{"product_id":"nightcrawling-by-leila-mottley-book","title":"Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley","description":"\u003ch2\u003eAbout Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley – A Powerful Literary Novel About Survival, Family, Exploitation and the Fight to Be Heard\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHow far should a seventeen-year-old girl have to go just to keep a roof over her head?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley, Kiara Johnson is trying to survive in East Oakland, California. She needs to pay the rent, buy food, and care for a young boy whose mother is often absent. The adults who should be helping her have problems of their own, and every day brings another worry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer older brother, Marcus, dreams of becoming a successful rapper. Kiara wants him to succeed, but his plans do not solve their immediate problems. When their rent rises sharply, she becomes desperate to find money.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne night, an unexpected encounter leads Kiara into sex work. Her situation becomes even more dangerous when police officers exploit her vulnerability. Eventually, her involvement in a major police scandal places her at the center of an investigation that could put her safety and the people she loves at risk.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublished in 2022, this debut novel explores poverty, sexual exploitation, family responsibilities, institutional abuse, and the struggle to survive. It was selected for Oprah's Book Club and longlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a serious, emotionally demanding work of literary fiction that asks readers to see the person behind the headlines.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMeet Kiara, a Girl Carrying Adult Responsibilities\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKiara should be thinking about school, friends, and her future. Instead, she spends her days searching for work and worrying about bills.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe and Marcus live in the Regal-Hi apartment complex, where their family's circumstances have left them struggling to get by. Their mother is in a halfway house, and their father has died.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKiara has dropped out of school, but finding steady employment is difficult. When the landlord raises their rent, the threat of losing their home becomes frighteningly real.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMottley makes these everyday problems central to the story. Before the police investigation begins, readers see just how much pressure Kiara is already under.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy Trevor Means So Much to Kiara\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKiara is also looking after Trevor, the nine-year-old boy who lives next door. His mother frequently disappears, leaving him without reliable care.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKiara makes sure he has something to eat and tries to give him the attention he needs. She takes on this responsibility even though she can barely meet her own basic needs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir relationship brings tenderness to an otherwise difficult story.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTrevor is not simply another problem for Kiara to solve. Their bond reveals her capacity for love and gives readers moments of warmth amid the novel's darker events.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhen Working Hard Is Not Enough\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKiara wants an ordinary job that will let her pay the rent and provide for the people depending on her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut wanting work and finding it are different things.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs her options become fewer, she enters sex work to earn money. Because Kiara is a minor facing severe financial pressure, the novel presents her situation as one of vulnerability rather than freedom or glamour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe story asks readers to consider what happens when a young person has responsibilities but lacks the support and resources needed to meet them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is not an easy story, yet understanding Kiara's circumstances is essential to understanding her choices.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eA Police Investigation Changes Everything\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKiara's situation becomes more dangerous when police officers abuse their authority and sexually exploit her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLater, an investigation into misconduct within the Oakland Police Department brings her experiences into public view.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe becomes an important witness, but speaking about what happened could expose her to further harm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe people involved hold positions of authority, while Kiara has little money and limited protection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs the case develops, the novel examines the difficult position of a survivor who must decide whether taking part in an investigation will actually make her safer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReaders follow her experience without being given a simple solution to the danger she faces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eInspired by Real Events, but Kiara Is Fictional\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe events in Nightcrawling were partly inspired by a real sexual misconduct scandal involving police officers in the San Francisco Bay Area.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn an interview with Bloomsbury, Mottley explained that the Oakland case first attracted her attention in 2015. She later researched other cases involving police sexual violence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe wanted to focus on the experiences of the young women affected, rather than telling the story mainly through the institutions involved.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKiara and the novel's other characters are fictional. The book draws on real events without claiming to reproduce one survivor's exact life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis background gives the novel an important connection to reality while allowing Mottley to explore her characters' private thoughts and relationships.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDiscover Oakland Through Kiara's Eyes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOakland is more than a background for the story.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIts streets, apartment buildings, buses, and neighborhoods shape Kiara's daily life. She knows the city intimately, yet familiar places do not always offer safety.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMottley was born and raised in Oakland and has explained that she wanted to write about the city's young Black residents in a way she had not previously encountered in fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe setting helps readers understand both Kiara's difficulties and the community connections that matter to her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou do not need to know Oakland before reading. The story introduces the city through the places Kiara visits and the people she meets.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eA Story That Makes Room for Friendship and Hope\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite its painful subject matter, this novel is not only about suffering.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKiara finds important moments of connection through Trevor and her friend Alé. Their presence reminds her that her life contains more than the harm she experiences.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFriendship offers space for laughter, care, and the possibility of a different future.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMottley has explained that she deliberately included joy and hope because she did not want the characters to be defined only by their worst experiences.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese quieter moments give the story emotional range and make Kiara feel like a complete person rather than simply a character caught in a public scandal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWriting That Gives Kiara a Voice\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMottley is also a poet, and her writing uses vivid images to bring Kiara's thoughts and surroundings to life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRather than presenting the story as a simple crime investigation, she gives readers time to understand Kiara's feelings, memories, and relationships.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe novel moves between tense events and quieter moments that reveal what matters to its main character.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReaders who enjoy literary fiction with a strong narrative voice may appreciate this approach. It is especially suitable for those interested in stories that explore personal experiences alongside wider social problems.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWho Should Read Nightcrawling?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is suitable for adult readers who enjoy contemporary literary fiction, social realism, and emotionally demanding stories about survival.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt may appeal to readers interested in family relationships, institutional power, and fiction inspired by real events.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, Nightcrawling contains sexual exploitation of a minor, sexual violence, abuse of authority, poverty, and other distressing subjects. It is not a light mystery or an ordinary coming-of-age romance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReaders who are sensitive to these themes should consider the content before purchasing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eA Premium Edition for Your Collection\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBookish Wonderland offers Nightcrawling in a premium printed edition featuring eye-soothing cream paper, crystal-clear printing, and high-quality stitched and glue binding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe readable text is designed for comfortable reading, while the binding helps keep the pages secure during regular use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis edition is suitable for readers who want to keep the novel in a personal collection or return to meaningful passages later.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBook price in Bangladesh and Ordering Information\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCheck the current price of Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley at Bookish Wonderland before ordering.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe provide nationwide delivery inside and outside Dhaka. Cash on Delivery is available across Bangladesh, and customers in Dhaka can ask about fast or urgent delivery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor stock updates, edition details, or customization requests, contact us through Facebook or Instagram.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDiscover Kiara's Story Today\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRead a moving novel about a young woman fighting to survive while others fail to protect her. Order Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley from Bookish Wonderland and experience a story of family, exploitation, courage, and hope.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIf you require any customization or have any questions, please inbox us via FB or Insta.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bookish Wonderland","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43738410549345,"sku":null,"price":244.0,"currency_code":"BDT","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":43738410582113,"sku":null,"price":318.0,"currency_code":"BDT","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/1788\/8609\/files\/Nightcrawling_by_Leila_Mottley.jpg?v=1789672277","url":"https:\/\/bookishwonderland.com\/products\/nightcrawling-by-leila-mottley-book","provider":"Bookish Wonderland","version":"1.0","type":"link"}