Minty Alley by C.L.R. James Paperback Book 9780241482667

The only novel from the worldrenowned writer CLR James this extraordinary bighearted exploration of class was the first novel by a black West Indian to be published in the UKA novel written nearly a hundred years ago that brings the past alive with such charm vitality and humour Bernardine Evaristo from the IntroductionAs he walked home he looked up at the myriads of stars shining in the moonlight Did people live there And if they did what sort of life did they liveIt is the 1920s in the Trinidadian capital and Haynes world has been upended His mother has passed away and his carefully mappedout future of gleaming opportunity has disappeared with herUnable to afford his former life he finds himself moving into Minty Alley a bustling barrack yard teeming with energy and a spectacular cast of characters In this sliver of West Indian workingclass society outrageous love affairs and passionate arguments are a daily fixture and Haynes begins to slip from curious observer to the heart of the actionMinty Alley is a gloriously observed portrayal of class community and the ways in which we are all inherently connected An undisputed modern classic this is an exceptional story told by one of the twentieth centurys greatest Caribbean thinkersSelected by Booker Prizewinning author Bernardine Evaristo this series rediscovers and celebrates pioneering books depicting black Britain that remap the nation