Young Mungo

Beskrivelse

Young Mungo is the striking second novel from Booker Prize winner Douglas Stuart, exploring the intense first love between two young men from rival Glasgow communities. It paints a vivid picture of working-class life, set against a backdrop of sectarian tension and harsh masculinity.

A powerful story of love, identity, and survival in a divided world.

In a tough, hyper-masculine Glasgow environment, Protestant Mungo and Catholic James come from opposing housing estates where young men are divided by sectarian loyalties and territorial fights. Despite expectations that they should be enemies, the two form a close friendship and find refuge in the doocot James has built for his prized racing pigeons.

As their bond deepens into love, they dream of breaking free from the bleak cityscape. Mungo struggles to conceal his true self, especially from his older brother Hamish, a feared gang leader who demands loyalty and toughness. The risk of their secret being exposed looms constantly, with devastating consequences.

When Mungo’s mother sends him away on a fishing trip to a remote loch in Western Scotland, accompanied by two men with troubled pasts hidden behind their drunken chatter, Mungo must summon all his courage to return to safety and the hope of a future with James.

Douglas Stuart infuses the everyday lives of his characters with poetic intensity, delivering a gripping tale that delves into masculinity, family ties, the violence faced by queer individuals, and the perilous nature of loving deeply in a hostile world.

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