckon with what they truly stand for – and what they’ll sacrifice to hold onto it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eHard Place \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eis a many-layered feast of a novel – biting, witty and unexpectedly tender at the same time. I hugely enjoyed it!’ Hannah Beer, author of \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eI Make My Own Fun\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56409034129752,"sku":"9781398553019","price":21.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0278\/1295\/4195\/files\/9781398553019_ce8ef58d-42f6-43d7-be2f-4c78e44392e9.jpg?v=1780430434","url":"https:\/\/agendabookshop.com\/products\/hard-place-4","provider":"Agenda Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}