the LAMBDA and GORDON BOWKER VOLCANO PRIZE winner
Debut novelist Soula Emmanuel tells the story of Phoebe Forde, an Irish trans woman living in Scandinavia who unexpectedly reconnects with her first (and only) girlfriend, igniting memories she thought she'd left behind.

WINNER OF THE GORDON BOWKER VOLCANO PRIZE (SoA Award) 2024
WINNER OF THE LAMBDA AWARD IN TRANSGENDER FICTION 2024

Soula is the most exciting new voice in Irish writing' Barry Pierce, i-D
'One of my favourite books so far this year' Shahed Ezaydi, Stylist
'Soula Emmanuel is a phenomenal talent' Laura Kay
'Searingly sharp, deliciously funny, profound' Danielle McLaughlin

New home, new name and newly thirty: Phoebe Forde has stepped into emigrant life in Copenhagen with her anxious dog, Dolly. Almost three years into her gender transition, she has learned to move through the world carefully, savouring small moments of joy.

A woman without a past can be anyone she wants - that is, until an unexpected visit from Grace, her first love, brings memories of Dublin and a life she thought she'd left behind.

Over the course of a single weekend, as their old romance kindles something sweet and radically unfamiliar, Grace helps Phoebe to navigate the jagged edges of migration, nostalgia and hope.

'The must-read trans book of the summer' Pink News