The Parking Lot Attendant

Descriere

NamedaNewYorkTimesNotableBookoftheYear
ShortlistedfortheCenterForFictionFirstNovelPrize
NamedaBooklistBestBookoftheYear

Amesmerizing,indeliblecoming-of-agestoryaboutagirlinBoston'stightly-knitEthiopiancommunitywhofallsunderthespellofacharismatichustlerouttochangetheworld
Ahauntingstoryoffatherhood,nationalidentity,andwhatitmeanstobeanimmigrantinAmericatoday,NafkoteTamirat'sTheParkingLotAttendantexploreshowwhowelove,thechoiceswemake,andtheplaceswe'refromcombinetomakeuswhoweare.
Thestorybeginsonanundisclosedislandwheretheunnamednarratorandherfatherarethetwonewestandleastlikedmembersofacommunethathastakenupresidencethere.Thoughthecommunewasbuiltonutopianprinciples,itquicklybecomesclearthatlifehereisnotasharmoniousasthefoundersintended.Afterimmersingusinlifeontheisland,ouryoungheroinetakesusbacktoBostontorecounttheeventsthatbroughtherhere.ThoughsheandherfatherbelongtoawideEthiopiannetworkinthecity,theymostlykeeptothemselves,whichishowherfatherprefersit.
ThisdetachedexistenceonlymakesAyale'sarrivalonthescenemoreintoxicating.TheunofficialkingofBoston'sEthiopiancommunity,Ayaleisabornhustler--whenheturnshisattentiontothenarrator,shefeelsseenforthefirsttime.Ostensiblyaparkinglotattendant,Ayalesoonprovestohaveotherprojectsintheworks,whichthenarratorbecomesmoreandmoreentangledintoherfather'sgrowingdismay.BythetimethescopeofAyale'sschemes--andtheirrepercussions--becomeapparent,ournarratorhasunwittinglybecomecomplicitinsomethingmuchbiggeranddarkerthansheeverimagined.