Fruit (novel)

Fruit: A Novel About a Boy and His Nipples is a 2004 Canadian novel by Brian Francis. Published by ECW Press the novel was a critical and commercial success. A 2005 edition was published in the U.S. under the title The Secret Fruit of Peter Paddington. In 2009 it was featured on Canada Reads where the book was championed by Jen Sookfong Lee and was runner-up to the eventual winner.

Summary
Peter Paddington is a 13-year-old boy living in Sarnia, Ontario. Ever since gaining a substantial amount of weight Peter has struggled to make friends and has begun to be bullied.

After his most recent weight gain Peter realizes his nipples looks like cherries and begins to imagine they talk to him, chastizing him for his weight and his fantasies about an older male neighbour. As Peter struggles to achieve normalcy in the eyes of his peers his begins to bind his nipples in order to make sure they do not reveal his secrets.

Reception
Fruit was widely acclaimed.