11 of the Best Books Out in November

This has already been longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. It’s a tender look at grief, love, and what could have been. The Sweet Pea is Paulette, who is given the precious nickname by her Granny before she moves from St. Kitts to England as a young girl. Once in England, she tries to follow her Gran’s advice as best as she can—she avoids temptation, focusing instead on love and forgiveness. In fact, she’s 29 when it feels like she has reached the pinnacle of a perfect life. She’s an assistant nurse who is about to marry a handsome man, but then her hopes are struck down by tragedy. Denton’s friend is there, but then he isn’t, and Paulette is alone again, having to contend with the perfect life she almost had. There is a little light, though. There’s a boy, Bird, who would have been her son’s age. He makes her laugh and he calls her Sweet Pea.