B-format paperback, 256 pages
English language
Published by And Other Stories.
Cabbages . . . The Turkish variety are prized for their enlarged leaf bud, that’s where we put the heroin . . .
There’s a stash of heroin waiting to be imported, and no one seems sure what to do with it . . . But Ayla’s a gardener, and she has a plan.
Offering a fresh and funny take on the machinery of the North London heroin trade, Keeping the House lifts the lid on a covert world thriving just beneath notice: not only in McDonald’s queues and men’s clubs, but in spotless living rooms and whispering kitchens. Spanning three generations, this is the story of the women who keep their family – and their family business – afloat, juggling everything from police surveillance to trickier questions of community, belonging and love.
So, in my opinion, the novel format kind of fails her. But, you know, I guess it's a matter of taste. Would suggest to read an excerpt first. Would appeal you more if you're a migrant or of migrant background and if you live in the UK.
In subtle, poetic small portions Tice Cin tells the story of Ayla and her oldest daughter Damla, but also of other people close to them on the Farm estate in Tottenham and Cypress. In short glimpses from the perspectives of several characters of different generations the reader navigates through a never ending stream of male violence and the pores, sometimes even spaces of freedom some of the women open up for themselves through wit, will and repression. Both a sobering and reassuring read.
