Books like Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
Shuggie Bain tells the story of Hugh “Shuggie” Bain, a lonely boy raised in a run‑down public housing estate in 1980s Glasgow. As the city suffers from the consequences of Thatcher’s policies and an emerging drug epidemic, Shuggie navigates the challenges of family, poverty, and his own sexuality. His mother, Agnes, a woman of fierce ambition who dreams of a modest home and a glamorous appearance, struggles with chronic alcoholism, consuming most of the family’s modest benefits and leaving her children to fend for themselves. Shuggie's quest to become the “normal” boy he longs to be is framed by the harsh realities of a working‑class life, where love, addiction, and survival intersect.
First publish date: 2020
Genre: Literary Fiction/Contemporary Literary Fiction
Authors: Douglas Stuart
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