At first glance, this seemed something of a bleak prospect - a story about a dysfunctional family with faulty genes. The distinct voices of each character combine to weave a rich tapestry, with motifs of heredity, destiny and loss. Scenes of racial abuse are brutally depicted but are alleviated with flashes of wry comedy. Though initially I struggled to get to grips with the narrative, it wasn't long before I was completely won over.
