Anna Hope

'Profoundly intelligent and humane. Deserves to feature on many a prize shortlist' GUARDIAN 'A brilliant exploration of friendship, feminism and thwarted ambition' PANDORA SYKES 'If you wished Normal People had tackled female friendship, try Expectation' GRAZIA _______________________ What happened to the women we were supposed to become? Hannah, Cate and Lissa are young, vibrant and inseparable. Living on the edge of a common in East London, their shared world is ablaze with art and activism, romance and revelry - and the promise of everything to come. They are electric. They are the best of friends. Ten years on, they are not where they hoped to be. Amidst flailing careers and faltering marriages, each hungers for what the others have. And each wrestles with the same question: what does it take to lead a meaningful life? The most razor-sharp and heartbreaking novel of the year, EXPECTATION is a novel about finding your way: as a mother, a daughter, a wife, a rebel. FOR FANS OF SALLY ROONEY, DOLLY ALDERTON, ELIZABETH DAY AND PHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE'S FLEABAG ___________________ 'Thoughtful, beautifully written, honest. A sensual book. I URGE YOU TO READ IT' MARIAN KEYES 'Will resonate with approximately 99% of women' RED MAGAZINE summer pick 'One of the most intensely readable novels this year' METRO 'One of our most gifted contemporary writers' WATERSTONES 'Beautiful, sharp, moving. I urge you to read it' ELIZABETH DAY 'I couldn't stop reading the fab Expectation. Such brilliant points on the feminist legacy' PROF KATE WILLIAMS 'The story of 3 college friends, if you're a fan of Sally Rooney, you'll love EXPECTATION' IRISH EXAMINER 'A must-read' FABULOUS MAGAZINE 'Exceptional.. I highly recommend it' STACEY HALLS 'A generation-defining book on motherhood, ambition and sex. Like Normal People with female friendship under the microscope.' ERIN KELLY 'Jaw-droppingly good' SARRA MANNING 'SO GOOD. A 'What they did next' story of characters from a Sally Rooney novel' SARAH FRANKLIN 'Few novels leave me so genuinely breathless with their brilliance' HANNAH BECKERMAN 'The perfect summer reading' STYLIST 'Sublime' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 'Dark, relatable, elegant' LIZA KLAUSSMANN 'Intimate and touching' NINA POTTELL 'A marvellously tangy London novel' DAILY MAIL 'A grown-up, honest take on female camaraderie. Packed with talking points' MAIL ON SUNDAY 'Hugely absorbing, massively enjoyable' LISSA EVANS 'An observant look at the complexities of modern female friendships' I-NEWSPAPER 'Perceptive, intelligent, bittersweet, and beautifully written' BOOKBRUNCH 'Brings to vivid life that tension one feels just before middle age, when it begins to become clear life won't end up looking exactly how we thought it would. The female friendships here are ones we'll all recognize. Outstanding' MARY BETH KEANE A HighLow, Good Housekeeping, Red, Prima and Irish Independent Best Read of 2019

Expectation

sina (she/her) 

They buy two bottles of wine for later. (Rioja. Always Rioja. They know nothing about wine but they know they like Rioja.) 

They still have time to become who they are going to be.

"You must keep hold of your friendships, Lissa. The women. They're the only thing that will save you in the end."

“Well, first of all, let me say that I think the pressure for women to have a perfect home is one of the greatest heists of capitalism.”

The baby is lovely. The house is lovely. Jim and Hayley are lovely. It is exhausting, how lovely they all are.

Expectation quotes

Join the club