Publisher's Synopsis
Nine Lives follows a gay Zimbabwean's quest for asylum in the UK, and the extraordinary tale he has to tell. After fleeing from persecution, Ishmael finds himself alone in a flat in Armley, Leeds. He's waiting for a Home Office letter that he hopes will save him free of his past and allow him to start a new life. He fears being sent back and he struggles calling this new place home.
In The Darkest Part of the Night, Shirley decides that her brother, Dwight, must go to a home after their mother dies. She doesn't expect him to stage a protest in the middle of the church on the day of the funeral. Dwight wants to be heard. Shirley feels burdened and responsible for her disabled brother. And Donnelley, Shirley's husband, feels ignored and overshadowed. Though not the ideal moment, it's time for the family to talk properly.
