One Year of Ugly

CAROLINE MACKENZIE  is a freelance translator living in Trinidad with her husband and son. A national scholar, she studied in the UK on an Open Scholarship for four years to qualify as a specialist translator before returning to her native Trinidad, where she began writing more extensively. Her short fiction has appeared in literary publications around the world, and in 2017 she was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. In 2018 she was named the Short Fiction winner of the Small Axe Literary Competition. One Year of Ugly is her first novel.

‘Riotous, serious, brilliant and entertaining’ STYLIST‘If you like important stories and dark, delicious comedy, you'll love this book, which has already caught the eye of Netflix’ COSMOPOLITAN UK‘A sharp, funny narrator and a cast of colourful characters make this a perfect staycation read’ GUARDIAN ‘A glorious, darkly funny read that simply roars off the page’ RED MAGAZINE ‘A dark comedy […] Fabulous’ DAILY MAIL‘Absolutely joyous! A deliciously dark comedy about family and loyalty. Sharp, slick, merciless – and packed with unexpected love stories. It shoots from the hip and steals your heart. I gobbled it up’ Emma Jane Unsworth, author of Adults‘Timely, evocative, funny and important – a gorgeous exploration of love, family, and what it means to call a place home. I gobbled this up!’ Laura Jane Williams, author of Our Stop‘Funny, dark and brilliantly written, Caroline Mackenzie’s family tale, One Year of Ugly, should be top of your TBR.’ STYLIST MAGAZINE‘Funny and engaging’ Abi Daré, author of The Girl with the Louding Voice‘Brilliant. Beautifully drawn characters, and a unique mixture of dark, funny and gritty – I found myself laughing in places I probably shouldn't have, and veryyy invested in Yola and Román’s romance!’ Ella Dove, author of Five Steps to Happy‘Engrossing and hilarious’ Joanna Glen, author of The Other Half of Augusta Hope‘Funny, heart-warming and smart’ Layla AlAmmar, author of The Pact We Made‘Wry and full of wit, this laugh-out-loud love story will transport you to warmer shores.’ MINT VELVET‘Acerbic, hilarious debut […] This story explores the migrant experience with warmth, humour and energy’ PRESS ASSOCIATION