One woman. One day. One decision. A blistering, fearless, and unforgettable literary debut
Come of age in the credit crunch. Be civil in a hostile environment. Go to college, get an education, start a career. Do all the right things. Buy an apartment. Buy art. Buy a sort of happiness. But above all, keep your head down. Keep quiet. And keep going.
The narrator of Assembly is a black British woman. She is preparing to attend a lavish garden party at her boyfriend’s family estate, set deep in the English countryside. At the same time, she is considering the carefully assembled pieces of herself. As the minutes tick down and the future beckons, she can’t escape the question: is it time to take it all apart?
Assembly is a story about the stories we live within – those of race and class, safety and freedom, winners and losers. And it is about one woman daring to take control of her own story, even at the cost of her life. With a steely, unfaltering gaze, Natasha Brown dismantles the mythology of whiteness, lining up the debris in a neat row and walking away.
Download and start listening now!
“The whisper-soft voice of narrator Pippa Bennett–Warner draws listeners into this story…Bennett–Warner captures the poetic cadence of the introspective text as the woman ponders colleagues’ reactions to her…Bennett–Warner wisely tones down her portrayals of secondary characters, keeping listeners’ attention fully on the main character's thoughts and lived experiences.”
—
AudioFile