Queenie | Candice Carty-Williams

Queenie: A Novel

Accolades & Praise

• Highly Anticipated: Named one of the most anticipated books of 2019 by Woman’s Day, Newsday, Publishers Weekly, Bustle, and Book Riot.
• Critical Acclaim: Jojo Moyes, #1 New York Times bestselling author, calls it "[B]rilliant, timely, funny, heartbreaking."

Extended Synopsis

Queenie Jenkins is a twenty-five-year-old Jamaican British woman living in London, straddling two cultures and slotting neatly into neither. She works at a national newspaper, where she’s constantly forced to compare herself to her white middle class peers. After a messy break up from her long-term white boyfriend, Queenie seeks comfort in all the wrong places—including several hazardous men who do a good job of occupying brain space and a bad job of affirming self-worth.

As Queenie careens from one questionable decision to another, she finds herself wondering, “What are you doing? Why are you doing it? Who do you want to be?”—all of the questions today’s woman must face in a world trying to answer them for her. With disarmingly honest and unapologetically Black prose, Queenie is a remarkably relatable exploration of what it means to be a modern woman searching for meaning in today’s world.

About the Author

Candice Carty-Williams is a celebrated British writer and the author of this undeniably witty and moving debut novel. Known for her fresh and honest narrative voice, she writes compellingly about identity, mental health, and the modern woman's experience.

Reader Targeting

• Fans of contemporary literary fiction and culturally resonant coming-of-age stories.
• Readers looking for honest, darkly comedic explorations of modern dating, mental health, and self-worth.
• Anyone who loved Luster and I May Destroy You.

Bibliographic & Physical Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Queenie about?
The novel follows Queenie Jenkins, a twenty-five-year-old Jamaican British journalist living in London, as she navigates a messy breakup, culture clashes, and her own struggles with mental health and self-worth.

Is Queenie a debut novel?
Yes, this highly anticipated and critically acclaimed book is Candice Carty-Williams' debut novel.

What themes does the book explore?
It offers a deep, darkly comedic dive into themes of race, identity, modern dating, mental health, and the search for belonging.

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