Small Joys

Mensah debuts with a poignant chronicle of the intense friendship between two men in Kent, England. Harley, a gay Ghanaian man who struggles with anxiety and depression, finds relief in his flatmate Muddy’s “enthusiasm for life.” The men met after Muddy saved Harley from a suicide attempt. Following through on a promise to take care of Harley, Muddy supports Harley during Harley’s visit with his homophobic father and gives Harley a shoulder to cry on after he submits to an exploitative relationship with a racist man. After Harley attempts suicide a second time, Muddy calls in reinforcements from their friends to help care for him. The friendship is empowering for Harley, but there’s also some sexual tension: Harley fancies Muddy, and Muddy’s gender play—he paints his nails—prompts friends and family members to question if he is gay. Mensah’s characters are engaging, and he articulates Harley’s conflicted emotions well, especially when he sees a counselor for his mental health issues. The more readers see Harley go through, the more affecting Mensah makes his self-acceptance—especially after he tells his father about the friends “who loved me for who I was.” This author is off to an auspicious start. Agent: Jenny Bent, Bent Agency. (Apr.)