Published 5th March 2026 by Merky Books.
From the cover of the book:
London, 1990. Zivoin is newly arrived in a strange country. The dependable oldest son, he works all hours of the day and night, sending every penny he can save back to his family. On the news, he watches his homeland, Yugoslavia, slowly fracturing.
Thousands of miles away, in the tropical heat of Uberlândia, Brazil, Alegria prepares to leave behind the country – and the family – she loves dearly. Bright and ambitious, she strives to give her parents the life they deserve, even if it takes her far from them.
A chance meeting throws Alegria and Zivoin together – and for a brief moment, they feel at home. But their journey is just beginning, and what follows will draw them irresistibly across countries and continents, leaving them both forever changed.
The powerful, exhilarating debut novel from an award-winning new voice in fiction, Strangerland is a heartfelt testament to the endurance that has come to define a generation of immigrants. Above all, it is a soaring, emotionally rich story about the power of love to transcend languages, borders and time.
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London, 1990. As the oldest son, Zivoin has taken on the responsibility of helping to support his family. Working all the hours he can in a strange country is taking its toll, but he hopes the money he sends back to Yugoslavia will go some way to helping his family traverse troubled times in his homeland.
Meanwhile, in Uberlândia, Brazil, Alegria prepares to travel thousands of miles to London. Her plan is to join her sister there for three months to earn enough to help her family prosper - if she can make it past the immigration officials.
When the two meet in London, something sparks between them. Somehow spending time with each other makes them feel like they are home. The attraction grows into love, but there are so many obstacles in the way of their relationship...
Based on the true story of how her parents met, Monika Radojevic weaves a spellbinding novel that portrays how the power of love can surpass the obstacles of language, nationality, economics, and even impending war.
Against an evocative backdrop of far reaching political turmoil, from the resignation of Margaret Thatcher, ructions in the Middle East, financial instability in Brazil, and the fracturing of Yugoslavia, our two young people meet and fall in love. Happiness is surely guaranteed, but there are many trials to be endured before they can be together.
Radojevic writes her characters with warmth and authenticity, and all the little popular culture references work so well. I soon took the lovers, their families, and their friends to heart - following them all through immigration difficulties; the gulf between them in terms of their experiences and backgrounds; the strangeness of living and working illegally in a foreign country; and the near impossibility of finding a place they can settle down together.
She touches beautifully on so much about family ties, identity, and belonging, as Zivoin and Alegria take significant risks to pursue their romantic journey. I laughed and cried with them, and at times my heart was lodged firmly in my throat, especially when the lovers must enter dangerous territory to cement their relationship. And I am so impressed with they way she floods this story with the many ways in which the disintegration of Yugoslavia impacts the characters, even though the actual nitty of the looming war happens largely in the wings.
Sweeping and irresistibly absorbing, this is an eloquent debut novel that thrums with vibes of time and place. Radojevic is a shining new voice in fiction who really deserves your time. I look forward to watching her career develop.
Strangerland is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.
Thank you to Merky Books for sending me a copy of this book in return for and honest review.
About the author:
Monika Radojevic is a Brazilian-Montenegrin writer and poet who was born and raised in London. She spent years working in the feminist and political sector, and her writing is a continuous exploration of power dynamics, inequality and freedom.
Monika is the inaugural winner of the #Merky Books New Writers' prize, and writes to make sense of life. She has previously published a volume of poetry, Teeth in the Back of My Neck, and a short story collection, A Beautiful Lack of Consequence. Strangerland is her debut novel.
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