WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT GROWN UPS

‘Short, droll and highly readable, Grown Ups is a slice of life that rings painfully true’

‘I absolutely loved this book’

‘I would strongly recommend to anyone who is looking for a holiday read with a punch’

‘The pages just flew by’

‘This is a fantastically crafted novel’

‘Sensitive, emotional, and littered with the kind of tongue in cheek humour that I love’

‘Very clever, wonderfully translated’

‘The Scandinavian setting was the icing on the cake, it was perfect escapism!’

‘A complex, layered story’

‘Every word [was] perfectly judged’

‘Full of simmering tension’

‘A potent little gem of a novel… Outstanding!’

‘A really poignant read with humour and drama scattered amongst the pages’

‘An excellent examination of family dynamics… I loved this’

‘Perfectly formed’

‘A well written and expertly translated slice of modern life. Would thoroughly recommend’

‘Painfully honest, and dark with a hint of humour. Grown Ups tells it like it is’

‘Well-written, thoughtful and original’

‘A book that drew me in from the first pages’

‘It’s funny, elegant and unexpectedly dark. A brilliant little book that I know I will return to’

Title Page

CONTENTS

1. Title Page
2. Grown Ups
3. Chapter 1
4. Chapter 2
5. Chapter 3
6. Chapter 4
7. Chapter 5
8. Chapter 6
9. Chapter 7
10. Chapter 8
11. Chapter 9
12. Chapter 10
13. Chapter 11
14. Chapter 12
15. Chapter 13
16. Chapter 14
17. Chapter 15
18. Chapter 16
19. Chapter 17
20. Chapter 18
21. Chapter 19
22. Chapter 20
23. Chapter 21
24. Chapter 22
25. Chapter 23
26. Topics for Discussion
27. About the Authors
28. Available and Coming Soon from Pushkin Press
29. Copyright

GROWN UPS

Chapter 1

Other people’s children, always, everywhere. It’s always worse on the bus, when I’m trapped with them. My back is sweaty and I’m feeling irritable. The sun streams through the dirty windows, the bus has been full since we left Drammen, and more people pile on in Kopstad and Tønsberg and Fokserød, they’re forced to stand in the aisle, swaying as they hold on tight, in spite of the supposed guarantee of a seat for every passenger. In the seat behind me, a father sits with his child, a boy of about three, maybe, he’s watching videos on an iPad with the sound turned up, garish children’s animations. The music is loud and tinny, the father tries to turn the volume down every so often but the boy howls crossly and turns it back up again.