First published 2008
Johnson creates fictional portraits that examine what it means to be British in the modern era. His characters navigate questions of national belonging, cultural tradition, and personal identity against the backdrop of contemporary Britain. Through their stories, tensions emerge between old and new ways of being British, between inherited customs and evolving social realities. The narrative explores how ordinary people reconcile their individual desires with collective expectations about Britishness. Johnson presents characters who must choose between competing versions of their national identity. The book reveals how personal relationships become testing grounds for larger questions about heritage, loyalty, and change. At its heart, this is a story about people trying to understand their place in a nation that is itself changing.
Genres: contemporary, british-literature, 21st-century, cultural
Vibes: character-driven, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-study, social-commentary
Setting: Britain, United Kingdom
Period: Contemporary
Paperback · HarperPerennial