Gloria Don't Speak

by Lucy Apps

Gloria has a learning disability. She's nineteen, and there's nothing to do except wander the local parks, look for friendship and keep out of trouble - or go round Jack's. Jack needs Gloria's company, but he's unpredictable and angry at the world. After an act of violence, their friendship has to end. Now Gloria's on her own. But when she hears Jack's out of prison, her whole world is turned upside-down. Heart-breaking and beautiful, Gloria Don't Speak is an insightful portrait of a woman dealing with vulnerability, violence - and the desire for connection.

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Contemporary, Disability, Adult, Mental Health, Book Club

202 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 26, 2026

Reviews

[Flo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book about social exclusion, the feeling that you don’t fit in, and the desperation of loneliness. It is exceptionally crafted from a psychological point of view. It is a challenge to create a character like Gloria - so unavailable, and yet feeling and trying so much. I expect to see this on the Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlist.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the reasons I read the Women's Prize every year (or try to) is to find books I would never have picked up on my own, especially from the small and indie presses. This is one such read.

Gloria, our main character, is predominantly non verbal and socially isolated, yet forms an unlikely, and unhealthy attachment, to volatile Jack. It's not quite a friendship, but rather a bonding of two people who are desperately trying to seek something from the other than they are unable to give. And then Jack commits a violent crime that upends Gloria's small world.

The writing in this is really interesting, reflecting and using Gloria's echolalia to demonstrate her struggle with communicating. I also felt able to understand, and feel as though I was inside Gloria's head, even despite this obvious struggle she has with expressing herself.

I did feel at times this was a book very much of two halves - the before and after of Jack's crime, and the first half was a lot stronger than the latter. I felt like Gloria started to fade away the further she got from 1999, and her constant remembering of the past, and mixing of the timelines, didn't help to propel the story in the way I would have liked.

A really interesting read, and I'm glad I picked this up.

[cosylittlereadingcorner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it when a book promises something not widely covered in fiction yet is something that affects many in real life. ‘Gloria Don’t Speak’ is such a book and it does what it promises so very well!

Gloria has a learning disability and at the start of the book she is 19, living at home with her working single mum. This means, that having finished college, Gloria is on her own during the day. She lives near a park in, what I perceived to be, a deprived area of London and it is here where Gloria meets Jack.

Gloria is mostly non verbal and can be easily overwhelmed in certain situations, resulting in a physical reaction but Jack lets her be herself. He doesn’t make her speak and just enjoys having company even if quiet. But Jack’s life’s been hard for different reasons and he is unpredictable and angry. And one day this pent up anger results in a terrible tragedy, a moment Gloria cannot forget, and Jack ends up in prison. The years pass, Gloria moves into a supported living accommodation but Jack remains in her mind and when she hears that he is out of prison, her past becomes her present again.

There’s so much packed into in this relatively short but powerful book (256 pages). I love the writing style whereby the author managed to make me feel like I was in Gloria’s head one moment but then the outside world the next. To see the world through Gloria’s eyes but then to see her from the viewpoint of others too.

It highlights the so many difficulties faced by those living with such disabilities, the impact of the lottery of life and who it brings you in contact with. This book is tender and heartbreaking at the same time and the author’s real life experience of volunteering with women with learning disabilities is evident in every page.

Gloria will sneak into your heart in this beautiful portrayal of loneliness, the need for human connection and the challenges of navigating a world not centred around the way Gloria’s mind works.

[Darryl Suite · Rating 4 out of 5]

The moment I heard about this book I thought of the Women’s Prize. I was pleased when it ended up on the longlist because it gave me the excuse to prioritize it.


Our protagonist is Gloria, a nineteen-year-old with a learning disability. She enjoys exploring the neighborhood while constantly being told by her mother to stay out of trouble. “You need to get used to amusing yourself, Gloria. You're an adult now, no one's gonna entertain you. I've gotta go work. I've gotta be able to trust you.”


In walks Jack. A young man who forms a friendship with Gloria. He’s constantly going on about the end of the world while exhibiting a dangerous demeanor that Gloria is drawn to. Eventually, his attitude towards her becomes possessive and she finds herself co-dependent on him. The story takes an explosive turn once Jack erupts into an unforgivable act of violence.


