The only novel from the world-renowned writer C.L.R. James - this extraordinary big-hearted
exploration of class was the first novel by a black West Indian to be published in the UK 'A
novel written nearly a hundred years ago that brings the past alive with such charm vitality
and humour.' Bernardine Evaristo from the Introduction 'As he walked home he looked up at the
myriads of stars shining in the moonlight. Did people live there? And if they did what sort
of life did they live?' It is the 1920s in the Trinidadian capital and Haynes' world has been
upended. His mother has passed away and his carefully mapped-out future of gleaming
opportunity has disappeared with her. Unable to afford his former life he finds himself moving
into Minty Alley - a bustling barrack yard teeming with energy and a spectacular cast of
characters. In this sliver of West Indian working-class society outrageous love affairs and
passionate arguments are a daily fixture and Haynes begins to slip from curious observer to
the heart of the action. Minty Alley is a gloriously observed portrayal of class community and
the ways in which we are all inherently connected. An undisputed modern classic this is an
exceptional story told by one of the twentieth century's greatest Caribbean thinkers. Selected
by Booker Prize-winning author Bernardine Evaristo this series rediscovers and celebrates
pioneering books depicting black Britain that remap the nation.
