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An unforgettable debut novel about two young people searching for better lives, and the blossoming forbidden romance between them that threatens their families and futures—a breathtaking story perfect for fans of Colm Tóibín and Monica Ali.
Mira's days are filled with duty and light on freedom. In a new country, living with a husband she barely knows—and who she fears she'll never love—Mira is desperate to discover all that her new life in England might offer.
And then there's Tahliil. The quiet, beautiful man she sees at work each day. With a depth in his eyes and a face full of questions. He's the first person in this new world who listens to Mira's hopes for who she yearns to become.
But beyond their lunchtime encounters, the pair couldn't lead more different lives: the duties that bind them, the homes they are trying to build threaten to subsume them. As Mira and Tahliil navigate the deep and turbulent waters of their new worlds, can they find a way to be together, and will finding each other set them free?
"An elegant and evocative portrayal of love, loss, and the search for home that will resonate with readers." —Library Journal (starred review)
"The story is poignantly told with alternating narrators, letting readers bond with both characters. This worthy novel is timely." —Booklist
"This poignant and perceptive coming-of-age story, about two strangers who become star-crossed lovers, is a powerful portrait of the lived realities of immigrants in Britain, and of love as home, hope and destiny...Belgrave Road shows us that, sometimes, the promise of a future is all it takes to fight the ghosts of one's past." —The Guardian
"Searing... A truly stunning read that will be a favorite among all fellow yearners." —Cosmopolitan
"[A] tender and big-hearted love story." —Good Housekeeping
"Tenacious and tender, Manish Chauhan's delicate prose folds us into Mira and Tahliil's moving love story, and turns a powerful lens on the realities of the lives of new immigrants in Britain—whether they cross borders for marriage or refuge, for broken promises or sheer survival. Visa status, wages, asylum, religions, and languages weave into this modern tale of love blossoming in unlikely circumstances, and I dreamed along with these characters who dared believe in their power to hold on to each other against the currents of society." —Aube Rey Lescure, Women's Prize shortlisted author of River East, River West
"Belgrave Road is a stunning portrait of two characters fighting for love in the most unexpected of circumstances. Through characters Mira and Tahliil, readers are immersed in the lives of an Indian immigrant and Somali undocumented refugee struggling to navigate a new world. In deft, lucid prose, Manish Chauhan asks us to consider the meaning of home, the might of love, and the injustices created by the borders of our contemporary world. Powerful and meditative, this is a debut novel that will stay with me for years to come." —Crystal Hana Kim, National Book Foundation "5 Under 35" honoree author of The Stone Home and If You Leave Me
This information about Belgrave Road was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Originally from Leicester, Manish Chauhan works as a finance lawyer and currently lives in East London. His short story, "Pieces," was shortlisted for the 2024 BBC National Short Story Award. His work has been shortlisted for the Galley Beggar Short Story Prize and the Exeter Short Story Competition. Early excerpts of Belgrave Road were longlisted for the Curtis Brown First Novel Award and shortlisted for the Daniel Goldsmith First Novel Prize. Belgrave Road is his debut novel.
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