From this point onwards, the novel morphs into a story of trauma and its lingering effects. We see how Gloria’s structured set of routines begins to crumble. She’s suddenly exposed to a world that doesn’t make sense to her, a system that’s unfamiliar, a darkness that wasn’t initially a part of her worldview. Not only can the aftereffects of trauma cause one to feel isolated and alone, what can it do to someone who already has difficulty expressing themselves? This novel presented some really interesting questions.


Gloria Don’t Speak is heartbreaking. The mood is quite atmospheric. The voice is consistently compelling. The plot goes into some unexpected places. A story about loneliness, trauma, codependency, and self-discovery. Impressive debut.

[victoria marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Longlisted for the 2026 Women’s Prize in Fiction

‘Okay,’ says Gloria.
Okayo kayo kay.
Sharp crack in the middle. She plays it round. She likes it.

2026 Women’s Prize—Fiction
in-progress rankings; shortlisted books are numbered
—Gloria Don't Speak, Lucy Apps (5⭐️)
—Audition, Katie Kitamura
1. Dominion, Addie E. Citchens
2. Kingfisher, Rozie Kelly
—Paradiso 17, Hannah Lillith Assadi
—A Beast Slinks Towards Beijing, Alice Evelyn Yang
—A Guardian & a Thief, Megha Majumdar
3. The Correspondent, Virginia Evans
4. The Mercy Step, Marcia Hutchinson
—Moderation, Elaine Castillo
—Wild Dark Shore, Charlotte McConaghy
5. Heart the Lover, Lily King
6. Flashlight, Susan Choi
[13 read; up next: The Benefactors, Wendy Erskine & The Others, Sheena Kalayil]

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️’s
This is a small book, but it landed heavy for me.

I came into it with a lot of tenderness and a lot of guardrails. I live in this world. My son is disabled, and advocacy isn’t theoretical, it’s daily, it’s personal, and it’s protective.

Gloria’s interactions with Jack made me feel sick at times. It landed in a place I know too well.
This population is so often mistreated, misunderstood, and taken advantage of, and the book doesn’t let you look away from that.

This highlights the broken systems of care.
But I don’t come to that observation from the outside, I live inside it.

Gloria being non-verbal didn’t phase me at all. It felt natural. Familiar.
And I appreciated how Apps gave her an interior life we could actually feel into. That felt careful and well done, a real attempt to let Gloria exist beyond how others see her.

And still, I held a tension the entire time.
When you write into a space like this, it matters.
These stories often become the lens people carry.
That comes with weight.

I’m really glad to see this on the 2026 Women’s Prize longlist, and I genuinely hope it makes the shortlist.

Books like this open doors that need to be opened.
And for some of us, this isn’t just a story.
It’s a life we’re constantly trying to protect.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was inspired to read this book after seeing it Longlisted for this year's Women's Prize for Fiction; what a find! This was a truly moving, original and thought-provoking novel that will stay with me for a long time! Fingers crossed that I'll see it on the shortlist too!

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was really interesting x I found the disabled rep really good

[Georgia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

A non-verbal main was a really interesting perspective that you don’t normally get but the plot just wasn’t there for me unfortunately.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

This was a book that really grew on me the more I read. It is split roughly into two halves, late 90s/2000s and 2017 onwards. I generally found the second half more interesting and engaging, but I also think by that point the book had simply grown on me so I could enjoy it more

At first, I struggled to get into the writing, setting, and characters. The writing style is clearly very intentional, but it was quite difficult to get into the rhythm of it. I did enjoy Gloria’s echolalia though, the way she changed up the words and phrases she heard

Jack in particular really stressed me out and made the first half quite difficult to read. I think even if I hadn’t read the blurb and known that there is an eventual ‘act of violence’ that lands him in prison, there was so much anger, instability, and unpredictability in Jack that drew a very clear portrait of him as a character. He was so erratic and it made me nervous to read about his interactions with Gloria

I was glad when Jack was gone, but I also loved how despite that he continued to haunt the narrative and Gloria’s thoughts. He was so deeply embedded in Gloria’s mind, whether because of the friendship and feeling of independence he offered her, or because of the traumatic events she went through with him. I thought it was written really well

