Brick Lane by Monica Ali is about the life of a Muslim woman from childhood through marriage and then independence. This book is most known for the film of the same name and as part of Oprah's book club. It is set in London's Brick Lane, which is near Whitechapel in the east of London, for those of you looking on a map. It doesn't look at the glamorous city of London that one sees on TV but shows life as an immigrant in the city and how separated, lonely and different it is from native Londoners. This story explores life for Muslim women from a more traditional way (she leaves Bangladesh and her sister for an loveless arranged marriage in London) of life and how she comes to understand herself as a girl, sister, woman, mother and eventually person that has and is entitled to have their own dreams and desires. For me it removed the veil that often obscures Muslim women from the world and I identified with the woman beneath. Although the book goes deeply into the character, which slows the pace for the reader, one should continue to the end, as there is a real treat for those that do. I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.