How to Be Human

Product Description

One hot summer's night, Mary comes home from a walk in the patch of wild land at the end of her garden to find next door's baby lying on the back door step. Gently cradling her head, Mary picks her up, takes her inside, upstairs and lies down. The baby's mother thinks Mary stole her. The baby's father suspects that his wife left the baby there. And Mary thinks the baby was a gift from her fox. The first time Mary had seen the fox, it was almost as if he'd winked at her through the window. Then she began to share her garden rug with him. Unlike her ex-boyfriend or colleagues, it feels like he listens, that he understands her. As her neighbour's determination to be rid of the fox escalates, Mary becomes convinced that her sanity and his safety are entwined and she invites him into her home.One hot summer's night, Mary comes home from a walk in the patch of wild land at the end of her garden to find next door's baby lying on the back door step. Gently cradling her head, Mary picks her up, takes her inside, upstairs and lies down. The baby's mother thinks Mary stole her. The baby's father suspects that his wife left the baby there. And Mary thinks the baby was a gift from her fox. The first time Mary had seen the fox, it was almost as if he'd winked at her through the window. Then she began to share her garden rug with him. Unlike her ex-boyfriend or colleagues, it feels like he listens, that he understands her. As her neighbour's determination to be rid of the fox escalates, Mary becomes convinced that her sanity and his safety are entwined and she invites him into her home.
Paula Cocozza is a feature writer at the Guardian and completed her MA in creative writing at the University of East Anglia, where she was the 2013/14 recipient of the David Higham prize. She lives in London and this is her first novel.