As a fan of Manzoor from his journalism and Late Review appearances, this had been on my radar for a while (it's not a new book, so quite a while). But it took bring prompted by the release of a fictionalised film of it to finally get my arse in gear (= press the right buttons on the Amazon website).
Presented as chapters with either a chronological or thematic narrative, it's primarily about Manzoor's early life in Luton, and his migrant family's struggles to adjust both to the endemic racism they encounter and to the intergenerational strains between parents raised in one culture and their children in another. Anyone paying attention to UK culture over the last 30+ years will be somewhat familiar with both, but with a book, Manzoor is able to explain and explore it much more deeply.
On which point, the film does make for a rather superficial take on Manzoor's family life, almost stereotypical in terms of migrant family bingo: tyrannical father, tick, subservient mother, tick, repressed sister, tick, etc. The book is far more nuanced, with Manzoor's father, in particular, afforded a much richer treatment. While he does initially appear as that "old country" tyrant, Manzoor's telling of his life, his striving for a better one for his family, and ultimately his achieving of some peace presents a more complete and sympathetic portrait.
In being richer, the book's less heavy on Bruce Springsteen than the film. He's important, but not a dominating gimmick. It's definitely a better balance.
Finally, as Manzoor and I are almost the same age, the book also serves up some enjoyable nostalgia of the 70s and 80s. And while I haven't experienced even a fraction of the strife and struggle that he has, his feelings of being far away from the centre of things were very familiar.
Definitely recommended.
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