White Family, The (Shortlisted For Orange Prize Of Fiction)

Description:
The Whites are an ordinary British family: love, hatred, sex and death hold them together, and tear them apart. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, Alfred White, a London park keeper, still rules his home with fierce conviction and inarticulate tenderness. May, his clever, passive wife, loves Alfred but conspires against him. Their three children are no longer close; the successful elder son, Darren, has escaped to the USA. When Alfred collapses on duty, his beautiful, childless daughter Shirley, who lives with Leroy, 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. In the end Alfred and May are forced to make a climactic decision: does justice matter more than kinship? This ambitious, groundbreaking novel takes on the taboo subject of racial hatred as it looks for the roots of violence within the family and within British society.

Review:
'There is much to admire in this novel, for it reminds us that racism not only devastates the lives of its victims, but also those of its perpetrators. Gee handles moments of anger gracefully, moving skilfully between compassion and disgust.' Heather Clark, TLS 'An unashamedly contemporary novel - a millenium novel - complex, many-layered and as readable and quickly satisfying as a television soap.' Melissa Benn, The Independent 'Tackles an unspeakable subject with quiet courage . . . illuminating and fiercely damning of racism and prejudice in all their forms.' Tina Jackson, The Big issue 'In her outstanding new novel, Maggie Gee has audited the multi-ethnic, murderous matter of everyday suburban life and rendered it tender, sexy and alarming.' Jim Crace 'Maggie Gee bravely explores the nuances of racism from the perspective of the perpetrators. The resulting work is a brilliant depiction of British society.' Bernardine Evaristo

Prizes:
Shortlisted for Orange Prize for Fiction 2002.