Brick Lane

Jacky Price, Principal Lecturer

Reason you chose this book

This book gave me a unique insight into what it can be like to be a non-English speaking parent with a seriously sick child.

Review

I read this book after completing my RSCN course. The book tells the story of a young Bangladeshi woman who comes to London to marry a much older Bangladeshi man. They have a son but tragically he dies before he is one. The story of her life in the Bangladeshi community in London offers an amazing window into the lives of many people in our ethnic communities, but the story of their son dying in hospital is heartrending. Her lack of understanding about what is happening due to language barriers and the reasonable expectation that the father is translating for her. It is beautifully written enabling the reader to reflect and think about how it might inform their future practice. This book opened up a world of understanding for me that has informed my practice and my teaching since.