Author:Lucy Cavendish
Samantha Smythe has a busy summer ahead of her with her three active young sons. Her au pair is more interested in the contents of the fridge than in the children, her husband is off drinking champagne for breakfast in London, and the famous footballer who has moved into the village seems to think Samantha is the answer to his problems.
Then, out of the blue, Samantha's childhood friend Naomi turns up on the doorstep with her daughter in tow. It's been years since Samantha and Naomi have seen each other and it's not long before they fall back into their old ways. Samantha would do anything for Naomi but when she's left to look after her little girl as well has her own chaotic family, she has to ask herself what she is prepared to do to save a friendship.
Everyone has a long lost friend but what happens when the past comes back and turns your life upside down? Can things ever go back to the way they were?
brilliant
—— Hot StarsThis anthology is the next best thing to a comedy cabaret
—— The Observervery funny stuff
—— CloserChikwava has created an utterly compelling anti-hero... Mesmerising
—— GuardianA writer to watch. Brian Chikwava's language is lively and witty and it turns the London you know upside down
—— Maggie GeePage by page, line by line, Brian has created a perfectly original and true narrative voice. ..Full of surprises, delicious little tics, and real fire-in-the-belly creativity ..but importantly, the voice comes off as effortless, and therefore true....it's a major accomplishment
—— Tod Wodicka author of All Shall Be Well...Chikwava's sharp irreverent levity...Harare North's wit and suggestiveness'
—— Mary Fitzgerald , New Statesmana shocking indictment of the way we treat those who come here seeking a better life
—— Steve Bloomfield , Independent on SundayChikwava looks to have few problems hooking the reader
—— Trevor Lewis , Sunday TimesChikwava gives his anti-hero an unforgettable voice; a fine balance between tragedy and comedy
—— Kate Saunders , The TimesChikwava's unreliable narrator is animated with an unforgettable voice in this poetic and tragicomic tale
—— The TimesHilarious and terrifying
—— Sarah Fakray , Dazed and ConfusedIt's a wry delight
—— EsquireThis fantastically energetic debut offers a dark, funny vision of the underbelly of London populated by illegal immigrants...Harare North's politics are subversive and cynical and Brian Chikwava's sharp style draws attention to the meanings not just behind the euphemisms that cloak human tragedy under Mugabe's regime but the hypocrisies found in England's capital
—— Tina Jackson , MetroChikwava has a distinctive style, a complex mix of grit and humour with a voice that is persuasive enough to unsettle the reader and force them to uncomfortably inhabit 'the other' and (somewhat guiltily) reassess certain assumptions
—— Time OutThe narrator is an astute observer of London immigrant life. Chickwava can be funny as well, finding humour in the worst situations
—— Emily Firetog , Irish TimesThe comedy ranges from wry to very earthy, while the strikingly poetic use of African-derived imagery gives the novel much more than just a 'generic immigrant' feel... Harare North was a joy to read and comes highly recommenced for all in search of original voices in modern fiction
—— www.thebookbag.comWitty and effortlessly fluid. His books are laugh-out-loud funny
—— Arabella WeirThe funniest writer ever to put words to paper
—— Hugh LaurieThe greatest comic writer ever
—— Douglas AdamsP.G. Wodehouse wrote the best English comic novels of the century
—— Sebastian FaulksSublime comic genius
—— Ben EltonWodehouse's idyllic world can never stale. He will continue to release future generations from captivity that may be more irksome than our own. He has made a world for us to live in and delight in
—— Evelyn WaughHe exhausts superlatives
—— Stephen FryThe handsome bindings are only the cherry on top of what is already a cake without compare
—— Evening Standard