The Other Hand - Chris Cleave

I have just finished The Other Hand By Chris Cleave after starting it less than 24 hours ago - an indication of just how much it grabbed me.The blurb on the backcover of this book, the place where we would normally go to be told what to expect, doesn't really give a lot - if anything away. We are told it is a "truly special story and we don't want to spoil it". I'm so glad it didn't. Which also makes it hard to review this book as the reader is told "once you have read it , you'll want to tell your friends about it. When you do, please don't tell them what happens either. The magic is in how it unfolds". It really does sound like a clever marketing ploy - telling someone not to talk about something is usually a sure fire way to ensure that's exactly what they do but I have to agree with the ploy in this case. I think this is a story you have to read, experience and feel for yourself.I don't think it is giving too much away to say that the story really revolves around two stories - one involving a young African refugee and another involving a privleged yet grasping English family. The novel tells the story of their coming together.I loved this book - beautiful phrasing, language and metaphor. It has made me think a lot about the world in which we live and the impact we can have if we take the chance. I have not read Chris Cleave's other book but I will be looking out for it now.