Sugar Bag Baby

Everyone in town loves Sugar Bag Baby, and feels responsible for him. After all, when he was born, weighing only as much as a bag of sugar, they had all helped raise the money for the special incubator which kept him alive. Each year his survival is celebrated and the humiliating pictures of him in said incubator, fluffy white mittens and girly bonnet are published again.

This is, of course, quite dreadful for Sugar Bag Baby, real name Christopher, particularly as secondary school is looming. How can he get rid of such an awful nick-name? Can he ever stop having to be grateful?

Gates’ novels are always multi-layered with lots for the reader to think about, though they never become didactic, and this is typical of her writing. The tone is light throughout and the resolution a funny and perceptive celebration of the best, and worst, of human nature.