As for Gloria, I loved her as the main character. I haven’t read many books about or featuring characters with learning disabilities but I liked how this was written. It didn’t feel like Gloria was reduced to her disability, we got to know all about her as an individual but also how her disability affected her and her interactions with others. I found the descriptions of her sensory issues and overstimulation very relatable as an autistic person

The ending was a perfect way to conclude the story and I just loved this book

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tough read and quite maddening and depressing at times. I can’t say I enjoyed it exactly but it was brilliantly and very effectively written. I’m very glad I read it, it’s given me a lot to think about.

[Sarah Rossi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll be thinking about Gloria for a long time. Atmospheric writing that gave such a unique perspective. A hard read at times, I almost couldn’t bear to see what happened next. A clever ending.

[booksontherunway • Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the whole thing in one sleepless night and wanted to cry for Gloria at the end. This was so readable and propulsive, and had such a unique narrative voice. Despite being written in the third person, you get such a clear picture into Gloria’s mind. I don’t think there’s enough fiction about people with learning disabilities.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is undoubtedly well done, and very tense - putting us behind the eyes of a largely non-verbal young woman with unspecified special needs who is largely left to her own devices in a London that can be menacing. You root very hard for Gloria, and feel the loaded frustration of her inability to- unwillingness? - to express herself, except through occasional impulsive physical outbursts.


Nonetheless, it was a bit of a slog and I found myself skimming after the razor sharp first section. Maybe better as a thought experiment- or short story - than as a novel.

[Jeevan Farthing · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am pleased this book exists and doubly pleased about its women’s prize longlist. Characters with learning disabilities are rare in fiction and the few that do exist are the subject of comedy. Gloria is afforded interiority and the reader gets a strong sense of how she thinks and sees the world, all the more important since she mostly does not speak. I shan’t spoil but the climax and denouement are very clever and have lots to say about autonomy and the police system and who is and isn’t a believable victim or perpetrator

I most enjoyed the scenes with her mum (who is at some points supportive and affectionate and at others immensely frustrating) and at the live-in care home, another setting we don’t see enough of. Apps has done thorough research down to the subtleties of the Newham district in which the book is set. How growing up poor (if not in abject poverty) impacts the amount of support Gloria can receive is another good detail.

On an ontological / philosophical level I can scarcely criticise this book though it did take me a while to finish. The spare, basic sentences work well in the last 50 pages, full of twists and turns and tension and devastation, but in the more sedate moments they are not captivating. That said, an alternative style would not be appropriate and I am overall very excited to see what Lucy Apps does next. Bring on the Booker I say.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gloria Don't Speak by Lucy Apps - ⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 1/2

This is a unique novel because it brings me into the perspective of someone I rarely encounter in literature: a woman with a learning disability. Gloria is almost nonverbal and easily overwhelmed in noisy environments, and the novel places us directly inside her mind.

We follow her friendship with Jack, a man angry at the world. When he becomes involved in an act of violence, Gloria’s world is completely upended. Unable to answer the police’s questions afterward, she becomes quietly obsessed with the victim’s family. Years later, when Gloria is no longer living with her mother but in supported social care, she hears that Jack has been released from prison. The news unsettles her deeply and eventually leads her to commit a small—though still significant—act of violence herself.

It is a difficult and sometimes heavy read about a woman searching for companionship and understanding, while living with the long aftermath of violence.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book because Gloria is portrayed with great empathy. Being inside her head helped me understand people like her better. The novel draws on Lucy Apps’s experience volunteering with women with learning disabilities, and Gloria feels very real—like some friends I have known with similar disabilities.

The title is also quite interesting. Instead of “Gloria Doesn’t Speak,” it is “Gloria Don’t Speak.” I’m still thinking about the author’s intention behind this choice. It might echo Gloria’s own relationship with language and grammar, subtly reflecting the way the novel invites us into her perspective. (Do comment I you have different interpretation about this!)

I’m also impressed that this novel comes from an indie publisher, Weatherglass Books, and I’m glad it’s receiving the recognition it deserves.

