Read May 2018. Non-fiction.
This is an unusual and touching memoir about Sathnam Sanghera growing up a Sikh in Wolverhampton, and his journey via Cambridge, to life as a journalist in London. There is however, an added dimension - Sathnam found out in his 20s that his father and eldest sister have schizophrenia, which caused him to go back over his childhood years and question some of the behaviours he thought of as "normal" when he was a boy, and to find out all he can about the history of his family....and to attempt to break free from his family's ideals.
This ends up being a touching and beautifully written tribute to his mother really, as he learns how she kept the family together under very difficult circumstances, alongside the story of the impact of mental illness and cultural differences.
The subject matter sounds heavy, but this is told with love and humour and is very readable.
Highly recommended.
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