I loved this debut book, I thought it was wonderful to read. I was engrossed from start to finish. It is set in Hackney and the story is told over a year , each section a month of the year. We meet some of the residents of Victoria Park and follow their lives. Each story is a clip of someone’s life and somehow all the lives are connected. It was such a colourful book, you could sense the community spirit and feel the hustle and bustle of the park. The story starts with Wolfie and Mona who is suffering from dementia. It also ends with their story. It is funny and sad in parts. At the centre of the story is an acid attack in the park on a young lad. This has shocked the residents and there is such a sense of community spirit . There are also references to food , there seems to be a lot of gatherings and food seems to be the centrepiece. I loved all the characters good and bad . What a place to live !