A review by jasratchford
Western Lane by Chetna Maroo

i totally didn’t expect to like this as much as i did, but i found it completely compelling. the writing feels so distant until breaking point moments during the squash matches - i felt the father figure was so well formed even as a sort of negative space in the narrative. i was so hooked, there were some absolutely stunning bits of prose. a beautiful exploration of family and grief, and how emotions simmer under the surface in this broken home, boiling over through the father’s involvement in the girls’ squash playing.