After an arranged marriage to Chanu, a man twenty years older, Nazneen is taken to London, leaving her home and heart in the Bangladeshi village where she was born. Her new world is full of mysteries. How can she cross the road without being hit by a car (an operation akin to dodging raindrops in the monsoon)? What is the secret of her bullying neighbour Mrs Islam? What is a Hell's Angel? And how must she comfort the naive and disillusioned Chanu?
As a good Muslim girl, Nazneen struggles to not question why things happen. She submits, as she must, to Fate and devotes herself to her husband and daughters. Yet to her amazement, she begins an affair with a handsome young radical, and her erotic awakening throws her old certainties into chaos.
Monica Ali's splendid novel is about journeys both external and internal, where the marvelous and the terrifying spiral together.

Took the book to the convention, it's on the book buffet! Enjoy it, next reader!

This book is travelling to Switzerland with me. Thank you for releasing it!

Halfway through this book, and I’m still in Helsinki. Very interesting, a lot to think about …

Update: finished the book… wow! I’m glad it ended the way it did!:)

At the meetup


If you aren't familiar with Bookcrossing, take a few minutes to check out this very cool site. Bookcrossers LOVE books, and more than anything, they love to read books and then set them free for other people to find and enjoy. I would love it if you would leave a journal entry -- you can say where you found the book or how you liked it when you read it.

Picked up at the London Meet Up. This may go in a book box.

Putting in the Already Crossed Bookbox

Join UK Bookcrossers at the BCUK Durham Unconvention from 20-22 September 2024

Taken from the Already Crossed book box, I tried to read this many years ago and would like to try again.