Jubilee was our fifth book club title, so once again I wasn't holding out much hope for it. However I was pleasantly surprised...
The book centres around a photograph taken at a Silver Jubilee street party - the shot later becomes iconic as it features Satish, then a small Asian boy, so it used to highlight how multicultural Britain has become, and is later used on the cover of a punk album.
30 years later the photographer wants to recreate the moment with the original photo, and tries to sell it to those involved as a way to make money. Some are happy to be involved but others are not, including Satish. Satish is our many character - now a successful consultant and happily married - he does not want to remember the events of that day (which you are left guessing for most of the book).
Satish arrived in the UK from Uganda in the early 1970s and settled into a quiet village in the Home Counties, however by the time of the Silver Jubilee his family were still struggling to integrate themslves properly, and throughout the book hidden prejudices (which now seem a bit shocking) are revealed. The overall climax of the book (the secret event that Satish is struggling to forget) is shocking, but was not what I expected at all. Equally as shocking was the way this was dismissed as silly when it was reported to the adults back at the street party.
This book caused much discusion at our book club, mainly focusing on prejudice - Thankfully times have changed, although we all agreed that there is still much prejudice around, but mainly with class now, rather than colour.
The tension builds slowly and the pace is fairly sedate,and it is a really interesting and perceptive read. However there were a couple of things that annoyed me - Satish and his addiction to pills, and his relationship with a couple of people from the photograph - these are never really explored or explained in any depth in the book.
As a group we decided that we would recommend this book to others, but I'm not sure I'd be rushing out to buy another one of her books.
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