The Life Of A Banana

Longlisted for the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction

Xing Li is what some Chinese people call a banana - yellow on the outside and white on the inside. Although born and raised in London, she never feels like she fits in. When her mother dies, she moves with her older brother to live with venomous Grandma, strange Uncle Ho and Hollywood actress Auntie Mei. Her only friend is Jay - a mixed raced Jamaican boy with a passion for classical music.

Then Xing Li's life takes an even harsher turn: the school bullying escalates and her uncle requests she assist him in an unthinkable favour. Her happy childhood becomes a distant memory as her new life is infiltrated with the harsh reality of being an ethnic minority.

Consumed by secrets, violence and confusing family relations, Xing Li tries to find hope wherever she can. In order to find her own identity, she must first discover what it means to be both Chinese and British.

PP Wong has delivered a unique and realistic young adult drama that is bursting with original content style and emotion.

What Reviewers and Readers Say:

'PP Wong has blazed a trail for future British Chinese novelists ... bursting with original and exciting flavours,' The Independent

'A moving and optimistic debut about orphaned siblings coping with a new strict home and racial bullying,' The Guardian

'Life of a Banana is so refreshingly distinct. Read it, and you will soon find yourself wanting more,' Daily Mail

'Impeccably observed, often hilarious, and deeply moving... pitch-perfect,' David Henry Hwang