The protagonist of this novel is a 15-year-old North London schoolboy called Gabriel. He is forced to come to terms with a new life, and use his gift for painting in order to make sense of his world, once the equilibrium of the family has been shattered by his father's departure.

The protagonist of this novel is a 15-year-old North London schoolboy called Gabriel. He is forced to come to terms with a new life, and use his gift for painting in order to make sense of his world, once the equilibrium of the family has been shattered b

Gabriel is a white teenager living in North London, son of a has-been musician and an ex-hippie chick, and protege of Hannah, a hairy East European au pair. He has plans to make a film with his friend Zak, but problems at home propel him into a darker kind of life, as a minion for drug dealers. His father, Rex, has been pushed out of the family home, and winds up living in a ramshackle hostel on the brink of destitution, but things seem set to change when Rex is conctacted by Lester Jones, a 1970s rock star who used to employ him. Lester has shored up his fame and now wants to write his autobiography with help from former friends. Lester encourages Gabriel to develop his newfound 'gift' in art, and helps him glimpse a way forward out of the debris that surrounds him. 'What does an imagination do but see what isn't there?' he asks Gabriel. 'Talent might be a gift but it still has to be cultivated. the imagination is like a fire or furnace; it has to be stoked, fed, attended to. One thing sets another ablaze. Keeep it going.' This novel takes a while to get going; the action feels splintered and directionless at first, and in places the writing seems clumsy compared to Kureishi's previous work. Gradually, as the plot picks up pace, things improve and descriptive gems begin to emerge. In the end, it's worth persevering with. (Kirkus UK)