An international bestseller and shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2003.

It tells the tale of Nazneen, who at the age of 18 has an arranged marriage to a man twenty years her elder and exchanges life in a Bangladeshi village for a block of flats in London's East End.

The book took me a while to get in, I think, because although it is set in London, it was about Indian culture and as such, it wasn't an easy or relaxing read because of the language that was often used to convey the story.

However, I do believe it was worth persevering and it was interesting to see the character of Nazneen grow and read about the difficult decisions she found herself faced with, due to a way of life that was not her choosing, in an alien land, especially post 9/11.

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

Planning to leave in the reception area of County Hall.

I read this at the same time the film was showing on freeview. I enjoyed the book more than the film, although both were good. I left this book at Heathrow Airport on 17/03/09.