Brick Lane (Ali)

Author Bio
• Birth—October 20, 1967
• Where—Dhaka, Bangladesh
• Education—B.A., Oxford University, England
• Currently—lives in London, England


Monica Ali was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and grew up in England. She lives in London with her husband and two young children, and has been named by Granta as one of the twenty best young British novelists.

Before her first book was even released, Monica Ali was the talk of the town. On the basis of a few chapters, she was offered a generous two-book publishing deal. The exclusive Granta names the best young British authors once a decade, and they included Ali on their list after only reading her manuscript. The book that caused such a fuss? Brick Lane, Ali's debut novel.

Ali worked in publishing and design before having children. At home with her first toddler, she began writing short stories and submitting them to online critique groups, not so much for the critiques but for the pressure to write. When her second child arrived, writing became a retreat from the hectic day of motherhood, even if it was just an hour or two alone with her computer. She began writing Brick Lane after the death of her grandfather. Looking for some constructive criticism, she showed the first few chapters to a friend in publishing. Within a week, she was offered a publishing deal.

With all the buzz coming from the industry, readers and reviewers wondered if the book was worth it. In a word, it was.

Ali captures a birds-eye view of all the awkwardness and humor to be found in the overlap. Born in Bangladesh and raised in Bolton, England, Ali didn't intend to write her life's story in this novel—and she hasn't—but the theme of the in-between, peripheral life of the immigrant experience still resonates in the core of her novel.

Ali's rich characters and their search for balance make Brick Lane an inviting read. It is at times comic, then tragic, and this is one of those books that you'll take your time finishing, just so you can keep reading it.

Extras
From a 2006  Barnes & Nobel interview:

• I started writing short stories when my eldest child was about a year old. I'd go onto the Internet late at night and swap ‘crits' with other aspiring writers."

• I started writing Brick Lane when my children were two years and five months old. We were on holiday in the north of England when I was overtaken by a compulsion to start writing. My husband was kind enough to take the children outside while I drew the curtains against the sun and sat there in my pajamas with a pen and paper.