Дебютный роман Дина Атты «Биг Ман» исследует любовь и идентичность в отношениях чернокожего и белого партнеров

Big Man by Dean Atta Known for his YA fiction and poetry, Dean Atta makes his adult debut with a moving and intimate tale of love and identity Dean Atta’s adult literary debut is sharp, honest, and sometimes painfully real. Big Man follows Big, a Black British gay man approaching his fiftieth birthday. The life he shares with his boyfriend Little may seem perfect – bouldering, running, yoga, coffee dates – but Big’s matter-of-fact narration exposes the cracks in this veneer. Big is Black, working-class and mentally ill, while Little is white, and comes from money. Big Man explores whether two people from such different backgrounds can love each other and make it work, even when identity seems like a chasm between them. As Big contemplates getting older, he starts to come to terms with having been sexually assaulted in the past. Although Big’s truth causes a rift with his idolised ex-mentor, Mother (who is reluctant to cut ties with Big’s abuser) it brings him closer with Little, who is then able to see him more clearly. Identity is integral to this novel, but Atta shows that it is not an immovable barrier to love and tenderness. Atta doesn't shy away from the grittier truths about relationships, whether romantic, platonic or familial, and Big’s frank, relatable voice makes Big Man feel like listening to multiple five-minute-long voice notes from your pal at 1am. Impossible to put down, and comforting in spite of the dark themes it deals with, this novel will remain in the heart for a long time.