The Other Hand

I went to Italy at the weekend. We ate watermelon and went to the circus - there were tigers and an elephant, it probably wasn't ethical but it was exciting all the same. Everything was so sunny and pretty and foreign there, it seemed amazing to me. And now I am back in my grey little country full of fatties and junkies and sheep. Depressing.



20. The Other Hand - Chris Cleave
The editor of this book has opted to forgo a blurb so as not to spoil the story for any potential readers, so I shall do the same. What I will say, is that this is a book that will make you look at ice cubes, pound coins and this country in a different way. It entwines horror with hope, beauty with brutality, and is - terribly - realistic, without being pessimistic. It shocking and funny and heartbreaking all at once, and is a book to be savoured, not gobbled. I am amazed at the ability of this man to narrate from the perspectives of two very different women so convincingly; his writing is exquisite, and hugely intelligent. This is a very important book.