Clare Chambers Books

Living with her brother Christian, 34-year-old Esther divides her time between illustrating children's books, nightly shifts as a waitress, weekly visits to her father & fortnightly meetings with her married lover. Then one day she encounters a face in the crowd which makes her question both her life & past.

In dramatic contrast to her own conventional family, the Radley's were extraordinary, captivating creatures transplanted from a bohemian corner of North London to outer suburbia, and the young Abigail found herself drawn into their magic circle: the eccentric Frances, her new best friend;

Exploring themes of love, family, and the joy of freedom, this novel from the bestselling author of SMALL PLEASURES promises to resonate with readers. Set for release in August 2024, it delves into the complexities of relationships and the pursuit of personal happiness. Preorders are currently available for those eager to experience this heartfelt narrative.

The pressure to change our bodies is overwhelming. We strive to defy ageing, build our biceps, cure our disabilities, conceal our quirks. Surrounded by filtered photos and surgically-enhanced features, we must contort our physical selves to prejudiced standards of beauty. Perfection is impossible, and even an acceptable body seems out of reach. In this thought-provoking, original work, acclaimed political philosopher Clare Chambers argues that the unmodified body is a key political principle. While defending individuals' right to change their bodies, she argues that the social pressures to modify undermine equality. She shows how the connected ideas of the natural body, the normal body, and the whole body have been used both to disrupt and to maintain social hierarchies - sometimes oppressing, other times liberating. The body becomes a site of political importance- a place where hierarchies of sex, gender, race, disability, age, and class are reinforced. Through a clear-sighted analysis of the power dynamics that structure our society, and with examples ranging widely from bodybuilding to breast implants, deafness to male circumcision, biology to gender identity, Intact stresses that we must break away from the oppressive forces that demand we alter our bodies. Instead, it offers a bold, transformative vision of the human body that is equal without expectation.

In 1976 four students took a trip to the desert. Now the repercussions of that fateful summer are coming back to haunt them...And repercussions are just what Guy doesn't need: his wife, Jane, is moving swiftly from slightly eccentric to downright peculiar, their three-year-old daughter seems set on destroying Jane's sanity, and now even God's gone quiet on him.As for Nina, she's having enough trouble with her son, James. He's got exams looming, a new girlfriend with pneumatic breasts and now, it seems, he's on drugs. Nina certainly won't welcome any ghosts from the past.Life isn't going smoothly for anyone. But when Hugo, long-forgotten agent of misfortune, threatens to pay them all a visit, disaster seems unavoidable.

1957, the suburbs of South East London. Jean Swinney is a journalist on a local paper, trapped in a life of duty and disappointment from which there is no likelihood of escape. When a young woman, Gretchen Tilbury, contacts the paper to claim that her daughter is the result of a virgin birth, it is down to Jean to discover whether she is a miracle or a fraud. As the investigation turns her quiet life inside out, Jean is suddenly given an unexpected chance at friendship, love and - possibly - happiness. But there will, inevitably, be a price to pay.

On the brink of 40, newly single with a failed business, Philip thought he'd reached an all-time low. It only needed a discarded chip on a South London street to lay him literally flat. So, bedbound and bored, Philip writes the story of his life, only to reveal some comic and touching surprises.

Wann hast du dich das letzte Mal richtig gesehen gefühlt? Helen Hansford ist alles andere als eine konventionelle Frau – erst recht für die Sechzigerjahre. Unter der Woche hilft sie Patienten in einer modernen Klinik durch Kunst zur Rehabilitation, an den Wochenenden versucht sie, die Affäre mit ihrem charismatischen Kollegen Dr. Gil Rudden zu retten. Dass Gil seine Frau und Kinder nicht verlassen will, macht Helen anfangs nicht aus. Schließlich ist sie doch jung, autonom und emanzipiert. Dann begegnet sie William Tapping. Er hat das Haus seiner verwirrten alten Tante seit Jahren nicht mehr verlassen und spricht kein Wort. Alle anderen sehen in dem verwahrlosten William nicht mehr als eine Randfigur. Nur Helen bemerkt seine überraschende künstlerische Begabung und setzt alles daran, sein Geheimnis zu lüften. Schnell offenbart sich, dass William nicht der Einzige ist, der schon lange nicht wirklich gesehen wurde … Inspiriert durch wahre Begebenheiten erzählt Clare Chambers nach ihrem Überraschungserfolg Kleine Freuden mit Scheue Wesen nun die Geschichte einer jungen Kunsttherapeutin im England der 1960er Jahre, die mit dem Schicksal eines Patienten konfrontiert ihr eigenes Leben hinterfragen muss. „Chambers‘ Sprache ist wunderschön und schafft, was nur die geschicktesten Schriftsteller können: großes Vergnügen aus kleinen Details.“ The New York Times