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Content snapshot
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Violence
Some
Some violence; WWII backstory; a shooting at the novel's end
Language
A lot
Strong language throughout; Smith's multiregister London voice
Sexual Content
Some
Adult relationships; some sexual content
Substance Use
Barely any
Social drinking; some substance use
Emotional Intensity
Some
The comedy of cultural collision and misunderstanding; no disturbing content beyond the normal human mess
What this book is about
Archie Jones and Samad Iqbal, who met during WWII, are best friends in North London. Their families—Archie's mixed-race wife Clara, their daughter Irie; Samad's wife Alsana, their twin boys—weave through the decades of a changing London, variously assimilating, resisting, loving, and misunderstanding each other and themselves. Smith's debut is exuberantly comic and seriously engaged with the question of what England is becoming—one of the finest first novels of its generation.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
A shooting at the climax
Strong language throughout
Adult themes handled with comedy
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