Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart (Paperback)

A No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller from the Booker Prize-winning author of Shuggie Bain, this powerful novel explores love, identity, and survival within working-class Glasgow.

Growing up on a housing estate, Mungo and James come from opposite sides of a divided community. Mungo is Protestant, James is Catholic, and the expectations surrounding them suggest they should remain enemies. Instead, they form a close friendship that gradually becomes something deeper.

Away from the pressures of the estate, they find peace in the pigeon dovecote James has built for his racing birds. It becomes a rare place where they can escape the tension, violence, and judgement surrounding their lives. As their relationship develops, both begin imagining the possibility of a future beyond the limitations imposed on them.

For Mungo, keeping his true self hidden becomes increasingly difficult. He lives under the shadow of his older brother Hamish, a feared gang leader determined to uphold a harsh idea of masculinity and control. Family expectations, sectarian division, and fear constantly shape the choices Mungo feels forced to make.

When Mungo is later sent away on a fishing trip with two unfamiliar men, the situation places him in a dangerous and uncertain environment, testing his resilience and courage.

Set against the backdrop of Glasgow’s social and religious divisions, this novel examines masculinity, violence, class, and queer identity through an emotionally charged and deeply personal story.