his is the story of Jeanette, adopted and brought up by her mother as one of God’s elect.

Zealous and passionate, she seems seems destined for life as a missionary, but then she falls for one of her converts. At sixteen, Jeanette decides to leave the church, her home and her family, for the young woman she loves.

Innovative, punchy and tender, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit is a few days ride into the bizarre outposts of religious excess and human obsession.

‘A novel that deserves revisiting…Winterson maintains a balance of tone, a trueness of voice… It remains one of the finest things Winterson has written’ Observer

‘Many consider her to be the best living writer in this language… In her hands, words are fluid, radiant, humming’ Evening Standard

‘Even at a time when so many good and interesting novels are coming out, hers stand out as performances of real originality and extraordinary promise’ John Bayley

‘A wonderful rites-of-passage novel’ Mariella Frostrup

Jeanette Winterson OBE was born in Manchester. Adopted by Pentecostal parents she was raised to be a missionary. This did and didn't work out.

Discovering early the power of books she left home at 16 to live in a Mini and get on with her education. After graduating from Oxford university she worked for a while in the theatre and published her first novel at 25.