Brick Lane

By Monica Ali

This is the story of Nazneen. She comes to England at the age of 18, from a village in Bangladesh, to marry 40-year-old Chanu, a marriage her father has arranged after the death of her mother. Having always been the ‘good daughter’ she accepts her fate and travels to London. When she arrives, she can speak only two words of English: sorry and thank you. She soon falls into the role of dutiful wife and mother, accepting the miserably lonely existence fate has bestowed on her in a London council flat. Not only is she always an outsider but her Bangladeshi roots keep her in a subservient role in her marriage and family. Her husband does not allow her to have much contact with the other Bangladeshi immigrants living there, as he believes them to be uneducated, illiterate and uncultured. However, she does become friends with the other Bangladeshi woman on the estate. All of whom are struggling to bring up their children and assimilate into English society.

In Bangladesh, Nazneen’s sister, Hasina, has eloped with her lover, spurning her arranged marriage. This has caused her to be disowned, resulted in heartbreak and tragedy.

The story follows both Nazneen as she experiences her new culture, and her sister Hasina's life back in Bangladesh where she has fled her violent husband and found work in a garment factory. Her letters in very broken English to Nazneen are interspersed throughout the novel and we learn of her descent into prostitution in order to survive.

Nazneen, now a mother of two daughters, Bibi and Shahana, is forced to start sewing to make ends meet. This is how she meets the young and charismatic Karim, who almost every day drops off work for Nazneen’s sewing job. Nazneen finds herself caught between the comforts of her family and the excitement the world her young lover provides. As a Muslim activist Karim also encourages her participation in community politics. The book explores a little of the Muslim backlash following the 9-11 attacks and the ensuing race riots experienced in England.

I have nothing bad to say about this book, but think I would have enjoyed it more had I not already read White Teeth. I found the books to be very similar both in the story that they tell and the problems which are highlighted and talked about. Like White Teeth this novel is also about the yearning for a sense of belonging in a foreign land. It is not a uninteresting story, nor is it badly written, but somehow I kept comparing the two as I went along, and ended up liking White Teeth better.