An unforgettable portrait of London and one of the most talked about debuts of all time!
'The almost preposterous talent was clear from the first pages' Guardian
On New Years Day 1975, the day of his almost-suicide, life said yes to Archie Jones. Not OK or 'You-might-as-well-carry-on-since-you've-started'. A resounding affirmative.
Promptly seizing his second life by the horns, Archie meets and marries Clara Bowden, a Caribbean girl twenty-eight years his junior.
Thus begins a tale of friendship, of love and war, of three culture and three families over three generations . . .
*****
'Street-smart and learned, sassy and philosophical all at the same time' New York Times
'Outstanding' Sunday Telegraph
'An astonishingly assured début, funny and serious . . . I was delighted' Salman Rushdie
Funny, clever ... and a rollicking good read ― Independent
Do believe the hype, buy into it, curl up with it, savour every sentence, then turn around and re-read ― The Times
An impressive début, not only for its vitality and verve, but mainly for the sheer audacity of its scope and vision ... an epic tale ... swooping, funny ... it has ambition, wit and is unafraid -- Meera Syal ― Express
Announces the debut of a preternaturally gifted new writer ... street-smart and learned, sassy and philosophical all at the same time ― The New York Times
Relentlessly funny ... idiosyncratic, and deeply felt ― Guardian
