This is a coming of age story about a Zaza (Eastern Anatolian culture) child in the Netherlands tackling the intricacies of having an immigrant background and an abusive father in a poverty stricken neighbourhood during the late 80s early 90s heroin crisis. And yes, it's as dire as it sounds but simultaneously, it is just so nice to read a book about this neighbourhood where I also lived at that time (though in much better circumstances than the main character) which highlights the good with the bad -and- lays the blame where it's supposed to be, with the government who let the area down from its inception, rather than placing it (like all the media did at the time) with the residents. Much love for this book for that reason.