The Party
The Party by Tessa Hadley is a novella published by Penguin Random House on October 9, 2025. This 128-page work is written in English and presents a narrative set in post-war Bristol, where sisters Moira and Evelyn navigate the complexities of adulthood during a pivotal night at an art students’ party.
Readers will find a rich exploration of family life and the coming-of-age experiences of the sisters as they encounter two men, Paul and Sinden, whose sophistication both fascinates and unsettles them. The story delves into the revelations and transformations that occur in an unfamiliar and glamorous setting, highlighting the dynamics between the sisters and their evolving identities. The novella captures the essence of 20th-century life, reflecting on the themes of desire and self-discovery in a post-World War II context.
Official synopsis Publisher
On a winter Saturday night in post-war Bristol, sisters Moira and Evelyn, on the cusp of adulthood, go to an art students’ party in a dockside pub; there they meet two men, Paul and Sinden, whose air of worldliness and sophistication both intrigues and repels them. Sinden calls a few days later to invite them over to the grand suburban mansion Paul shares with his brother and sister, and Moira accepts despite Evelyn’s misgivings.
As the night unfolds in this unfamiliar, glamorous new setting, the sisters learn things about themselves and each other that shock them, and release them into a new phase of their lives.
In this delightful novella of two young women coming of age, Tessa Hadley explores the ever-changing desires, the sudden revelations and the lasting mysteries that are bound up with who we are, and who we might become.
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