Rosewater: A Novel

Written by Liv Little

Narrated by Suhaiyla Hippolyte

For fans of Queenie and Such a Fun Age comes a deliciously gritty and strikingly bold debut novel about discovering love where it has always been. Elsie is a sexy, funny, and fiercely independent woman in south London. But, at just 28, she is also tired. Though she spends her days writing tender poetry in her journal, her nights are spent working long hours for minimum wage at a neighborhood dive bar. Not even sleeping with her alluring coworker, Bea, can quell her existential dread. The difficulty of being estranged from her family, struggle of being continually rejected from jobs, and fear of never making money doing what she loves is too great. But Elsie is determined to keep the faith, for a little longer at least. Things will surely turn around. They have to. But when Elsie is suddenly evicted from her social housing, her fragile foundations threaten to collapse entirely. With nowhere left to go, Elsie turns to her childhood friend, Juliet, for help. Among Juliet’s mismatched cushions and shelves lined with trinkets, Elsie is able to breathe for the first time in years. But between their reruns of Drag Raceand nights smoking on the balcony, something else soon begins to glimmer in Elsie’s heart . . . Sometimes what you’ve been searching for has been there all along. Can Elsie see it in time? Featuring the incredible poetry of Kai-Isaiah Jamal, Rosewater is a story of intergenerational love, healing, and one woman’s journey home. A remarkable debut by an exciting new talent, readers are sure to be enchanted by Liv Little’s distinctive and captivating contemporary voice.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zando
• Release date: Apr 25, 2023
• ISBN: 9781666633757

Liv Little

Liv Little is a writer of Jamaican and Guyanese descent via South London. She’s the founder and former CEO of the award-winning publication gal-dem. Liv tells stories with heart about the people and places that matter to her. Her work spans journalism, audio, TV, and curatorial projects, for which she’s received various accolades, including LGBTQI+ Broadcaster of the Year and Rising Star at WOW. Her short story, “The Sisters”, was published in the critically acclaimed Hag, a collection of forgotten folktales retold. She was a BBC writer-in-residence for 2021, during which she developed an original pilot for a queer conspiracy thriller. Liv is most at peace in nature, and she now lives by the sea. Rosewater is her debut novel.

Reviews for Rosewater

[xavierlismith · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The voice actress is amazing. Absolutely loved hearing her story.

[Annabella · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

phenomenonal, so beautifully written
an easily 5 star read !

[Jamie Vaughan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful debute novel! I loved the characters and very human emotions running strong through the story. I look forward to reading more from her.