The Divorcees Magdaleen Van Wyk

The Divorcees Magdaleen Van WykA dark and dazzling debut from a beguiling new voice for fans of Beautiful Ruins and Lessons in Chemistry. Lois Saunders thought that marrying the right man would finally cure her loneliness. But as picture perfect as her husband is, she is suffocating in their loveless marriage. In 1951, though, unhappiness was hardly grounds for divorce except in Reno, Nevada. At the Golden Yarrow, the most respectable of Reno's 'divorce ranches' Lois finds herself

yet ends up working the streets as a prostitute

Shark in the park

• Is there hope

You could end global poverty

who is reading a book about Goldilocks

It follows Lorraine Hansberry from her childhood in Chicago (where her family encountered vicious resistance when it moved into a white neighborhood)

We need us

As well as the highs

The last story is The Unicorn and the Lost Cat

is especially excited

But somewhere between the grind of endless rehearsals on the rooftop and the glamour of weekly gigs at the Champagne Supper Club

Confidence is like a muscle