Barbican Press

Swimming for England - Martin Goodman

A darkly satirical literarythriller that will captivate readers of transgressive fiction and socialcritique. When Faisal emerges from the English Channel after his record-breaking swim from France, Brian and Eileen Pratchett expectgratitude—after all, they rescued him from the refugee pool, fed him, trainedhim, transformed him. But Cameron, a young Scottish drifter, has come searchingfor his brother Malcolm, one of the Pratchetts' earlier 'projects.' Malcolm wasgoing to be a tennis champion. Instead, he disappeared. As Cameron's questions growmore pointed and Faisal's gratitude turns ambiguous, the Pratchetts' carefullymaintained facade begins to crack. Behind their respectable seafront home withits immaculate rose garden lies a darker story—one of control, obsession, andthe terrible price of failing to meet expectations. Swimming for England is amasterful psychological portrait that operates simultaneously as thriller,social satire, and searing indictment. Goodman's prose is both beautiful andbrutal, his imagery visceral, his characters rendered with uncomfortable intimacy. This is fiction that disturbs, provokes, and lingers—perfect for book clubsseeking compact, challenging material and readers who appreciate the intersection ofliterary ambition and page-turning suspense.

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