Review of SWEET PEA by Kit de Waal (New Release)

 3.5 Stars

This novel, under its UK title, The Best of Everything, appeared on the longlist for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Fiction.

The novel is set in Birmingham, England, over a span of 20 years beginning in 1972. Paulette, an immigrant from St. Kitts, is 29 when the novel opens. She works as an auxiliary nurse. She has a man in her life, Denton Fitzpatrick, whom she hopes to marry and with whom she hopes to have a family. When Denton dies in an accident, her dreams come to an end. Garfield, Denton’s best friend, tries to help her through her grief and eventually they become a couple. They have a son named Bird. Then Paulette meets Frank, the man responsible for the accident which took Denton’s life. She learns that he is struggling to care for his grandson Nellie. Slowly she brings Nellie into her family and has two boys to care for. Of course Paulette’s life is not without difficulties and sometimes her life spirals out of control.

This is very much a novel of characters and Paulette is the central figure. She is a complex character which makes her very realistic. She is kind and compassionate as evidenced in her actions towards Frank and Nellie. She loves her son more than anything, giving him the best of everything she can afford. The problem is that she needs his presence to give her life purpose and meaning. When Bird is away spending time with his father, she thinks only of his return. This of course becomes more of a problem as Bird grows up. She takes solace in drinking.

What also stands out is her poor choices when it comes to men. When Denton dies, she learns that he had a life about which she knew nothing. It’s obvious that he didn’t love her as she loved him, yet she spends years pining for him. Years later, she still believes, “If Denton hadn’t have been snatched from the earth, her life would have run along different tracks, smooth and straight.” Knowing Denton’s secrets, it’s obvious Paulette is deluding herself. After Denton she has a string of affairs with married men; one poor choice follows another. She’s obviously lonely, but she seems a poor judge of character when it comes to men.

She has a blind spot when it comes to Bird as well. Her friend Maggie tells her that “’Bird’s had the wool pulled over your eyes since he was a baby. You think the sun shines out of his arse but he’s as selfish as they come and loves himself into the bargain.’” Paulette’s friendship with Maggie suffers because Paulette is too stubborn to admit that there is some truth in Maggie’s comments. She also, like most humans, does not see herself very clearly. She is angry at Frank because he tells the story of the accident “with himself right plum in the centre” as if he were the victim. She never acknowledges that she does the same, not fully considering that there are many victims.

Paulette does experience growth. The kindness she gave is not forgotten and she is helped to find her way. She learns that she does not need others to give her life purpose; she can find a purpose for herself. In the end one can only cheer for this deeply human character.

The novel touches on a number of serious topics: grief, motherhood, the immigrant experience, and raising a black son in a predominately white society with systemic racism. Nonetheless, most readers will find the ending satisfying.

Note: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.