The protagonist of Jennifer Clement's novel Prayers for the Stolen (Hogarth), Lady Di Garcia Martinez – she was born at the time of Princess Diana's engagement – lives in a rural village in the Mexican state of Guerrero.
Hers is a community of single mothers and daughters masquerading as boys in order to protect themselves from the drug cartels that sweep through their village, abducting any beautiful women they can find. This is a harrowing, compelling story, and will stay with you for a very long time.
The Apple Tart of Hope (Orion) by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald is a moving and poignant tale about the redemptive power of friendship.
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Dept Of Speculation (Granta) is a series of short dispatches from the front line of a marriage. By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Jenny Offill lays bare the quiet madness of love, and the result is a profound and affecting read.
Louise O'Neill's novel Only Ever Yours is published by Quercus
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