You People

(Paperback)

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Description

'An exceptional novel about the Britain we live in, even if we choose not to see it' Kamila Shamsie The Pizzeria Vesuvio looks like any other Italian restaurant in London - with a few small differences. The chefs who make the pizza fiorentinas are Sri Lankan, and half the kitchen staff are illegal immigrants. At the centre is Tuli, the restaurant's charismatic proprietor and resident Robin Hood, who promises to help anyone in need. Nineteen-year-old Nia, haunted by her troubled past, is running from her family. Shan, having fled the Sri Lankan civil war, is desperate to find his. But when Tuli's guidance leads them all into dangerous territory, and the extent of his mysterious operation unravels, each is faced with an impossible moral choice. In a world where the law is against you, how far would you be willing to lie for a chance to live

Reviews

Enthralling as a thriller, yet also a beautiful human drama, and a serious enquiry into the possibility of goodness -- Tessa Hadley
Beautiful and brilliant. The exquisite writing is vivid, poetic and perceptive; the characters alive and compelling. Everything I want from a novel. I loved it. * Stephen Merchant *
Lively, poetically written and above all compassionate * Sunday Times *
Timely and hopeful * Cosmopolitan *
This sinuous morality tale unfurls from the alternating perspectives... Slinking along like a thriller, it encompasses people smuggling, the labyrinthine inhumanity of Britain's immigration system, alcoholism and a class prejudice that cuts both ways. Kindness and its motives are a constant preoccupation * Economist *
Pulses with energy * Mail on Sunday *
A startlingly original, continuously astute, and deeply compassionate novel. You People alerts us, in these dark times, to the possibility of human nobility * Pankaj Mishra *
Lalwani's vivid, intensely empathic novel raises profound moral questions while maintaining the momentum and urgency of a thriller * The Lady *
Lalwani is a writer who understands people, and it shines through in her descriptions. This is a moving, authentic, humane novel which raises fundamental questions about what it means to be kind in an unkind world, and it will stay with me for a long time * Guardian *
Lalwani's novel tackles racism and xenophobia, but You People is essentially a compassionate human drama, full of perceptive insights * Independent, Books of the Month *
Folds serious social issues into an entertaining plot * Daily Mail *
Brilliant . . . A thriller reminiscent of Dirty Pretty Things. Really recommend it. * Nikesh Shukla *
Intelligent and heart-piercing - an exceptional novel about the Britain we live in, even if we choose not to see it
Lalwani's prose has a balletic lightness * Economist *
A female lead who isn't defined by a romantic story arc Yes please. Lalwani's serious, ravishing way of writing about the secret life of Britain is just what we need * Times *
You People is a short, complex novel that shines a light behind the smiles at your local restaurant, and asks tough questions about the nature of goodness in an unfair society * Sunday Telegraph BOOK OF THE WEEK *
A sensitive and thought-provoking examination of an issue that is never far from the news and, as the plot accelerates, it segues into a tense and nerve-wracking thriller * Western Mail *
Lalwani's novels are full of moments when the stories people tell about themselves and the world prove to be unreliable or open to manipulation.... observations are magical, fresh and unsettling * London Review of Books *
If you want a book to read this summer that taps into contemporary concerns, this excellent new one from Nikita Lalwani is the one to read * Spectator *
Lalwani explores kindness, altruism and the precariousness of interconnected lives in an economical tale that has the pace and suspense of a thriller * Daily Mail *
Lalwani eloquently explores the prejudices, financial pressures and loneliness faced by 'outsiders' trying to survive in a hostile environment * The Tablet *

Author Bio

Nikita Lalwani was born in Rajasthan and raised in Cardiff. She has written two novels previously, Gifted and The Village. Her first novel Gifted was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award and won the Desmond Elliott Prize. She was also nominated for the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award. She lives in London.