The Boyfriend

Winner of the Adam Foundation Prize

Erica is 17 and in her last year of high school. Donny is 42 and everywhere - in her yoga class, at German Club, in her parents' spare room . . .

The story of a young woman who finds herself subject to the gravitational field of a charismatic man, The Boyfriend is a cautionary tale about blindly accepting traditional 'love' narratives.

This clear-eyed, dismaying and often hilarious examination of sexual desire, trauma and growth is a remarkable debut and a perfect novel for our time.

“Darkly funny and frequently uncomfortable, Southgate's debut novel tracks the "relationship" between teenager Erica and fortysomething Donny”

Darkly funny and frequently uncomfortable, Southgate's debut novel tracks the "relationship" between teenager Erica and fortysomething Donny the i (Best summer reads)
This wonderful debut is undeniably relatable to all . . . A cautionary tale, but also a remarkable expression of sexual desire and the human capacity for healing and growth. An insightful novel Woman

Laura Southgate was born in Wellington in 1978. She holds an MA in English from the University of Auckland and in 2018 gained an MA in Creative Writing from the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University of Wellington. She won the Adam Foundation Prize for The Boyfriend, which is her first book.

Winner of the Adam Foundation Prize Erica is 17 and in her last year of high school. Donny is 42 and everywhere - in her yoga class, at German Club, in her parents' spare room . . .The story of a young woman who finds herself subject to the gravitational field of a charismatic man, The Boyfriend is a cautionary tale about blindly accepting traditional 'love' narratives. This clear-eyed, dismaying and often hilarious examination of sexual desire, trauma and growth is a remarkable debut and a perfect novel for our time.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.