Small Joys

“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
 
“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

“Breathtaking and heartrending, by turns hilarious and devastating and surprising and wild . . . Elvin James Mensah’s prose makes the intangible deft and tremendous—from the balm of friendship to the beauty of queerness to the all-encompassing elixir of community. Tender, thrilling, and honest, Small Joys is a beam of light.”—Bryan Washington, author of Memorial

“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

“Small Joys is a wonderful book full of music, life, and a great deal of heart. . . . An extremely BIG joy!”—Matson Taylor, author of The Miseducation of Evie Epworth

“This heartwarming, witty, and moving debut is one of the most charming books you’ll read this year. Exploring love, friendship, grief, and the bittersweet joy of being young, Small Joys is utterly beautiful.”—Louise O’Neill, author of Idol

“A beautiful, moving story of love, male intimacy, chosen family, and finding self-worth.”—Paul Mendez, author of Rainbow Milk
 
“Mensah debuts with a poignant chronicle of the intense friendship between two men. . . . This author is off to an auspicious start.”—Publishers Weekly