"Forest Gate"

I think it is interesting that my review of "Forest Gate" follows my review of "Serpent Gate" but having "gate" in both titles is where the similarity ends. I picked up "Forest Gate," Peter Akinti's first novel, on the "best bets" shelf at my library. It really is a "modern" book and I wondered as the "Jolie-Pitts" were referenced what someone will make of this book 20 or 30 years down the road. Will they know who the "Jolie-Pitts" are?

Author Peter Akinti, of Nigerian ancestry, was raised in Forest Gate, London, so I have made the assumption that, as a black man himself, he knows the difficulties of growing up there. It is an area of London where poverty seems to be handed down from generation to generation and there is a hopelessness among black men -- especially those who want to find a way out.

The story itself centers around three main characters: Ashvin and his sister, Meina, who have come to London from their home in Somalia after their parents were murdered. Mr. Larry Bloom, a white friend of their father's, arranges their passage to England, their entry into the country, and provides support for them to live in a flat on their own in Forest Gate where they attend school.

James Morrison also hails from Forest Gate where all his older brothers are involved in crime and his mother is a crack addict. His father, who is dead, had a girlfriend with a daughter who is a half-sister to James. James wants a way out of Forest Gate and the family crime business.

After James and Ashvin become friends, they make a pact to kill themselves together. However, Ashvin dies while James is only injured. As he is recovering, Meina comes to visit him and a close relationship develops between them. What they discover about each other and the world together, is a true coming of age novel. They both have a lot of loss to face in their young lives and Mr. Bloom is there for both of them as Meina knew he would be.

The book also includes an original essay by the author and reading it helped me understand how he could have come to write a book with such rich detail about life in Forest Gate and what it is like to be a black male in London where racial disparity exists. In his essay, Akinti states: "The British idea of multiculturalism is in fact a dangerous myth. In London, different races may live on top of one another, but we remain separate and often alienated communities."

This book was not particularly a quick read for me but certainly thought-provoking. If you decide to read it, I suggest you start with Akinti's essay (on page 187 of my paperback copy). It's entitled "Forest Of A Thousand Demons" and I believe it is a good prelude to the novel he's written.

pazt

"True Colors"

This novel by Kristin Hannah is an indepth and insightful look at complicated family relationships -- between sisters, fathers and daughters, sons and fathers, sons and mothers, spouses, and lovers. It's about a miscarriage of justice and the incredible hardship and grief it brings to a family as well as rifts among family members on opposite sides of an issue. As is often the case with siblings, each sister finds her own unique way of dealing with her childhood loss and the coping skills she acquires translate to the type of life she builds for herself as an adult and the way she deals with future losses. The book, though, is also about healing relationships and accepting relationships that can't be healed or changed. It's about being there for one another when it really counts.

The author acknowledges "the various Innocence Projects around the country who fight for justice one case at a time." To learn more about Kristin Hannah and the other books she's written, go to www.kristinhannah.com.

"Disquiet"

This small paperback book by Julia Leigh was given 3 stars in a Good Reads book review and the author is praised by Toni Morrison for her "deft prose." I would agree with the 3 star assessment. "Disquiet" was a quick read but I found it a little depressing. It is a book about abusive relationships and is filled with loss -- loss of missed opportunities, loss of relationships, and loss of life.

Julie Leigh has also written "The Hunter" which I may or may not decide to read. The San Francisco Chronicle calls "The Hunter" "a memorable debut...."

pazt

Kate Atkinson