AustLit

"The central character, Shadia, traces three generations of her family's life, their weddings, christenings and funerals, their pain and joy at making a new life in a new land. From the improversihed villages in Lebanon and the dusty bustle of Senegal's capital, Dakar, Shadia's grandparents come to settle in sleepy suburban Melbourne. They bring with them their energy and the richness of their lives. As Shadia grows up she absorbs stories about eccentric home renovations, arranged marriages, a failed suicide and a bogus kidnapping." (Source: Publisher's blurb)