The Best of Everything
Longlisted for the 2026 Women's Prize for Fiction
Published on 12. February 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
320 pages
978-1-0354-0483-4 (ISBN)
Description
A tender and unforgettable story of found family and the long way back from heartbreak - now longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction
'A beautiful and important story about kindness that will break your heart, then make it sing' (reader review) ? ? ? ? ?
'A joyous story about love, and what family means to each of us' Prima
'I read this in a sitting, revelling in every word-perfect sentence' (reader review) ? ? ? ? ?
'I defy you not to cry while reading this' Red
Paulette's the kind of woman who likes the future all mapped out: the wedding to Denton, the Caribbean honeymoon, the gingham quilt on the baby's crib. Until one morning Garfield, Denton's friend, arrives at her door with the news that Denton won't be coming around any more, that there won't be time for her to say goodbye.
Somehow Garfield finds his way into her bed, and sooner than anyone can believe there is a baby, and suddenly giving Bird, her son, the best of everything is what gives Paulette's life meaning.
So why is it another little boy, Nellie, who keeps Paulette awake at night? Nellie who is being raised a few streets away, with no sign of a mum. Surely Paulette is the last person who should be getting tangled up in any of that?
'A beautiful and important story about kindness that will break your heart, then make it sing' (reader review) ? ? ? ? ?
'A joyous story about love, and what family means to each of us' Prima
'I read this in a sitting, revelling in every word-perfect sentence' (reader review) ? ? ? ? ?
'I defy you not to cry while reading this' Red
Paulette's the kind of woman who likes the future all mapped out: the wedding to Denton, the Caribbean honeymoon, the gingham quilt on the baby's crib. Until one morning Garfield, Denton's friend, arrives at her door with the news that Denton won't be coming around any more, that there won't be time for her to say goodbye.
Somehow Garfield finds his way into her bed, and sooner than anyone can believe there is a baby, and suddenly giving Bird, her son, the best of everything is what gives Paulette's life meaning.
So why is it another little boy, Nellie, who keeps Paulette awake at night? Nellie who is being raised a few streets away, with no sign of a mum. Surely Paulette is the last person who should be getting tangled up in any of that?
Reviews / Votes
This is a book of such tenderness, full of pain, grief and despair and yet playful and joyful at the same time. Kit de Waal has an uncanny ability to create vivid characters with such empathy that I want to reach into the pages to hug them. I truly loved this book -- Liz Nugent, author of Strange Sally Diamond A profoundly compassionate novel of devastating power and emotional complexity -- Bernardine Evaristo, Booker Prize-winning author of Girl, Woman, Other Tender... A beautifully judged tale extolling the virtues of kindness * Guardian * Affecting... a story of loneliness and sacrifice that navigates great sorrow with a remarkable lightness of touch * The Times * De Waal's tone is warm and wise... she has a knack for the small charming moment. Very moving * Observer * What a wonderful novel, bursting with life. Kit de Waal is a writer who knows all the secret longings of the human heart -- Cathy Rentzenbrink, author of Ordinary Time Beautiful. De Waal has the power to astound, to lift and console, to make life with her sentences -- Donal Ryan, author of The Queen of Dirt Island So deeply moving. Sad and beautiful and true -- Annie Macmanus, author of The Mess We're In Everything de Waal has written pulls at the heartstrings... tenderly explores how to build a life of meaning * I-Paper * A beautiful novel about kindness and found family * Mail on Sunday * A beautiful novel about kindness and found family * Good Housekeeping * Full of warmth, this is a joyous story about love, and what family means to each of us * Prima * Devastating and uplifting * Grazia * Paulette's life story is ultimately told with deep affection and tenderness, allowing the reader to form a genuine connection with her and those around her... Life is complicated, especially when a person is tested in the way that she is. In the very best people, like this one, setbacks create resilience. There is somehow still room for hope * Irish Independent * Paulette was such a wonderful character, giving so much and making do with so little, tough but vulnerable, as perhaps all mothers are....De Waal writes brilliantly about forgiveness without glossing over its difficulties. Paulette's relationship with Nellie is the beating heart of the book and a reminder that there are more interesting kinds of love than the ones usually celebrated in novels. -- Clare Chambers, author of Small Pleasures and Shy Creatures Oozes with warmth and joy * Best *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Headline Publishing Group
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 196 mm
Width: 127 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
228 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-0354-0483-4 (9781035404834)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
04/2025
Tinder Press
€0.99
Available for download
Person
Kit de Waal is the author of MY NAME IS LEON, which was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award and won the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year, THE TRICK TO TIME, which was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction, a short story collection, SUPPORTING CAST, a memoir, WITHOUT WARNING & ONLY SOMETIMES, which was shortlisted for Biography of the Year at the Irish Book Awards, and most recently THE BEST OF EVERYTHING which was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction. She is also editor of the COMMON PEOPLE anthology. MY NAME IS LEON was recently adapted as a film for BBC Two.