[Owen Peak · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating insight into the realities of being an adult with learning difficulties. Apps microscopically is able to make Gloria’s perspective so immersive, especially when dealing with situations of sensory overload and socialisation; like in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, I truly felt inside the protagonist’s head and saw how challenges exist for people like Gloria in everyday life that I would have never even contemplated. I sometimes felt like this perspective was claustrophobic (I imagine intentionally) which did hinder my enjoyment of the novel, especially given the unsettling aspects of Gloria’s friendship with Jack, however I appreciated the commitment it had to develop the perspective so clearly. Most notably, the way that subtle moments of colour were depicted were thought-provoking as was the choice to continually use the present tense, evoking how Gloria perceives time so differently to others.

[Helen Haythornthwaite · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a beautifully written book, but I just felt so sorry for Gloria the whole time I was reading it.

Gloria is a young woman with a learning disability, who rarely speaks. Her other senses seem heightened though; and we see her inner turmoil as she tries to make sense of the sights she sees and sounds she hears. We find out how she has learnt to cope in a world which she doesn’t understand in the same way as others may do; and we see what happens when she’s not coping too.

My heart really went out to Gloria, and I just wanted her mum to do more for her. My feelings alternated between sympathy for Gloria and anger towards her mum. I just wanted her to show more interest in her daughter, find out what she liked doing and organise more activities for her so she wouldn’t have to spend her days like she did.

Having said that, I think the author gives the reader a very empathetic insight into how some people see the world, and the chaotic thoughts that could be whirring through their minds. This novel certainly brings more awareness to the vulnerable people in our society, and I think it’s one of those books we all should be mindful of.

[demonicque · Rating 4 out of 5]

So heartbreakingly oddly beautiful. I found Gloria to be personally relatable, what's more is how so many of her actions are completely irrational – yet you're able to understand where they're coming from and almost inhabit her psychological state. A measure of good writing for sure.

[Sara Woodcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Samantha Grenier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast but stressful read 😵‍💫

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

unlike anything i’ve ever read before. the main character Gloria is non-verbal but the narrative voice is so engaging and propulsive.

[lacey ♡✧ ✰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Working my way through the Women’s prize for fiction long list and I’m glad I am because I would have never heard of this otherwise. A quick but powerful read with plenty of gut wrenching moments.

[AmyAmyAmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5.5/5 my second read from the Women’s Prize for Fiction longlist this year and this was brilliant. Unbelievable debut novel.

[mrsbookworm5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, Gloria… what a debut.

This is such a sensitively written novel, with a deep awareness of a young, vulnerable woman navigating her world. Gloria is largely non-verbal, yet the author allows us full access to her thoughts, her routines, and her feelings in a way that feels both intimate and respectful.

She forms an attachment to Jack, a man she meets while out walking. They share simple moments—talking, drinking Coke, eating chips—and what develops is a quiet, tentative friendship. There’s an underlying tension too: Jack clearly wants more, though he never quite crosses the line. Whether Gloria feels the same is less certain, but at 19, she is beginning to experience emotions she doesn’t fully understand.

When Jack commits a violent crime against a man who had shown concern for Gloria, everything changes. The fragile world Gloria has built is suddenly disrupted. She misses Jack deeply but struggles to process both his absence and her own complicated feelings.

As the novel progresses, Gloria transitions into more independent living, alongside supported and assisted care. Watching her try to make sense of loss, change, and her own emotional landscape is both moving and challenging.

This is a novel written with real empathy and understanding—quiet, powerful, and deeply affecting.

[Shelley Earl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This writing style was a dream to read, and as much as I’m not as high support needs as Gloria the way the author writes Gloria’s thoughts really resonated with me. I think it’s a great read for anyone wondering what it’s like to be in the mind of someone with autism, or for anyone with autism who wants to feel seen and connect deeply with a character :)

[Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotional. Tense. Outstanding.

[Paul Fulcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Longlisted for the 2026 Women's Prize for Fiction

Everybody says Why don't you speak or Do you speak or You should speak more or Can't you speak? Even this boy with his hat on his face. Even Jack says You don't talk much. She's mad. She's so mad and tired of everyone talking about words and speaking and whether she does it enough and how she should be different. She screams. She screams at the boy, one shout, one blast, just AAAH! No words.

