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Cuts Both Ways

Candice Brathwaite

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'Funny and heart-warming ... Brathwaite tackles big themes with a deft touch' Stylist

'A sharp look at the realities of growing up Black in Britain ... warm and insightful' Observer

'You don't want to put it down until you've read it cover to cover' Independent

'Tackles big issues with humour and heart' i newspaper

Love is never just black and white...

A sharp and authentic love story about 16-year-old Cynthia, who finds herself caught between two brothers: one who is Black and the other who is white. Tackling the complexities of growing up Black and British, Cuts Both Ways is the first fiction title from the Sunday Times best-selling Candice Brathwaite, author of I Am Not Your Baby Mother.

London is everything to Cynthia, so when her parents move her to a place where there is only one bus an hour and the faint smell of horse manure continuously permeates the air, it's a culture shock, to say the least. As is transitioning to a private school.

At her new school, Cynthia immediately finds herself caught between two brothers - head boy Thomas, who is white, and his adopted Black brother, Isaac. There is something about Isaac she cannot quite get enough of ... but her father wants her to partner up with someone like Thomas, someone who will be 'better for her future prospects'.

When it turns out the brothers have been keeping secrets from her, secrets that link back to the life Cynthia thought she had left behind in London, she realises that not everything is as it seems.

How can Cynthia follow her heart when it's being torn in two?

An exploration of race, class, love and the complexities of growing up as a Black British teen, from bestselling author Candice Brathwaite.

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Candice Brathwaite

Candice Brathwaite

Candice Brathwaite is a prominent British author and advocate who has made a significant impact with her work on motherhood and diversity. Her Sunday Times bestselling book I Am Not Your Baby Mother passionately addressed the unique experiences of Black British mothers. Her writing has also appeared in the Guardian, Harper's Bazaar, Stylist, the Huffington Post and Grazia. Candice is a presenter on Lorraine and Steph's Packed Lunch, and the co-host of the smash hit podcast, 'Closet Confessions', which has amassed 2.5 million downloads and several sell-out live shows in its first year of production. Her holistic and exuberant online content, which spans from heartfelt wisdom to highly anticipated fashion videos, has gained her a dedicated audience of 290k+ Instagram followers and 370+ on TikTok. Through her writing and public presence, Candice actively works to challenge norms and promote positive change in the realm of diversity and representation.

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