Small Joys

Product Information

She drummed her nails gently on my forehead. “They’re cute,” I said. “What made you finally change things up?” For months, she’d been texting me about getting the chop, as well as rejuvenating her wardrobe, which up until recently had mostly been jeans and oversized belts with huge silver studs and colorful one-­shoulder tops. Oh, it was all Nor’s idea,” she said. “She’s coming over in a bit, so you might want to wear a hat or something.” One of the story’s strongest points is Mensah’s exploration of mental health and its impact on our relationships. Through Harley’s journey, Mensah deftly portrays the struggles that individuals with anxiety and depression often face. Harley’s attempt on his own life is a stark reminder of the devastating impact of these conditions, and Mensah handles the subject matter with sensitivity and care. He explores the nuances of mental illness and the difficulties that can arise when those around us don’t understand what we’re going through. NA: I’ve never heard that approach before, I absolutely love it. And finally, if you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring author, what would it be?

However it did kind of bug me that the relationship with Muddy was never defined (but maybe that's my hetero bias of wanting things to be neatly labeled?) Is Muddy Ace? Is he attracted to Harley or does he just love him? Ultimately does it matter? It’s difficult to express just how much I loved this book but the one thing that I constantly tell people is that reading it felt like being enveloped in a hug. Filled with excellent pop culture and music references of the time, brilliantly memorable characters, lots of laughs and a few tears, it really did give me everything that I wanted. I feel that Finlay deserves a special mention, initially a bit of an eye roll character but he really grew on me and he was just completely believable, I feel like I’ve met Finlay a few times in my life. In my teenage years, I’d thought self-assurance would come with age. I’d staked so many of my future glories on my twenties signaling something, as if the ground beneath my feet would feel different somehow or that life would take on this beautiful, previously undiscovered shape, into which I’d slot with a sigh of relief; I’d made it, I’d say. Of course, it didn’t signal a thing and all the anxieties simply evolved into new and fun shapes, and came at me from all these imaginative angles. At twenty-one, self-assurance hadn’t come at all. Elvin James Mensah, Small Joys

So Small Joys is about finding happiness - it’s about finding that thing in life that just keeps you going. And it's also about prioritising kindness and compassion above everything else. Because, again, that's what I needed at the time, so that's what I wanted this character to have. I adored Small Joys—a sweet, moving, funny, strikingly open story. I don’t know if I’ve ever rooted so much for a protagonist as I did for Harley. . . . What a gorgeous novel.” —Jennifer Saint,author of Ariadne

Be aware that this is not a romance. Small Joys is a story of anxiety and depression, followed by healing and growth, and above all it’s a story about a beautiful friendship. The characters in this story are fully fleshed out, and I loved the interactions between the friend group, especially those between Harley and Muddy. Muddy was such a great guy and so sweet and kindhearted with his own stuff to deal with. My heart ached and was full of love simultaneously, and sometimes tears sprang into my eyes. Well, anyway, a beautiful book. I laughed, I cried, I grew with the characters. Awesome first novel, and I look forward to more from Elvin James Mensah.

Listened to the audiobook as read by Paul Mendez, and found it really enjoyable. There was a little range of British accents and they were all performed really well. I adored his rendition of Muddy. He just made him sound like someone that I desperately want to be friends with: crass and sweet and loud and just wonderful. This was such a good debut, and I'd love to read more from the author. Small Joys explores the complexities of human relationships, portraying them with depth and nuance. The novel centers around the friendship between Harley and Muddy, two individuals who couldn’t be more different on the surface but develop a deep bond over time. Their relationship is a powerful reminder of the importance of chosen family, the people we surround ourselves with who offer us support, love, and acceptance when we need it most. The book explores life, love, friendship, toxic masculinity, identity, depression, vulnerability, unconditional love and just what it means to have someone fighting for you every step of the way - the family you choose. The author handles some pretty dark topics sensitively and with real empathy, humour and heart. The dialogue is snappy and very funny at times. I loved the 90s and 00s music references. It’s been a couple of months since I read this now and I still find myself thinking about it, Harley and Muddy often. This is a quiet novel with a big impact and I can’t wait to see how the world reacts now that it’s finally been released.

