Anita and Me

Set in the fictional Black Country village of Tollington during the 1970s, the novel follows nine-year-old Meena Kumar, the daughter of Punjabi immigrants, as she navigates the complexities of bicultural identity. The narrative functions as a bildungsroman, charting Meena's infatuation with the rebellious, white working-class Anita Rutter, which serves as a catalyst for her own maturation. Through a series of episodic events—including the arrival of her grandmother (Nanima), encounters with casual and systemic racism, and the eventual disintegration of her friendship with Anita—Meena moves from a desire for assimilation to an acceptance of her hybrid identity. The text culminates in the Kumars' departure from Tollington, symbolizing Meena's psychological growth and the shedding of her childhood illusions. The retrospective narrative voice allows for a dual perspective: the immediate sensory experience of the child and the reflective, ironic commentary of the adult author.