Jack Mckeever's Reviews > Let Me Tell You This

This debut collection by Nadine Aisha Jassat, published by the excellent Scottish independent 404 Ink,is a superbly direct portrayal of identity from a British person of colour. Pulling no punches right from the very beginning ('Life In The UK' is uncompromising and universal in its depiction of racial abuse), 'Let Me Tell You This' takes frustration and the search for settlement and entwines them with themes of womanhood, time, family and nationality for a startlingly universal read.

Much of it works as a much-needed educational endeavour; another reason why the collection's directness seems so necessary. Her beautiful approach to integration in 'The Old Codgers' and the demonstrable realisation of adulthood of 'Inbetween Tales' both reflect and react to her lived experience. Always coming from a deeply personal place, whether she's angrily sucker-punching the rib cage of rape culture, or using her relationship with her parents as a signifier of her association with Britishness, she can be distinctly creative and truthful in equal measure.

As a depiction of one person of colour's experience of living in the UK, 'Let Me Tell You This' is a deft, profound and hugely accessible starting point. It would make an almost perfect accompaniment to Nikesh Shukla's 'The Good Immigrant' on the GCSE syllabus.