“Listen. Sometimes you’ve just got to put on a Breton top and a bit of lipstick, get behind a wheel and get the fuck as far away as possible from the person you shagged last night. It’s basic science.”

Listen, sometimes you’ve got to just put aside an afternoon and read Emma Jane Unsworth.

I suspect that I am older than Unsworth’s target audience. Just slightly. It doesn’t matter, because her books firmly resonate.

Her latest novel, Slags, tells the story of sisters, Sarah and Juliette, who decide to take a road trip through the Scottish Highlands in an old camper van, to celebrate Juliette’s birthday. Their plans include taking in the scenery, visiting whiskey distilleries, and having a few deep-and-meaningfuls. Sarah is escaping poor lifestyle choices, Juliette is reflecting on the grind of her marriage and motherhood, and both have childhood trauma to navigate. Continue reading →