Something Like Happiness

Frazer and Caitlin have come a long way without ever leaving their small grey town. They were once teenage sweethearts, but life has now got serious: the flat they share is barely habitable, money is tight, and their autistic son is already struggling at school.

Caitlin dreams of fresh carpets and clean walls, but for Frazer Apex Court is the only home he has known. It's where his parents lived and died and where the memory of them remains.

He's asked Caitlin to marry him twice. She tries to leave most weeks. They still love each other - but is it enough?

As original and funny as his award-winning debut Only Here, Only Now, this blistering and timely new novel confirms Tom Newlands as one of the brightest talents of his generation.

Frazer and Caitlin have come a long way together, without ever leaving their small Scottish town. Once they were teenage sweethearts but now life has got serious. They share a mouldy flat in a featureless building called Apex Court and are doing their best to give their autistic son a good life.

They''re scraping by, but the cracks are starting to show. Caitlin dreams of a fresh start in a new house, clean walls, decent food. But for Frazer, Apex Court is home. It''s where his parents lived and died and where the memory of them stays alive.

He''s asked her to marry him twice. She tries to leave most weeks. They still love each other - but is it enough?

As vibrant, original and funny as his acclaimed debut Only Here, Only Now, this unforgettable new novel confirms Tom Newlands as one of the brightest Scottish talents of his generation.