A hauntingly atmospheric love story that offers so much more. The topical themes of asylum seekers and terrorism fears make bleak reading at times, but it is so beautifully written that you can’t help but be drawn in. The sadness is justified but there are enough unexpected twists to leave you with of hope for the future - and I'm left feeling so glad to have experienced this book.
View The Swimmer
A childless divorcee for over 50 years, living in 21st century Beirut, Aaliya assumes most of her world will find her 'unnecessary'. As she faces old age - her biggest challenge yet - will her dry wit, intelligence and love for literature, art and her indomitable city prove enough to make her feel that she isn't completely useless? A fascinating read.
View An Unnecessary Woman
Set in the 1950s, Cyprus is under British rule. Andonis, the village tailor and a Christian, falls in love with Funda, a Muslim. More than a love story, this is a highly topical tale of religious fundamentalism and, despite the conflict, an affectionate portrait of Cyprus - its people, food, wine and weather.
View The Cypriot
It’s hard to imagine what it must be like to be young and poor and growing up in a Mexico which regards young women as commodities to be traded. However, this book took me right there whether I wanted or imagined it or not. I was gripped from start to finish.
View Prayers for the Stolen
A young woman makes the hazardous journey as an illegal immigrant from Africa to northern Europe. The story of her journey is told by the people she encounters on the way. The language used is very basic and unsentimental which suits the harshness of her situation and also her character. The construction of this novel is very unusual. The story made me contemplate how I would act in similar circumstances.
View Hand Me Down World
This elegiac series of vignettes, written in an evocative jazzy prose style, deals with the impact of class and race on a black American family, leaving a raw emotional legacy across the generational lines. The narrative is told from alternating perspectives, with a poignancy and universality which will find resonance in the current climate of identity politics. The audio version is highly recommended for a fully immersive experience.
View Red at the Bone
There's no doubt about the feel of Greek culture and the setting in Cypriot life, but that’s not the main focus here. These dangers could be facing a group of young boys anywhere – as could the universal pains of coping with unpredictable adults. The ending comes as a something of a surprise too.
View Land of the Golden Apple
This is a harrowing story of a little African girl called Adimu who is born with albinism. Adimu is treated in the most appalling way and I was deeply saddened by the endless suffering she has to endure at the hands of her community. I found the strength of hatred towards this innocent girl challenging to read, while also compelled to carry on in the hope that good things would happen in the end.
View Then She Was Born
It's tough being an Afghan girl - one solution is to become a boy. Rahima becomes Rahim - a bacha posh, who is temporarily allowed to act as the son of the family with all the freedom that implies. Parallel to her story is that of her great-great-grandmother, a guard in the king's harem. The violence, abuse and misogyny are hard to take, and tragically, little seems to have changed in the last hundred years.
View The Pearl that Broke its Shell
The history of Kenya is documented in the story of one Kenyan family. Through colonialism, civil war, drought , famine, death and any other imaginable horror, to present day political corruption we follow the fortunes of the Oganda family. The language brings the landscape and the characters to overwhelming life. A truly extraordinary reading experience.
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