Sweet Pea

"A profoundly compassionate novel of devastating power and emotional complexity." -Bernardine Evaristo

A beautiful portrait of a seemingly ordinary woman's life, transformed by extraordinary love.

When Paulette arrived in England as a young girl, she left behind a grandmother in St. Kitts who called her "Sweet Pea," taught her to cook, and admonished her to avoid temptation and embrace love and forgiveness, in that order.

Now, Paulette's twenty-nine and within reach of her dream: a wedding, a baby, and a little house. She's got the man, handsome Denton, and a good job as an assistant nurse. But when tragedy strikes, her baby comes from Denton's friend, a relationship that can't last. Soon it's just Paulette, grieving the life she almost had, and her son, Bird. It seems like enough, until another boy, the same age as Bird, appears. Now, there's someone new to take under wing and worry about, someone who calls her Sweet Pea and makes her laugh.

Through friendships, motherhood, and connections that emerge in the most unexpected places, Paulette discovers strength in everyday acts of kindness.

A luminous and lyrical novel of the trials of life and the compassion that can follow, Sweet Pea introduces readers to an indelible heroine who never turns away from her capacity to love.

1. When Denton dies, Paulette faces intense grief and discovers he had a secret family. How did this betrayal affect her perspective on life?

2. How do you think Paulette's inability to publicly mourn (not being able to attend his funeral) impacted her healing process?

3. Paulette has a habit of falling for men who are either unavailable or not truthful. What do you think causes her to keep going back to this type of relationship?

4. What are your thoughts on her brief relationship with Garfield? How did he influence her experiences and growth?

5. Set in 1970s London, the novel shows Paulette's feelings as a Black woman from St. Kitts living in a working-class British environment. How did her upbringing, especially the lessons from her grandmother, help or clash with her experiences in England?

6. One of the most exciting moments in the story highlights racial differences when the boys get into legal trouble. How did de Waal create suspense in this situation? Were you surprised by the way the community and the legal system treated Bird differently from Nellie?

7. Do you think Paulette's confrontation with Frank was justified? How do you feel about her decision to help him with his troubled grandson, Nellie? Could you show that kind of compassion?

8. Paulette's grandmother famously taught her to "avoid temptation and embrace love and forgiveness, in that order." Does Paulette successfully live up to this rule? By the end of the book, do you feel she truly forgave the people who wronged her, or did she channel her pain into caretaking?

9. Paulette builds a deeply unconventional "found family". Compare her relationship with her biological son, Bird, to her relationship with Nellie. How does the novel redefine what it means to be a mother?

10. How does the nickname "Sweet pea" reflect Paulette's growth from a protected grandchild to a caring figure for others?

"This is a novel bursting with plot, but it's also distinguished by lucid prose, heartfelt emotion, and moments of levity."-Kirkus Reviews, starred

"There's much to admire in this unsentimental novel of forgiveness and found family."-Publishers Weekly

"A refreshing novel of compassion and redemption-A protagonist rich in vulnerability, empathy, and resilience faces sorrows with boundless love in this unforgettable novel of good cooking and built family."-Julia Kastner, Shelf Awareness, starred

"Tender... A beautifully judged tale extolling the virtues of kindness." -Guardian (UK)

"A refreshing novel of compassion and redemption-A protagonist rich in vulnerability, empathy, and resilience faces sorrows with boundless love in this unforgettable novel of good cooking and built family."-Julia Kastner, Shelf Awareness (starred)

"Affecting... a story of loneliness and sacrifice that navigates great sorrow with a remarkable lightness of touch." -The Times (UK)

"Everything de Waal has written pulls at the heartstrings... tenderly explores how to build a life of meaning." -I-Paper (UK)

"A beautiful novel about kindness and found family." - Mail on Sunday (UK)

"De Waal's tone is warm and wise... she has a knack for the small charming moment. Very moving."- Observer (UK)

"This is a book of such tenderness, full of pain, grief and despair and yet playful and joyful at the same time. Kit de Waal has an uncanny ability to create vivid characters with such empathy that I want to reach into the pages to hug them. I truly loved this book."-Liz Nugent, author of Strange Sally Diamond