Reviews

Praise for Not In This World

“This is very, very good—you will be published. I love Paul and Jane… can’t wait…”

— Tom Maschler — Former Editor in Chief, Publisher at Jonathan Cape; Booker Prize Founder

“Jane Stuart writes like a Southern angel, with a voice that sings and beguiles, much like her enigmatic and irresistible character, Paul. Intimate yet sweeping, Paul Carew's story weaves an age-old tale of a black man's domestic servitude with a disarmingly contemporary exploration of sexual gender identity, almost as if 'Transparent' met 'The Help'. The book haunts you and stays with you and breaks your heart. I’m a screenwriter and after reading it I couldn’t stop thinking: this beautiful book has to be made into a movie. My second thought was: I have to write the script.”

— Becky Johnston — Screenwriter, The Prince of Tides, Seven Years in Tibet, The House of Gucci

“Closely-observed, beautifully rendered and deeply affecting, Paul’s story is told with elegance, economy and empathy. Readers, know this: Not in This World is out of this world.”

— Andrew Cohen — Journalist and author of Two Days in June: John F. Kennedy and the 48 Hours That Made History

“Not in This World is a poignant exploration of love and ties between people that defy every one of society’s boundaries. With vivid prose and dialogue so gripping, this novel lingered with me long after I read the last page.”

— Victoria Christopher Murray — Instant New York Times bestselling author of The Personal Librarian

“I actually read the book in a single sitting — fluent, compelling — arresting, insightful and often unique. An extraordinary and powerful character study, almost picaresque, taking place over a lifespan. Filmmakers will love this material.”

— Allan Scott — Producer and Screenwriter, Don’t Look Now, The Preacher’s Wife, The Queen’s Gambit

“Written with such tenderness that it bruises the heart.”

— Parisa Ebrahimi, Vice President and Executive Director at Penguin Random House

“Jane Stuart gets right under the skin of Paul and Jane, the two main characters in her remarkable book. With descriptive vigor and dazzling dialogue she tells the poignant love story that unfolds between a gay black man and the white baby placed in his care. A powerful, captivating and brave book. I loved it.”

— Charlotte Mosley - Editor and Author

“Jane Stuart has given us a unique and profound story of survival: out of small-town 1930s Kentucky come a white girl and a queer man of colour joined at the hip. Their need for one another within a homophobic, rigidly racialized society unfurls in Stuart's vivid narrative, sweeping through World War Two, across the Atlantic and back, and into late-1950s Washington, DC. The triumph of their mutual understanding achieved in spite of then-unspeakable barriers stands as a landmark in the annals of American friendship.”