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Goldsboro Books

9781399700337

Ghost Girl, Banana

Ghost Girl, Banana

by Wiz Wharton

Publisher Hodder & Stoughton

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  • First Printing
  • Hardcover


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  • Professionally Packed

    All of our books that have a dust wrapper are covered in clear protective, removable film and are packed professionally in bubble wrap and a box for shipping so that they reach you in perfect condition.

  • Book Condition & Notes

    All of our books that a have dust wrapper are covered in clear protective, removable film and are packed professionally in bubble wrap and a box for shipping so that they reach you in perfect condition.

About the book

A stunning, powerful debut novel about the choices we make and what it costs to belong, for fans of Brit Bennett and Clare Chambers.

'A gripping and evocative tale of family secrets, courage, adversity and love. Sook-Yin and Lily's stories are beautifully told and truly unforgettable . . . such accomplished storytelling and gorgeous prose. Brilliant' Emma Stonex

'A story of family, love, redemption and belonging, told with such heart and empathy. Essential and utterly unforgettable'Fona Scarlett

'An absolute wrecking ball of a novel. Ghost Girl, Banana is an enchanting, suspenseful journey through family, distance, money and betrayal. I loved it so much' Erin Kelly

1966: Sook-Yin is exiled from Kowloon to London with orders to restore honour to her family. As she strives to fit into a world that does not understand her, she realizes that survival will mean carving out a destiny of her own.

1997: Sook-Yin's daughter Lily can barely remember the mother she lost as a small child. But when she is unexpectedly named in the will of a powerful Chinese stranger, she embarks on a secret pilgrimage to Hong Kong to discover the lost side of her identity and claim the reward. But she soon learns that the secrecy around her heritage has deep roots, and good fortune comes at a price.

'Ghost Girl, Banana is an epic yet deeply intimate novel. I was rapt throughout, propelled by Wiz Wharton's taut, immersive prose. She swept me up in Sook-Yin and Lily's mirrored journeys of discovery, spanning decades and continents, but always I could feel the vibration of these women existing in the wider world; their stories are so skilfully shot through with the hum of change' Kate Sawyer, author of Costa prize-shortlisted The Stranding

'An intriguing, beautifully written study of the stories we inherit. I loved being in Lily and Sook-Yin's heads, my heart breaking for them . . . I loved it!' Nikki May

'Sparkling prose and a page-turning plot combined with wonderful storytelling . . . An absolutely dazzling debut' Julie Owen Moylan

'From the first pages, I was drawn into the worlds of Lily and Sook-Yin and the stories that bind them together across the years. Wiz is a master storyteller, weaving Lily and Sook-Yin's stories of belonging together with elegance and wit' Ronali Collings

'Fresh, funny, infuriating, heartbreaking - Ghost Girl, Banana is sure to be a massive hit. I adored it' Emily Koch

'Captivating characters and lucid prose' Melissa Fu

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About the Author

Wiz Wharton

Wiz Wharton was born in London of Chinese-European heritage. She is a prize-winning graduate of the National Film and Television school, where she studied screenwriting under the filmmakers Mike Leigh, Stephen Frears and Kenith Trodd. Her debut novel Ghost Girl, Banana - a dual narrative set in 1960s London and 1990s Hong Kong on the cusp of its handover to China - deals with issues of identity, belonging and familial secrets. Adaptation rights were optioned by Federation Stories - the UK arm of French super-indie Federation Stories - after a three-way auction, with Wharton on board as screenwriter and executive producer. 

In 2023, she was named by the Scottish Government Expo Fund as one of the 40 writers predicted to set the literary world alight.

A passionate advocate for more visibility for mental health issues, she has written for The Guardian and appeared on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour. 

She lives in the Scottish Highlands.

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GPSR EU Safety Information

1. Manufacturer Contact Information

Goldsboro Books Ltd - 23-27 Cecil Court, London, WC2N4EZ, enquiries@goldsborobooks.com, 02074979230

2. EU Authorised Representative Information

Easy Access System Europe - Mustamäe tee 50, 10621 Tallinn, Estonia, gpsr.requests@easproject.com

3. Safety Warnings

Not applicable

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