Foreign Brides - Softcover

'Lappin's work is rich and pretty fearless' Time Out 'Elena Lappin is a natural storyteller . . . A fearlessly well-crafted mystery and a compelling novel' Helen Davies, Times Literary Supplement '[One of] the book's charms is its unusually sunny, affectionate and believable portrait of the early years of a marriage . . . Lappin's real gift seems to be zestful absurdist comedy. But her book still bravely attempts serious points. Guilt and innocence are more widely distributed than zealots like to imagine; racist fanatics are alive and well' Maggie Gee, Sunday Times 'An entertaining and satisfying read. Funny too, despite the subject matter, and with a gravity-free inventiveness' Stephen Blanchard, Time Out

`Every now and again a new writer comes along who confounds as much as pleases, whose vision is quirky yet accurate; who is witty but capable of profound observation. Lappin is the latest addition to this small club of original talents . . . "A new joke acts almost like an event of universal interest; it is passed from one person to another like the news of a latest victory," says Freud. Foreign Brides deserves a similar reception' Cressida Connolly, Observer `An immensely likeable first collection . . . Lappin uses a lithe and frolicsome language full of entertainment' Liz Jensen, Independent `A delight, and deserves the widest possible public' Edwina Currey, Literary Review `Engaging and elegant' Sunday Times `While Lappin's concerns are serious ones, her tone is crisp and light, almost nonchalant. If there is any comedy to be extracted from a difficult situation, she will be sure to find it.' Marina Benjamin, Evening Standard `Lappin explores the themes of exile and emigration with verve and great sympathy . . . she has the ability to convey a great deal, sometimes a lifetime, in a few pages . . . a generosity of spirit prevails' Carol Birch, Times Literary Supplement