A largehearted look at the importance of found family, Mensah’s first novel focuses on the lifesaving friendship between a cast-off son . . . and the easygoing new roommate whose affection becomes a balm. Small Joys dwells in the sometimes-fleeting moments of pleasure and happiness that stave off the iniquities of the world.” — Electric Literature Kind, careful, beautiful, and profound. . . Elvin James Mensah has an uncanny ability to give voice to the most delicate nuances of the human experience.His characters will stay in your heart forever.” —Allison Larkin,author of The People We Keep I also enjoyed all the mentions of birds. It gave me a whole new perspective on the hobby of bird-watching, which I’d always thought of as somewhat boring. Now, I can appreciate the peace and healing of the practice.Starting in 2005, protagonist Harley has returned to rural England, where he works at a movie theater after dropping out of college. With an estranged father and a feeling of hopelessness, Harley attempts suicide but is saved by his new roommate Muddy. Despite their differences, a deep friendship develops between the two as Muddy shows Harley the joys of life. However, their friendship is complicated by their romantic entanglements with their friends Chelsea, Finlay, and Noria. As secrets and jealousy threaten their friendships, Harley falters again. I loved it - Small Joys is a wonderful book full of music, life and a great deal of heart. An extremely BIG joy!' Matson Taylor, bestselling author of The Miseducation of Evie Epworth Small Joys, I just know, is going to prove near impossible to review. In fact, I started this review around 3 weeks before coming to finish it. Mostly, this is because I don’t have the words to even start talking about this book. NA: Let’s start from the beginning – when and where was the writing seed planted, and how did the idea for Small Joys come to you? Friendship didn’t insulate you from affliction, but it did make the path to some sort of recovery feel worthwhile and almost pleasant, it allowed you to experience the most wonderful things, even in the dark.

At some parts, I was concerned about how much Harley's friends were poking fun at being caregivers for him. But that was mentioned to be something empowering and not negative. When Harley realized he could be empowered by all these people caring for him, instead of seeing himself as a burden, I could feel the weight leave his shoulders (as well as my own, thinking about this way of relating to others). Soul-stirring and witty, full of hope and peopled with characters who feel like close friends, Small Joys explores a young man's turbulent journey toward happiness and announces the arrival of an exciting voice in fiction. That's a bad way of putting the matter, because it flattens Muddy out. He's lovely, and his affection for Harley helps Harley open himself to friendships with Chelsea's BFF Noria and Muddy's abrasive, obnoxious, but ultimately decent best friend Finley. NA: A lot of British-Ghanaian writers are killing it at the moment. We've got Derek Owusu, Krystle Zara Appiah, Jessica George, Caleb Azumah Nelson – what's in the waayke you guys are eating? Tell us the secret.

ABOUT ELVIN JAMES MENSAH

So when that didn't work out, it kind of coincided with me then going through one of the darkest periods of my life. When the time came to work on a second book, I didn't really have anything to lose. Not to sound too cheesy, but the second time around I opted to just write something from the heart. And because the prominent emotion I was feeling was sadness and misery, the only story I seemed to be able to tell was of a very depressed, gay, Ghanaian man. Chelsea Taylor,” I said enthusiastically. “I love everything about this. And you’ve finally done the hair. You’ve been talking about it for ages.” Suicide attempt, suicidal thoughts, homophobia, mental illness, racism, toxic relationships, emotional abuse, sexual content, violence My thoughts First the pluses. I think Harley is an amazing lead character and his relationships with his friends (and, of course, Muddy) is the biggest strength of his book. I found the Finlay/Harley relationship particularly fascinating and beautiful. You don't often get to see relationships between gay and straight men portrayed this way.