One Day I Shall Astonish the World is a new novel by Nina Stibbe, author of Love, Nina (another great book, highly recommend!). Stibbe is a British author known for her quick wit and emotional insight, and most of her fiction takes place in small-town England. One Day I Shall Astonish the World is no different, and in this novel Stibbe introduces us to Susan and Norma, two lifelong friends who live in Leicestershire. Susan, an imaginative, quirky girl, and Norma, startlingly blunt but unbothered by her awkwardness, are two fish out of water in their conventional hometown. The girls meet while working at a haberdashery shop owned by Norma’s mother — Susan working while on break from uni and Norma standing in as manageress — and bond over a love of literature and an unwillingness to make other friends. Life happens, in all its excitement and tedium, and we watch as Susan gets married and raises children, as Norma earns her PhD and publishes books, and as the two support, envy, disappoint, and love each other throughout. Split into three parts, the novel shows the evolution of a female friendship through the 1990s, the 2000s, and into 2020 (the novel addresses Covid-19, but not in a way that felt overwhelming to me) that feels both specific and universal. One Day I Shall Astonish the World is quiet in plot but revelatory in terms of character development, and a lovely slow read to ease you into fall.

There’s a sort of old-fashioned sensibility to Stibbe’s novels, especially this one, that I really adore. Her voice has a pleasant rhythm that feels cozy and conspiratorial, and even when I’m sure half the references are going over my head, I don’t really care because it’s so nice just existing in the world of the novel. Speaking of those offbeat references, this novel is endlessly amusing. Susan, the narrator, observes the absurdity of her life with spot-on deadpan delivery, never trying to be funny, which of course makes everything funnier. With an Austen-like sense of perspective, Stibbe keeps the physical setting small and the drama low-key (until the end!), which lets us really focus in on the people. Her characters lead unassuming lives and work average jobs, but when she turns a sharp eye to their quirks, rivalries, in-jokes, and desires, it makes their days seem absolutely engrossing. I hardly realized just how invested in the characters I had become, really coming to care for them, until I finished the novel and found I didn’t want to leave. One Day I Shall Astonish the World is a book that makes for really good company.

I’d recommend this book to…

• Anyone who enjoys a slow simmer of a novel that goes deep into character development… it’s similar in style to The Grammarians by Cathleen Schine
• Anyone who loves frank, funny storytelling (and that British sense of humor)… it’s similar in tone to How To Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran
• Anyone interested in the highs and lows of female friendship… it’s similar in theme to Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney