Shuggie Bain Summary
Douglas Stuart

Shuggie Bain Overview

Set in Glasgow in the 1980's, Shuggie Bain is a novel that depicts the struggles of Agnes Bain, a single mother of three, as she suffers from alcoholism while trying to raise her youngest son, Shuggie Bain. The novel is deeply intertwined with the place and time in which it is set. The Thatcherism of Glasgow provides a compelling backdrop for the novel, in which industry and jobs are in decline, and families suffer from unemployment and poverty. Shuggie Bain is a novel that explores the themes of motherhood, addiction, sexuality, violence, and independence.