The World Unseen by Shamim Sarif

Winner of the Pendleton May First Novel Award and a Betty Trask Award, The World Unseen is a captivating human drama and love story. In 1950's South Africa, apartheid is just beginning. Free-spirited Amina has broken all the rules of her own conventional Indian community, and the new apartheid-led government, by running a café with Jacob her 'coloured' business partner. When she meets Miriam, a young traditional wife and mother, their unexpected attraction pushes Miriam to question the rules that bind her. When Amina helps Miriam's sister-in-law to hide from the police, a chain of events is set in motion that changes both women forever. From overcoming oppression to finding personal freedom, from the hardships of a loveless marriage to the hesitant joy of an unexpected love affair, The World Unseen transports us to a vibrant, colourful world that is universal in its themes.