It's an obvious statement to say 'the past leads to the present', but this story illustrates the impact of tragic events in recent history on the lives of people today. With two interwoven narratives set in 1970’s Uganda and present day London, Zayyan brings to life the country of Uganda, the tragedy of the rule of Idi Amin, and the casual racism that can still be seen today. A thought-provoking book which will stay with me.
WINNER of the Merky Books New Writers' Prize _________________ 'A remarkably accomplished, polished debut.' MALORIE BLACKMAN 'Rightfully tipped for greatness' SUNDAY TIMES 'This moving tale of love and loss ... is well worth the wait' INDEPENDENT '[W]hat's distinctive is the modern, multi-ethnic vision of masculinity she presents and the solidarity that emerges from it ... undeniably powerful too.' GUARDIAN '[A] sprawling and epic dual narrative ... woven together with gentle urgency; sensitive and with a rare perspective on how our mixed race backgrounds can help form feelings of both internal power and conflict.' I-D MAGAZINE
The novel is set in a dystopian future which, with the developments in AI, feels within touching distance which adds to horror of what unfolds. None of the characters are particularly likable but they ae all interesting and I was gripped by their unfolding stories in the interspersed chapters. It is a clever interwoven story with many narrative threads, twists and dark outcomes.
'Chilling, inventive, horribly plausible and brilliantly addictive.' - C. J. Tudor, author of The Gathering
Some families are virtually perfect . . .
The world's population is soaring, creating overcrowded cities and an economic crisis. And in the UK, breaking point has arrived. A growing number of people can no longer afford to start families let, alone raise them.
But for those desperate to experience parenthood, there is an alternative. For a monthly subscription fee, clients can create a virtual child from scratch who they can access via the metaverse and a VR headset. To launch this new initiative, the…
A witty story of a boy coming of age in a dysfunctional Australian family, made up of his absent mother, drunk father, and mute brother. Even in the darkest moments the book has a warmth and my heart was moved by both boys trying their best in a broken world. Loved this book (and the later film) and - like all the best books – I was disappointed to leave it behind when I reached the end. My only wish was that I understood more of the Australian cultural references which would no doubt have deepened my appreciation even more.
'The most extraordinary writer - a rare talent' Nikki Gemmell
An utterly wonderful novel of love, crime, magic, fate and coming of age from one of Australia's most exciting new writers.
Brisbane, 1983: A lost father, a mute brother, a mum in jail, a heroin dealer for a stepfather and a notorious criminal for a babysitter. It's not as if Eli's life isn't complicated enough already. He's just trying to follow his heart, learning what it takes to be a good man, but life just keeps throwing obstacles in the way - not least of which is Tytus Broz, legendary…
The police ruled it as misadventure. A young woman falling from a bridge onto Janice Thomason's car was not an act of suicide or murder, just an accident. But for Janice, it feels like fate has thrown them together.
As a genealogist, Janice is used to tracking down clues - is even a little obsessive some may say...
The police know so little about the victim that Janice decides to start her own investigation to find out more about the woman and the people she knew. But sometimes the only way to uncover the truth is to lie. And for Janice, living a lie comes all to easily.
