Winner of the Allen & Unwin Fiction Prize 2022.
Mickey Bloom: five foot tall, dyslexic, and bullied at school. Mickey knows she’s nothing special. Until one day, she discovers running.
Mickey’s new-found talent makes her realise she’s everything she thought she wasn’t – powerful, strong and special. But her success comes at a cost, and the relentless training and pressure to win leaves Mickey broken, her dream in tatters.
Years later, when Mickey is working in a dead-end job with a drop-kick boyfriend, her mother becomes seriously ill. After nursing her, Mickey realises the only way she can overcome her grief – and find herself – is to run again.
A chance encounter with a stranger sees Mickey re-ignite her dreams. The two women form an unbreakable bond, as Mickey is shown what it means to run in the right direction.
An unforgettable debut novel about change, family and grit, and what it takes to achieve your dreams.
‘Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts is a rollercoaster, heart-in-the-mouth read that deposits you in the pain, ache and joy of both running and living. Mickey Bloom is a memorable character that will get under your skin, with her doubts and her struggles, her recognitions and her learning leaps. This book will linger with me for a long time’, Paula Green writes in Kete.
Read more reviews of Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts at The Spinoff, Aotearoa New Zealand Review of Books, and Hawkes Bay Today.
