The Corner Shop: A BBC 2 Between the Covers Book Club Pick

Babita Sharma

ISBN 10: 1473673224 / ISBN 13: 9781473673229

Published by John Murray Press, 2019

About this Item

A personal story from the child of corner shop owners that explores how these tiny open-all-hours shops changed our country -- as heard on Saturday Live and a Radio 4 Book of the Week. Shortlisted for Business Book of the Year 2020: An Exceptional Book that Promotes Diversity.

Seller Inventory # CIN1473673224G

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Corner Shop: A BBC 2 Between the Covers Book Club Pick
• Publisher: John Murray Press
• Publication Date: 2019
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1473673224
• ISBN 13: 9781473673229
• Binding: Hardback
• Condition: Good

About this title

Synopsis

'Sharma's nuanced exploration of British Asian life behind the counter is human and engaging' Nikesh Shukla, Observer 'Full of life, characters, gossip and all the richness of the local community' Sir David Jason 'Cleverly links her own memories of shop-bound life with the last 50 years of British history' Spectator **AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK** 'I come from a hidden world: I am the daughter of shopkeepers. I've seen you on a Sunday morning, nipping out to get a pint of milk or to grab a newspaper. I came to know a lot about you; whether your politics leaned to the right or left, whether you were gay or straight, and whether you were plagued by cash-flow problems or had enough disposable income to indulge your penchant for Cadbury's Crème Eggs.' Babita Sharma was raised in a corner shop in Reading, and over the counter watched a changing world, from the clientele to the products to the politics of the day. Along with the skills to mop a floor perfectly and stack a shelf, she gained a unique insight into a shifting landscape - and an institution that, despite the creep of supermarkets, online shopping and delivery, has found a way to evolve and survive. The Corner Shop is the remarkable human story of these little institutions that have changed the course of our history. From the general stores of the first half of the 20th century (one of which was run by the father of a certain Margaret Thatcher), to the reimagined corner shops run by immigrants from India, East Africa and Eastern Europe from the 60s to the noughties, the corner shop has shaped the way we shop, the way we eat, and the way we understand ourselves. 'A triumph' Radio Times 'A compelling, full selection box of a story' Sanjeev Kohli 'A delightful story of growing up "above the shop"' Nigel Slater, Observer 'One of the best books I've read on the immigrant experience in this country' Daily Mail 'I loved it cover to cover' Angela Clutton, author of The Vinegar Cupboard