Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Western Lane

A quiet, reflective read! I’ve not read a book about squash before, but I thought the way the sport was described was incredibly impactful and helped me understand the weight of the game, it’s connection to our main character and her grief. Short and sweet, there was wonderfully complex character development. I think this will be a novel that continues to grow on me, a very solid story about grief and growth and family.

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kirstym25's review against another edition

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emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Western Lane was my first pick from the Booker Prize longlist. It’s a quiet, subtle, understated novel with strong themes of grief, sisterhood and family. Gopi, the youngest daughter in a British Gujarati family, was just 11 when her mother died. Responding to questioning of his ability to raise daughters, her father opts to keep her and her two older sisters busy playing squash for hours every day at the Western Lane sports centre. Gopi shows real promise and squash becomes a key part of her identity. Although not a squash player I found myself really interested in this aspect of the book, the pluses and minuses of a strong focus on a particular sport at a comparatively young age - things like injuries and pushing through them, the pressure not to disappoint a parent-coach who is so invested in your success, the sense of power and freedom Gopi sometimes found on the squash court. I also appreciated the way squash functioned as a metaphor, the parallels between what happened on the court and what Gopi needed to help her navigate her life and grief. Gopi is a character who really tugged on my heartstrings and made me want to give her a hug especially when dealing with her blossoming feelings for Ged or when she feared being alienated from her family. I also found myself drawn to Mona. As an eldest daughter I could relate to her stepping in to the role of replacement mother, doing her best to cook and clean, to keep the family functioning and together. The writing style was sparse yet beautiful, with the author trusting that her readers - like Gopi - are astute observers, by showing not telling the story to us, for instance letting us see Pa’s behaviours rather than directly telling us he was struggling due to grief. The writing style was also effective at depicting the essence of the family who were all struggling with their grief, but mostly silently, rarely sharing their feelings or supporting each other verbally. While this book didn’t wow me I did find plenty to appreciate and enjoy.

Content Warnings