High and Low - Amanda Craig

'Part state-of-the-nation novel, part literary satire, part siege drama... addictive'Guardian'Ambitious and far-reaching' Spectator'Terrific'Philip Pullman_______________________In the worst day of the year, and on the twelfth day of Christmas, a group of people come under siege in Cross St, North London.A gang is hunting for a child who has been drawn into crime with tragic results; there is a riot outside the church where asylum seekers have been sleeping, and many cities have descended into fierce protests.Inside the Literary Cafe, a group of writers, bakers and shopkeepers are sheltering. Their petty feuds and past quarrels must be forgotten if they are to survive a gang armed with knives and a gun.Over a few hours, the divisions between high and low, old and new, haves and have-nots are thrown into violent contrast. Are they going to try to save themselves, or each other?_______________________PRAISE FOR HIGH AND LOW . . . 'Craig anatomises the state of the nation with wit and empathy'Jonathan Coe'The most mischievous take imaginable on the way we live now' Francis Spufford'Sharp and funny, clear-eyed and unsentimental' Clare Chambers'She's such a skillful storyteller who vividly dramatises our lives with wit, wisdom and compassion' Bernardine Evaristo'Mob violence and community spirit battle it out in this satirical state-of-the-nation novel from sharp-eyed, empathetic Craig' Mail on Sunday'Writing a state-of-the-nation novel that is also tense and funny is no mean feat, but that's what Amanda Craig seems to have accomplished in High and Low... Ambitious and far-reaching' Spectator'A snapshot of a society reeling from insecurity and division... The storytelling is deft throughout High and Low, and there are several cases of fine creative sympathy' New Statesman