A middle-aged woman and her daughter arrive in southern Spain in search of a medical cure in Deborah Levy’s Booker shortlisted novel, which explores the strange and monstrous nature of motherhood
A playwright and non-fiction writer as well as a novelist, Deborah Levy is the author of nine acclaimed novels. Two of her books, Hot Milk and Swimming Home were shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2016 and 2012, respectively, while The Man Who Saw Everything was longlisted in 2019.
Hot Milk follows Rose and Sofia, a mother and daughter who arrive in a small Spanish fishing village. Suffering from a mysterious paralysis and cared for by Sofia, Rose is driven to seek a cure beyond the bounds of conventional medicine. Meanwhile, Sofia, struggling to understand her mother’s illness, seeks out new experiences while coming to terms with her own identity.
Hot Milk has been adapted into a film, released in 2025, directed by Rebecca Lenkiewicz and starring Emma Mackey and Fiona Shaw.
From a reading guide and extract, to illuminating features, find out more about our June Monthly Spotlight here.
