Nicotine

Nell Zink

Don't be put off by the sad opening chapters. This a fun read. After the death of her father Penny tries to recover her father's childhood home which is now occupied by extremely eccentric but mostly likable squatters. Lots of sex, drugs and protests but also a serious look at family relationships and secrets. Unusual and very entertaining.

Extract

She is a short brown woman in athletic socks, carrying her purse in a plastic bag. To racists, a higher primate. To lefties a person of color. To absolutely no one, the would -be heiress to the property, here to throw him out. Of course that has advantages. She slumps and squints to heighten her strength. Maybe when she comes back dressed as herself, he won't know it's her?

Parallels