THE PLOT: 10 Minutes 38 Seconds by Elif Shafak is a novel which starts with the death of a prostitute. Leila is sitting in an industrial trashcan in Istanbul. Her life has ended but her mind is still at work. … Continue reading Review: 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World
THE PLOT: A Room Called Earth by Madeleine Ryan is about a young woman on the autism spectrum. Set in Melbourne, Australia, the whole novel takes places in one night as the (unnamed) main character goes to a party. From ritualistic … Continue reading Review: A Room Called Earth
THE PLOT: The Scents of Marie-Claire by Habib Selmi is a love story between a Tunisian man and a French woman set in Paris. A short novel, it was translated from Arabic by Fadwa Al Qasem and shortlisted for the … Continue reading Review: The Scents of Marie-Claire
THE PLOT: We Are Displaced by Malala Yousafzai is a collection of real stories from refugee girls around the world. From Yemen, Myanmar, Syria, Iraq, Colombia and more, this book gives an insight into the global conflicts tearing communities apart. … Continue reading Review: We Are Displaced
THE PLOT: Set in Nigeria in the 1990’s, An Ordinary Wonder by Buki Papillon is about an intersex twin who is forced to live life as a boy, despite knowing he is meant to be a girl. Since Otolorin’s birth, … Continue reading Review: An Ordinary Wonder
THE PLOT: Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson is about a family reacting to teenage pregnancy. On the day of sixteen-year-old Melody’s coming of age party, her parents and grandparents reflect on their family history. In particular, Iris – … Continue reading Review: Red At The Bone
THE PLOT: We Are All Birds of Uganda by Hafsa Zayyan is about an East-African Asian living in London. Sameer is a lawyer who wants to advance his corporate career instead of joining in the family business. Of Indian descent, … Continue reading Review: We Are All Birds of Uganda
THE PLOT: How to Love a Jamaican by Alexia Arthurs is a short story collection about Jamaican immigrants and their families back home. The stories typically focus on one person who relates their love for another. From marriage to friendships, … Continue reading Review: How to Love a Jamaican
THE PLOT: Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell is about the family of William Shakespeare. Set in 1596, it tells the fictionalized story of his wife Agnes and the death of their son, Hamnet. Moving backwards and forwards in time, it alternates … Continue reading Review: Hamnet
THE PLOT: The Places I’ve Cried in Public by Holly Bourne is about a teenage girl who is recovering from a break up. Amelie has just moved from Sheffield to Surrey because her father has been made redundant. An aspiring … Continue reading Review: The Places I’ve Cried in Public
