To Fill a Yellow House
A Novel
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3.6 • 5 Ratings
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
Lyrical, witty, moving and timely, To Fill a Yellow House is a story of community, friendship and the power of creativity and connection.
When Kwasi’s family moves abruptly from one side of London to the other, Kwasi is both excited by the change—the new house is so big—and unsettled by his new school and the pressures placed upon him by his parents and many aunties. One place Kwasi finds refuge and inspiration is the Chest of Small Wonders, an eclectic and run-down charity shop on the high street.
Rupert has run the Chest for decades, but since his wife’s death several years before, he has struggled to keep their dreams for the shop alive. These days, fewer people shop second-hand, the Chest has become a depository for unwanted possessions, and Rupert is indulging more and more in herbal and perhaps-not-so-legal teas.
As Kwasi spends time in the Chest, an unexpected friendship develops between man and boy, a relationship that gives each a new sense of belonging. But the community and high street are changing, and when local politics threaten to engulf the Chest, both Kwasi and Rupert must decide who their allies are and where their futures lie.
To Fill a Yellow House is as vibrant and surprising as the city it is set in and marks the arrival of a bright and bold new talent.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Anie's poignant debut revolves around two London outcasts who find solace in each other during the 2014 recession. No sooner has Kwasi, 14, moved into a new house with his mother than the house starts filling with aunties. He misses his father, who's in Ghana building a house for the family, and struggles to fit in at school. He needs space and a place to belong, and unexpectedly finds both one Halloween night at a charity shop called Chest of Small Wonders, which he darts into while fleeing from bullies. Enter Rupert, the shopkeeper, who has been isolated ever since the death of his wife (community members suspect his illicit and potent tea was responsible). Kwasi and Rupert's friendship develops as the shopkeeper nurtures the boy's passion for drawing, and Kwasi helps bring the shop back to its former glory. Though the author gets off to a slow start and fails to set up much of the third act's drama (drugs, weapons, a fire), she confidently handles the theme of building a surrogate home ("Home is in these moments of connection too, of seeing people who get it, who are moving towards this same space that calls him too"). Despite the flaws, it's hard not to be moved.
