Plot

Meena, a 12-year-old living in a mining village in the English Midlands in 1972, is the daughter of Indian parents who have come to England to give her a better life. This idyllic existence is upset by the arrival in the village of Anita Rutter and her dysfunctional family. Anita is 14, blonde and beautiful, exactly what Meena thinks she wants to be. She becomes part of Anita's world, but events do not run smoothly. Meena is growing up, and that brings plenty of changes.—Phil Reynolds

Of East Indian origin, Kumar, his wife Daljeet, and young daughter Meena, move into Tollington, a small mining community in Britain. Daljeet subsequently gets pregnant and gives birth to a baby boy. This is the place where Meena grows up. Things change in Meena's life when the Rutters move into their neighborhood. Anita Rutter is around Meena's age. She is tall, blonde, and very attractive--all attributes that Meena longs for and envies. Meena wants desperately to be accepted by Anita and her circle of friends. She even invites Anita to her house for supper. Things change dramatically when the Kumars' family friend, Mr. Bhatra, is assaulted by a gang; Meena's maternal grandmother visits; and Meena discovers how Anita and her friends view Meena and her family.—rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)