After spending ten years abroad as an international journalist, Tarquin Hall returned to his native London. He discovered that the only place he could afford to live was the East End, a place with a long and colorful history. It is known as the section of London that houses the poor, that is run by petty criminals, and in the past few decades has become to many new immigrants to the U.K, particularly from the Indian subcontinent.

Living in the East End gave Hall insight into the various pressures faced by the neighborhood and its residents. The most significant of these are racism, poverty, and disillusionment. Racism runs rampant, not just among white Londoners, but among immigrants who have arrived years earlier. Hall learns about the harrowing pasts of his asylum-seeking neighbors. They have lived through violence and warfare, and find themselves facing anger and disgust in London.

The book also discusses Hall's personal life. He is trying to convince his fiancee to move from Delhi to London, and Brick Lane is not making the project any easier. The culture shock of London strains their relationship. For those interested in London, this is an interesting and worthwhile read. ( )

Surely a good insight in London's real life of real people, but somehow did not work for me. ( )

Hall puts it clearly: "It's ben my experience living in a number of big cities that it is easy to miss what's right under your nose. . .you turn a corner and suddenly come across something new and unexpected." And this after living for a year in the east end of London as a struggling White Public School Londoner who returns from India. He sees the east end anew and with a clearer eye than most of the posh or the poor on England. Not only does he record what he sees but he provides a history of the area that gives the book much more depth than a first hand account. If you have lived in London or visited many times, this book provides a mature insight into an area few enter without trepidation. ( )