The English Harem

A hilarious and provocative story of love, menus and IslamTo spice up the tedium of her work on a supermarket checkout, 20-year-old Tracy Pringle lets her imagination run riot. As she hands the change to Princess Leia or Omar Shariff, her life seems quite exotic. But far greater excitement is in store. Sacked for her compulsive daydreaming, she finds a new job as a waitress at the Taste of Persia - despite the reservations of the restaurant's proprietor, Samaan 'Sam' Sahar. This new world surpasses even Tracy's well-stocked imagination, and she soon finds herself falling headlong into dinner plates, Islam, and a rather tricky domestic arrangement. But as word of this English harem spreads, so too does prejudice and fear.'The English Harem dares to speak of English multiculturalism in the satirical tongue that most native writers keep mute' Observer'Anthony McCarten's sparkling new novel manages to deal with big issues - cultural differences, religion, marriage - in a funny and often moving way' Sunday Tribune, Dublin