SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2002 ORANGE PRIZE FOR FICTION Alfred White, a London park-keeper, rules his home with a mixture of ferocity and tenderness that has estranged his three children. But family ties are strong, and when Alfred collapses on duty one day, they rush to be with him. His daughter's partner, Elroy, a black social-worker, is brought face to face with Alfred's younger son Dirk, who hates and fears all black people. The scene is set for violence, and Alfred's wife May is forced to choose between justice and kinship. This ground-breaking novel tackles the taboo subject of racial hatred, as it looks for the roots of violence within one British family.

'Outstanding ... tender, sexy and alarming.' Jim Crace'One of the year's finest novels.' Literary Review'Compulsively readable.' The Guardian'Astonishing ... beautifully written.' Big Issue'A transcendent work.' Daily Telegraph'Intensely touching.' Financial Times

Maggie Gee was chosen as one of Granta's original 'Best Young British Novelists'. She has published many novels to great acclaim, including My Cleaner and The Flood, which was longlisted for the 2004 Orange Prize. She is the first female Chair of the Royal Society of Literature, and lives in London.