The heat is oppressive and storms are brewing in Brighton in the summer of 1982. Little Gold, a boyish girl on the brink of adolescence, is struggling with the reality of her broken family and a home descending into chaos. Her only refuge is the tree at the end of her garden.
Into her fractured life steps elderly neighbour, Peggy Baxter. The connection between the two is instant, but just when it seems that Little Gold has found solace, outsiders appear who seek to take advantage of her frail family in the worst way possible. In an era when so much is hard to speak aloud, can Little Gold share enough of her life to avert disaster? And can Peggy Baxter, a woman running out of time and with her own secrets to bear, recognise the danger before it’s too late?

Available in all good bookshops and online in print and for Kindle.

“Such a wonderfully moving and atmospheric novel, full of very real and very touching relationships. A brilliant portrayal of the pain and wonder of leaving behind childhood, beautifully evocative of a Brighton summer in the 1980s.”

Catherine Hall, author of ‘Days of Grace’, ‘The Proof of Love’ and ‘The Repercussions.’

‘Little Gold is a tender, beautifully paced and deeply moving debut. I found the exquisitely drawn characters who were inhabiting this world utterly compelling. Little Gold herself is a wonderful centrepiece, brimming with youth, difference, struggle and virtue and in Peggy Baxter, Rogers has offered up one of the most engaging heroines I have read in a very long time. This is a book about individual struggle that manages to be both life affirming and triumphant.’

Mark Radcliffe, author of ‘Gabriel’s Angel’ and ‘Stranger than Kindness.’

‘Reminiscent of Scout Finch, Little Gold is a great addition to literature’s endearing child characters. Vulnerable but fiercely individual, she navigates danger on many fronts – her broken family, her bullying schoolmates, and the dangers of predatory adults – until she finds an unexpected ally in an elderly neighbour. Vivid, touching, sad and frightening, this book exposes the dark underbelly of 1980s Brighton and left me haunted long after I put it down.’

Umi Sinha, author of ‘Belonging.’

‘Opening Allie Rogers Little Gold I found myself engrossed in a vibrant, moving tale of one family’s struggle to get by.  This is a book about survival, about the pluck and power of a singular child and the fundamental importance of friendship.’

Alison Smith, author of ‘Name all the animals.’

‘A gripping and yet tender novel, and the characters of Peggy Baxter and Little Gold are brilliantly handled. I was rooting for Little Gold from the start, and fascinated and moved by Peggy’s story. Brighton is so vividly depicted, too. It’s a great first novel.’

Bethan Roberts, author of ‘The Pools’, ‘The Good, Plain Cook’, ‘My Policeman’ and ‘Mother Island’.

Reviews:

‘I cannot recommend Little Goldhighly enough. It really is a stunning first novel, full of love and beauty that masks darkness and pain. Incredibly accomplished. A truly fabulous story.’ at Random Things Through My Letterbox

‘Moving, delightful & written in the kind of sweet language that attaches like a song.’ The Word Bird on Amazon

‘Little Gold is one of those books that burrows into your mind and soul and stays there for a good long time.’ Beth Moore on Goodreads

Radio Interview

Here is a podcast of Allie Rogers discussing Little Gold with Kathy Caton on ‘Out in Brighton’ on Radio Reverb 20th June 2017

Little Gold was longlisted for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award in March 2018.