The Night of the Party by Tracey Mathias

If you’re not born in Britain, you’re not allowed to stay. The England Ash and Zara live in does not welcome immigrants, but Zara is not BB (Britain Born). At first, she manages to fly below the radar, but then, the world turns hostile.

This is a love story, and it’s also a nail-biting thriller, made even more terrifying by the anti-immigration views we hear a lot about from governments. Zara is expected to leave Britain, despite it being where her life is, and where her ties are.

This book makes politics personal: it reinforces the importance of making sure we vote, and stay politically engaged, so we have a hope of living in the type of world we want to live in. Scarily, the BB policy just doesn’t seem that unrealistic. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. 

“When this [polling card] arrived he was looking forward to voting as a vaguely interesting first-time experience; a mark of adulthood. It was unimaginable, then, how much it would actually matter.”

This is a book for exploring #politics #immigration 

Video review here