Cherry Baby, Rainbow Rowell - Pre-order for publication 16th April 2026

Everybody knows that Cherry's husband is in Hollywood making a movie ... Almost nobody knows that he isn't coming home. Tom's the creator of Thursday, a comic strip that's become an international phenomenon.

It's semi-autobiographical, which unfortunately means there's a character based on Cherry ... "Baby." Wide-hipped, double-chinned Baby. Cherry never wanted this.

No fat girl wants to see herself caricatured on the page -- let alone the big screen. But there's no getting away from it. Baby looks so much like Cherry, strangers recognize her at the store.

While Tom's in L.A., getting rich and famous and being the Internet's latest boyfriend, Cherry's stuck taking care of the dog he always wanted and the house they were going to raise a family in -- and wondering who she's supposed to be without him. Until the night Cherry ventures out to see her favourite band play, and someone recognizes her from across the room. Russ Sutton knew Cherry when she was a young art student with a fondness for pin-up dresses and patent leather heels.

Russ knows Cherry. He likes Cherry. And best of all ...

he's never heard of Thursday.