Sugar Money, the third novel by British author Jane Harris, was first published by Faber and Faber in 2017 and shortlisted for several literary prizes including the Walter Scott Prize. The novel was also published in the United States by Arcade/Skyhorse, in Australia and New Zealand by Allen and Unwin and in Italy by Neri Pozza.

Sugar Money
First edition
AuthorJane Harris
LanguageEnglish
PublisherFaber & Faber
Publication date
3 Oct 2017
Publication placeUnited Kingdom
Media typePrint
Pages320
ISBN0571336957

Summary

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In Martinique, 1765, brothers Emile and Lucien are charged by their French master, Father Cleophas, with a mission. They must return to Grenada, the island they once called home, and smuggle back the 42 slaves claimed by English invaders at the hospital plantation in Fort Royal. While Lucien, barely in his teens, sees the trip as a great adventure, the older and worldlier Emile has no illusions about the dangers they will face. But with no choice other than to obey Cleophas - and sensing the possibility, however remote, of finding his first love Celeste - he sets out with his brother on this ‘reckless venture’.

Reception

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Sugar Money was published in October 2017 to critical acclaim with widespread positive reviews.

Sunday Express said "Pitches you headfirst into this outstanding, heartbreaking story of siblings, slavery and the savagery of the colonial past."[1] Siobhan Murphy of The Times said "Harris builds a lush sense of place, and the pace and tension of a rip-roaring adventure here, with derring-do and double-crossing."[2] The Irish Times said "Through masterful detail, Harris shows the dehumanisation of the brothers and their fellow slaves ... Beautifully cadenced."[3]

Shortlistings

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  • The Walter Scott Prize (2018) [4]
  • The Wilbur Smith Prize for Adventure Writing 2018 [5]
  • The Historical Writers Association Gold Crown Prize 2018 [6]

Publication

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It was published in the UK by Faber and Faber, in the US by Viking Press, and in Australia/New Zealand by Allen & Unwin. It has been published in the Netherlands, Italy, Denmark, Greece, Spain, Germany, Norway, Poland, France, Portugal, Sweden and Brazil. It is due to be published in Israel, Serbia and Montenegro, Romania, Croatia, Russia, and Turkey. An audiobook version is available, narrated by the author. There is also a Danish audiobook version.

References

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  1. ^ The Sunday Express Retrieved 2019-11-05
  2. ^ Jane Harris website Retrieved 2019-11-05
  3. ^ The Irish Times Retrieved 2019-11-05
  4. ^ The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction Retrieved 2019-11-05
  5. ^ Wilbur Niso Smith Foundation Retrieved 2019-11-05
  6. ^ Historical Writers Association Retrieved 2019-11-05
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