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Out on 03 June 2027

Peck & Peck

Synopsis

The number one bestselling author of global sensation LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY returns.

'Charming, uplifting, soulful, and original' Kristin Hannah, bestselling author of The Women

'Laugh-out-loud funny. It is impossible not to be beguiled' Guardian

Peck & Peck is the irresistible story of a young man whose life is turned upside down when he is hired by the most prestigious, secretive and dysfunctional poetry journal in the world: the renowned Peck & Peck . . .

It's 1982, New York City. Crime is on the rise, muggings are in the streets, and Batter Gray, recent college graduate with a skill that no one wants - an 'ear' for poetry - is worried about his future. While all his friends have real jobs, he's folding T-shirts at the Gap. As for love? No. Not unless you count Sallie Mae, the student loan tyrant. He hears from Sallie all the time.

But when Batter gets a dream job at Peck & Peck, the most prestigious poetry quarterly in the world, his life moves into the literary fast lane. Soon Batter is knee-deep in the secret war between the two Editors in Chief, the famous Peck brothers - twins and enemies - as well as being privy to the private affairs of their thirty-nine editors, whose professed mission is the same: Find originality. Reward creativity. Burn the rest. And by 'burn', they mean incinerate.

Because at Peck & Peck, 'good' isn't good enough, 'interesting' doesn't cut it, plagiarists aren't tolerated, and parolees run the mailroom. Still want to submit your poem? Go with God.

Welcome to a dazzling and unforgettable novel from Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry. Original, brilliantly funny and peopled with unforgettable characters, Peck & Peck is both a passionate ode to the written word and a heartwarming exploration of all that makes us human.

Details

03 June 2027
448 pages
9781786588845
Imprint: Manilla Press

Reviews

“Laugh-out-loud funny - and a paean to the power of poetry . . . It is impossible not to be beguiled by Garmus's irrepressible humour and the freewheeling exuberance of her imagination”Guardian, Guardian
“Charming, uplifting, soulful, and original, Peck & Peck is the perfect successor to Lessons In Chemistry. If you loved Elizabeth Zott, you will adore Batter Gray.”Kristin Hannah, Kristin Hannah
“This novel is everything: a love story, a literary thriller, a brilliant satire that's full of humor and heart. Only Bonnie Garmus can write like this.”Meg Mason, internationally bestselling author of Sorrow and Bliss, Meg Mason, internationally bestselling author of Sorrow and Bliss
“An absolute triumph of storytelling, writing and characterisation, Peck & Peck had me from the first sentence. This is a glorious celebration of, and plea for, the creative arts, with a cast of truly unforgettable characters, from the eponymous Peck and Peck to the excellently named narrator Batter Gray. I won't forget this book. Ever.”Jennie Godfrey, Sunday Times bestselling author of The List of Suspicious Things, Jennie Godfrey, Sunday Times bestselling author of The List of Suspicious Things