Nazneen is seventeen when she leaves a village in Bangladesh for an arranged marriage to Chanu, a man more than twenty years older, in a London housing estate in Tower Hamlets. She speaks almost no English and spends years in the flat, raising daughters Shahana and Bibi, sewing piecework, and writing to her sister Hasina in Dhaka. Chanu's grand plans keep failing, and Nazneen begins an affair with a young activist, Karim, just as local politics sharpen after September 11.
The novel appeals to readers who like domestic fiction with a wide social backdrop: immigration, duty, desire, and a woman discovering that she can make decisions. It is humane and often funny about Chanu, and does not reduce him to a villain.
Inward-looking and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Mindful Reader. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2003
- Language
- EN
