Tennis Lessons

For enthusiasts of “I May Destroy You” and “Fleabag,” as well as readers seeking to both laugh and cry, Susannah Dickey presents a daring, poignant, and at times harsh tale of a young outsider on her tumultuous journey to womanhood, with stops marked by each passing year. Elizabeth Day praises "Tennis Lessons" saying, "I loved it so much," while Louise O'Neill describes it as "A raw, fierce, shockingly honest coming-of-age story." Nell Frizzell finds it "Incredibly funny... by turns charming and disgusting, and I loved it." From early on, you've felt different, out of place. That’s the voice echoing in your mind, reminding you of your missteps, how you fail to meet expectations, and how distant you are from conventional beauty. Yet, amidst this self-doubt, you find joy and laughter with a close friend, experience the initial stirrings of attraction, and take rebellious delight in the disarray of your own body. You strive to discover where you belong. In her refreshing debut novel, Dickey immerses us in the personal world of one young woman as she tackles her rocky ascent into adulthood. From the loss of pets and car accidents to family upheavals and misguided romances, the narrative captures these raw pieces of life with humor and insight. Alan Davies calls it "Brilliant... a wonderful writer, hugely talented, very funny and insightful," while the Irish Times commends it as "Propulsive... brilliantly vivid... stays in the mind long after reading." According to the Observer, it is "A beautifully written and psychologically incisive bildungsroman... signaling the arrival of a young writer to watch."