"There were difficulties in her life that he wanted to know more about, parts of her thick, shapely body that he longe…"

"Removed. The word made Obinze feel inanimate. A thing to be removed. A thing without breath and mind. A thing."

"Sometimes he would stop outside a tube station, often by a flower or a newspaper vender, and watch the people brushin…"

"wistfully, like an admiring foreigner”"

"averse to foreign young men”"

"a real gent”"

"weightless menace,” while the buildings “all [wear] a mournful face”"

"asylum seekers draining the National Health Service” and feels scrutinized and judged"

"They walked so quickly, as if they had an important destination, a purpose to their lives. His eyes would follow them…"

"I’ve never been to Africa. I’d love to go.’ She said ‘Africa’ wistfully, like an admiring foreigner, loading the word…"