Elsewhere, Home

Intimate stories of longing and exile by one of our finest contemporary writers.A lonely housewife fascinated with a famous writer learns to find her own voice in Abu Dhabi; a bus route passing the Christmas lights along Oxford Street is a stark reminder for a female passenger of her brother’s tragic death on the eve of his wedding; and a Scottish man working in a kebab shop and his girlfriend try desperately to reconcile Islam’s place in their fragile relationship.From the heat of Khartoum at the height of summer to the wintery streets of London, from the concrete high rises in the Gulf to the blustery coast in Aberdeen, this elegant and moving collection vividly evokes the overlapping worlds of Africa, Britain and the Middle East. Beautifully observed and written with empathy, Leila Aboulela’s stories deftly capture the search for home in our fast-changing world.

Reviews of Elsewhere, Home

`Elsewhere, Home is a rich and poignant reflection of a Britain built – as ever – from multiple perspectives and starting points. Fragile, curious, human voices blend, lose themselves, redefine themselves. The emigrant and immigrant experiences have always been part of our storytelling; these beautifully focused tales of Khartoum, Edinburgh, London, Cairo and beyond are a delight.' A.L. Kennedy`Exquisite fiction. There are gems here, elegantly cut, polished and framed. Luminous.' Fadia Faqir`Full of elegance, tenderness and the small vulnerabilities that make up our lives' Roma Tearne`This is the modern female voice … fresh, diverse, challenging and uninhibited' Rachel Cusk`Aboulela is the kind of writer from whom British people need to hear' Telegraph