Brick Lane

Monica Ali 2003

Devastation Rating

Ugly Crying
poverty literary fiction family loss

Our Take

Nazneen arrives in London from Bangladesh for an arranged marriage and the novel watches her slow, difficult becoming. Ali writes the interior life of a woman given no language for her own desires with patience and precision. The poverty is real, the dislocation is real, and the ending is hard-won.

Also available as an audiobook on Audible. Free 30-day trial — one free audiobook included.

Kindle Unlimited

Read over 1 million books free — 30-day trial →

£9.49/month after trial. Cancel anytime. Affiliate link.

This page contains affiliate links. If you buy a book through one of these links, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Full disclosure →