Gloria Don't Speak is the debut novel by Lucy Apps, who was born in East London, works as a GP but has volunteers for many years to support women with learning disabilities.

And it is the January 2026 book from the highly recommended Republic of Consciousness Book of the Month club, which raises funds that support the UKs most exciting annual book prize, the Queen Mary Small Press Fiction Prize, as well as showcasing a collection of books from the vibrant small independent press scene.

This novel is published by Weatherglass Books, co-founded by Neil Griffiths, founder of the Republic of Consciousness Prize, and a highly-skilled editor as well as novelist in his own right - it's striking how almost every Weatherglass Books work the author acknowledges how much their work was polished by Neil, and his co-founder Damian.

The novel is narrated from the perspective of Gloria, a young woman with learning difficulties, and set in a carefully sketched East Ham area, which the reader can recognise from Gloria's descriptions of her surrounds.

It opens in Summer 1999. Gloria has recently left college and has befriended a local man, young but older than Gloria, Jack, who values her company but has issues of his own, angry at the world and a wannabe survivalist, convinced society is about to break down with the coming millennium bug.

It opens:

Jack is talking about the end of the world. Gloria listens. He's on about everything breaking down and burning. His words slide over each other in her head.

She concentrates on the circle of ketchup she's squeezing onto her paper and the way the room smells of vinegar, and the oil that sits on the skin of the chips and shines her fingertips smooth. Jack's house. Jack smiles at her and raises his can then sips from it and nods. Gloria looks down at the light gleaming on the red circle of ketchup. It's Monday afternoon in July. It's summer and she's finished college and they haven't had Christmas yet.

Jack eats his chips like he's angry with the air in front of him. He picks up his can and takes swigs and puts it down again. He keeps on doing the same motion. He don't just hold it in his hand. Gloria copies him with her Coke, picking it up and drinking then putting it down, her fingers all cold and wet from the tin.

'Want a beer?' Jack says.
Gloria don't speak.
'You can't be a kid all your life, Jack says.
Wanna beer wanna beer wanna beer.

She plays Jack's words over in her head, finding the rhythm. She rocks a little in time to the sound. Inside her mouth she runs her tongue over her teeth. She can feel her tongue on the inside of her cheeks and the hard dips and jags of her molars. Her teeth are warm from chips and sweet from ketchup. She don't want a beer. Jack has handed her his drink before and told her to take a sip. It was bitter and like metal. Not sweet.

The 'don't' in the title and this passage a clever tic the narration uses throughout to represent Gloria's perspective ('ain't' used similarly if less often).

The novel's pivotal scene takes part on the day of the solar eclipse (August 11th 1999), which catches Gloria by surprise in the park, where she has persuaded an edgy Jack to go for a walk. When it is over:

Jack wipes his eyes, rubs at them. 'Fucking mental innit', he says. 'See how quick things can happen? And then it's like they never happened. Proper mad innit, Gloria?’

But heading back to his flat, Jack is involved in an act of violence, one that happens quickly, but which, in strong contrast, has severe lingering consequences - for Jack a long spell in prison, and Gloria something which haunts her for the years, even decades.

The novel follows the aftermath for Gloria into New Year's Eve - where rather to her bemusement Jack's (and the IT contractor industry's!) apocalyptic predictions fail to materialise and through into 2021 when she is asked to testify against Jack - unsurprisingly to the reader Gloria Don't Speak - and then becomes obsessed with his victim's family.

The novel then takes us many years forward to 2017 - Gloria no longer lives with her mother but in social supported care. She hears suggestions Jack may have been released from prison, and on Guy Fawkes night, on the way to the display in Wanstead, she absconds from her carers and is involved in another act of violence - leading to a brilliant and moving scene of an interview with the police, that to Gloria blends with that from the early 2000s. And a coda set in 2019 gives us a more upbeat view of Gloria's state of mind.

Gloria Don't Speak deservedly featured in the Observer's prestiguous Best Debut Novelists of 2026 list, one which in past year's has augured prize success, and I'd love to see the same for this book.