The White Family

Maggie Gee, Bernardine Evaristo

From Shelf: The 2002 Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist

Twentieth anniversary edition of this timeless, groundbreaking novel about race and racism in modern Britain, with new introduction by Booker-prize-winning author and cultural commentator Bernadine Evaristo; and a note from the author reflecting on changes in the conversation regarding race and literature over the past two decades.

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.