The English Harem

A young London working class girl becomes one of three wives of a middle aged Persian. Superb characterizations; funny; touching; a novel about goodness (in a totally unmawkish way) in the midst of lack of understanding and (for a few pages) of unbearable wickedness; full of unexpected developments until the very last page.

It's a story about a twenty-year old girl who works as a check-out for Sainsbury. She compensates for her dreary job, by spending her days daydreaming about celebrities. It is no surprise when this daydreaming gets her fired. She found herself without a job, but determined to change her life she fights her way into a waitressing job at the Taste of Persia, a vegetarian restaurant ran by a 50 year old self-exiled Iranian. It's a fascinating fantasy where modern London lifestyle meets that of the more old-fashioned and conservative style of Iran. It offers a gentle introduction to Muslim religion and tradition. I found it very entertaining and enjoyable.