The Puma

‘Daniel Wiles connects us viscerally to the past we have buried the history we choose to ignore’ Hilary Mantel

If his wife hadn’t changed, then maybe Bernardo wouldn’t have left, with his son in tow, to try and tame the wilderness of his childhood.

If the land hadn’t changed, turning grey and collapsing in their hands each time they grasped for survival, then maybe Bernardo and the boy could have built a life here.

If the Puma hadn’t changed everything, then maybe Bernardo wouldn’t have to stalk the beast, searching for some measure of revenge, wishing he’d pulled the trigger when he had the chance.

The Puma is a novel that asks what a father would do to ensure his family’s survival – and what he might become when that is no longer an option.

Author Biography

Daniel Wiles is from Walsall in the West Midlands. He was the recipient of the Booker Prize Foundation Scholarship for the UEA Creative Writing MA, and was picked as one of the Observer’s best debut novelists for his first novel, Mercia’s Take, which went on to win the Betty Trask Award in 2023. It is currently being developed for film. The Puma is his second novel.