Advertisement
Books

Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny looks at life’s bruises and heartaches

Katherine Heiny’s second novel ‘Early Morning Riser’ looks at the small town life of protagonist Jane and how she copes with life’s setbacks.

Katherine Heiny’s second novel Early Morning Riser is tender, funny and affecting, a charming friend of a book to ease the Covid blues. Jane is a teacher who moves to a small town and seeks to build a life for herself. She falls into an affair with Duncan, a handyman who also seems to have been handy with most of the local female population – he is “good with women the way other people are good with cars or numbers”.

The pair end up looking after Jimmy, a young man with learning difficulties, and this relationship forms the emotional core of the story. Heiny is never cosy – she is far too sharp and funny for that – but in exploring the value of life’s bruises and heartaches she concludes that there are many things worse than simply settling for what you have.

Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny is out now (4th Estate, £14.99)

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Change a vendor's life this Christmas

This Christmas, 3.8 million people across the UK will be facing extreme poverty. Thousands of those struggling will turn to selling the Big Issue as a vital source of income - they need your support to earn and lift themselves out of poverty.

Recommended for you

Read All
Gliff by Ali Smith review – ingenious and warm anti-establishment storytelling
Books

Gliff by Ali Smith review – ingenious and warm anti-establishment storytelling

Ground by Jadelin Gangbo review – hope for healing amid the wreckage
Books

Ground by Jadelin Gangbo review – hope for healing amid the wreckage

Horrible Histories author Terry Deary: 'The most important day in history is tomorrow'
Books

Horrible Histories author Terry Deary: 'The most important day in history is tomorrow'

Teething problems with VAR and handball rules serve as a warning about AI
Artificial Intelligence

Teething problems with VAR and handball rules serve as a warning about AI

Most Popular

Read All
Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits
Renters: A mortgage lender's window advertising buy-to-let products
1.

Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal
Pound coins on a piece of paper with disability living allowancve
2.

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over
next dwp cost of living payment 2023
3.

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue
4.

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue