This was. A gorgeous book. Before I get into that however, please tell me: when did books stop having a blurb on the back? Or anywhere? I only bought this book because I read 10 pages of it in the High Street Kensington Waterstones. The first half hour after I picked up the book was spent flicking through the last and first pages to make sure there wasn’t a blurb hidden in there. In reality the lack of blurb was probably what led me to buy the book — there can’t be a depressing backstory to put me off if I don’t know about it. It feels like I was so close to not seeing this book. It’s the author’s debut novel. There was no blurb. The book is bound quite simply — white with a clear black font on the spine. I’m so very happy I didn’t let it slip away. Plus, I later found out this book has been nominated for the Women’s Prize for Fiction (a list full I trust). 

So. The book itself. It’s a first person book — which despite the general opinions against it, I have been loving. Natasha writes from the perspective of a black woman (from a non upper-class background) who has worked her way up to a top corporate job. She also has a boyfriend. A boyfriend with rich parents. It has “Get Out” vibes in that way. But without the horror. Here’s a pretty quote from the bit of the book where the blurb should have been: “how can there be wholeness in a society that demands so often black women melt parts of themselves down so machinery can shape them anew”. It’s brilliant because it talks about the triple-bind under which black British women live. The whole book is so pretty because it is written slowly. Each word counts. The sentences are short. They all mean something. I’m sure she’s a poet. Natasha Brown that is. There are some poem-like passages. I’m sure some people would find them annoying or gimmicky. Knowing nothing about poetry or literature or gimmicks I like them. I’m going to talk more about this book with Ambre on my podcast thing. So I won’t reveal too much more. I did love the big margins, big font, and big spaces. That, is all.

Afterward: I got tickets to see Natasha speak at a fiction panel at the Southbank Centre Literature festival – and she was sick and couldn’t make it. I was sad, but Ali Smith was there and she was very interesting.