Book guide
Shuggie Bain
A heartbreaking portrait of a boy trying to save his mother amid poverty, addiction, and despair in 1980s Glasgow.
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About Shuggie Bain
It is 1981. Glasgow is dying and good families must grift to survive. Agnes Bain has always expected more from life, dreaming of greater things. But Agnes is abandoned by her philandering husband, and as she descends deeper into drink, the children try their best to save her, yet one by one they must abandon her to save themselves. It is her son Shuggie who holds out hope the longest. Shuggie is different, he is clearly no' right. But Shuggie believes that if he tries his hardest, he can be normal like the other boys and help his mother escape this hopeless place. Shuggie Bain lays bare the ruthlessness of poverty, the limits of love, and the hollowness of pride.
Reading signals
- Spice
- None
- Darkness
- Dark
- Pacing
- Slow
Content warnings
- addiction
- alcoholism
- poverty
- child neglect
- abandonment
- homophobia
- domestic abuse
- sexual assault
- death of a parent
- suicide
- child sexual abuse
- physical and emotional child abuse
- infidelity
- suicide attempt
- bullying
- sexual content
