Sugaring Off by Fanny Britt, translated by Susan Ouriou

On the surface, Adam and Marion are the embodiment of success: wealthy, attractive, in love. While holidaying in Martha’s Vineyard, Adam surfs into a local young woman, Celia. The accident leaves her injured and financially at risk; for Adam and Marion it opens a fault of loneliness, rage, and desires that have too long been ignored.

Like a modern Virginia Woolf, Fanny Britt abrades the surface layer of our outward personas, delving into the complexity and contradictions of relationships. In this eviscerating critique of privilege, she asks what happens when one can no longer play a role—whether in a couple, family, or social structure—and the resulting friction between pleasure and consequence.

Winner of a Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction, Sugaring Off probes intimacy, denial, and how we are tied to others—whether those we love or exploit.

Praise for Sugaring Off

“An accurate, uncomplacent depiction of Western society and of the disparity that exists between classes and ethnicities, this brilliantly written story joins the family of great North American novels and asks one fundamental question: however privileged we may be, is it possible to live without relying on others? In this clever and lucid fresco, complex characters are confronted with crises which are not unconnected to the paradoxes inhabiting them.” —Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction Jury Citation

“A moving tale of human experience heralding social change.” —Le Devoir