The Service
Frankie Miren

Lori works illegally in a rented flat in central London, living in fear of police raids which could mean losing her small daughter and her dream of a new life.

Freya is a student who finds she can make far more money as an escort than she could in an office; life, after all, is already a tangle of madness and dissociation.

And Paula is a journalist whose long-term campaign against prostitution has brought her some strange bedfellows.

After a shock change to the law, with brothels being raided by the authorities, lives across the country are fractured. As a threat from Lori’s past begins to catch up with her, the three women are increasingly, inevitably drawn into each other’s orbit

The Service is a powerful and challenging novel about women’s bodies, sex and relationships, mental health, entitlement, authenticity, privilege and power – as shocking as any dystopia, but touching and deeply humane.

About the Author

Frankie Miren: ‘As a sex worker I wanted to write a novel that shows the truth about prostitution’
– iNews

'The Service’ Captures the Messy and Mundane Realities of Sex Work in the UK
– VICE

The Lads Love The Service
– What Page Are You On? podcast

Praise for The Service

‘A story about the sex industry that is groundbreaking for its complexity, warmth and humour.’
– VICE

‘Deftly explores body anxieties, trauma, motherhood and the compromises women have to make in trying to match their feminism to their lives.’
– Evening Standard

‘A fascinating, richly-layered portrait of women’s lives today, Miren opens a window into the lives of sex-working women while effectively challenging readers’ assumptions. The novel, set in contemporary London, follows the overlapping lives of three women: two sex workers – one a student, one a single mother – and a journalist who campaigns for harsher prostitution laws. Gently satirical in places while still deeply empathetic towards all three central characters, The Service is reminiscent of nineteenth-century novels written by women seeking to challenge unfair restrictions on their lives. A thoughtful present for fans of Sally Rooney, Sheila Heti or Lauren Oyler.’
– Red Pepper Best Books of 2021

'Highlights the power of collectiveness, friendship, motherhood, and love. It is also a vital book — one that promotes the recognition that sex workers deserve.'
– Lunate Fiction

‘With The Service, Frankie Miren centers the sex industry, and women's place within and without, as a ground zero for the joys and struggles of life itself. With a coolly detached yet heartfelt style, the reality of the work and the workers is portrayed in all its boredom and wildness, it's potential for isolation and deep connectivity. Really, it's a story of working-class women and women's sexual autonomy, seen through the prism of varied experience – embodied characters rendered with gripping, deceptively simple prose. A triumph.’
– Michelle Tea

‘Novels are often described as ‘brave’ by reviewers, but it’s almost never literally true: in this case it is. Drawn from personal experience and a background in campaign journalism, The Service by Frankie Miren is a gritty portrayal of the realities of sex work. Set in a familiar backdrop of London streets, corner shops and messy family homes, The Service has palpable tension running through it. Miren’s main characters, Lori, Freya, and Paula, constantly grapple with conflicting priorities, with their fears and aspirations – not only for themselves, but those they care about. They struggle with this interconnectedness. Gestures, large and small, ripple outwards to the wider community; the book is among other things a celebration of gutsy grassroots activism and the power of female friendship. Frankie Miren is a storyteller of great integrity and scathing wit. She has crafted an absolute page-turner. A super smart debut with an urgent political message, ultimately one of resilience and hope.’
– Katie Ward, author of Girl Reading

‘A beautifully written and authentic exploration of the interior life of sex workers, with all its complexity and contradictions. A truly original novel that vibrates with honesty, compassion and a deliciously dark fury. Miren’s writing is equal parts tender, cynical, provocative and magical; a love letter to prostitutes everywhere.’
– Juno Mac, co-author of Revolting Prostitutes

‘The Service is sharp, nuanced, crushing, terrifying and hopeful. It’s hard to think of a novel that’s more genuinely groundbreaking. For Frankie Miren to offer it up feels like an act of enormous generosity.’
– Bethany Rutter

‘From the first page I was utterly compelled by and invested in this brilliant, intelligent, empathetic novel. I am lost in admiration for Miren's achievement here, which is not only to reveal various and divergent perspectives on sex work which will be new to many readers but to do so within the boundaries of tightly spun, artful fiction. A must read.’
– Megan Nolan, author of Acts of Desperation

Paperback ISBN: 9781910312872

Ebook ISBN: 9781910312889

Publication date: June 2021

Formats: Paperback / eBook