THE YARD
by Aliyyah Eniath
(Speaking Tiger Books)
Published April 2016.
The Yard is a family saga straddling that sweet spot between literary and commercial fiction.
Behrooz is brought to The Yard, a familial housing complex in Trinidad and Tobago, where he struggles to belong. His adoptive father is kindhearted, but other family members are guarded about the new addition. They contend that Behrooz will betray his family by defiling his adoptive sister, Maya, a rebellious girl who was not romantically forbidden to him under Islamic Law.
Behrooz and Maya form a childish alliance and later, struggle with romantic attraction. After they share a night of adolescent tenderness, Maya, fearing retribution, flees to London where she pursues her artistic talent. Behrooz painstakingly rebuilds his life and marries another. When tragedy strikes, Maya returns to her childhood home. There, she and Behrooz must face up to old demons. Can their love endure? Even after Maya is dealt the most righteous blow of all?