Set in 1957, Small Pleasures follows Jean, a reporter for the North Kent Echo, who is tasked with investigating a rather unlikely claim – a woman who believes her 10-year daughter was the result of a virgin birth. Following up the story, Jean discovers an unlikely friendship in the sensible Gretchen Tilbury and finds herself increasingly absorbed in her life and family, including Gretchen’s ‘miracle’ daughter and husband Howard. However, when Jean begins to develop romantic feelings for Gretchen’s husband, her relationship with the family becomes more complicated, and as she continues to delve further into the tangled web of Gretchen’s past, Jean discovers that love and loyalty come at a higher price than she could ever have imagined.

Part mystery, part love story, part reflection on changing attitudes to sexuality in post-war Britain, Small Pleasures is a disarmingly gentle read that quietly builds to a devastating conclusion.