Boundary Road

by Ami Rao

A story of colliding lives, beguiling opportunities, and dangerous illusions. A compelling blend of comedy and tragedy. Love, desire, fear, and dreams on a London we're on the thirteen, heading for Boundary Road. People get on and off leaving something of themselves behind, but two of the passengers have past they can't escape. People can't stop talking. A giddy cocktail of monologues, dialogues, memories and gleeful anticipation. It's amazing what people will say to total strangers. Suddenly the unsayable just trips off the tongue and there's so much feeling behind it, and hours of thought, sprinkled with melancholy or sharp blades of aggression. Some people just accept what life offers, while others become relentless and dangerously determined.A man haunted by his past and the many pasts of his family, but in love with the present; all that’s greeting his senses right now. He’s charming but he’s got a secret waiting to catch up with him. A woman stifled by lack of affection but determined to do what’s right. A man obsessed with architecture and in love with a painting. For most, it’s a liberating opportunity to exchange confidences with a stranger, but for two of the passengers this journey will be unexpectedly life changing.
‘I really admired the intense, heartfelt, richly cumulative world of Boundary Road. Mesmerising’ Alison Moore, author of The Lighthouse

‘Rao has created a vibrancy and eclecticism which is so true to life’ NB Magazine

‘Rao skilfully treads the boundary between fiction and non-fiction to offer a fascinating cross section of contemporary multicultural London from the top of a double-decker bus’ Priscilla Morris, author of Black Butterflies

Genres: Fiction

239 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 14, 2023

About the author

Ami Rao is a British-American writer who was born in Calcutta, India and has lived and worked in New York City, London, Paris, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Ami has a BA in English Literature and Economics from Ohio Wesleyan University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Reviews

[Sandy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hard-hitting read about characters on the number 13 bus in London. Focusing mainly on Aron and Nora. Lots of different issues and cultures are explored, but somehow, the characters didn't resonate with me. It was gritty and thought-provoking. A shocking unexpected ending made the book more interesting.

[Tara Janes · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a quick read, and I did genuinely care about the two main characters. However I did feel that a lot of characters fell into stereotypes and the premise is too unbelievable to really get into - who talks to strangers on a london bus?! Especially the long philosophical conversations Nora had with people. It felt like she was written so much older than her character was.
The commentary on how being a black man impacts how the world sees you is important but heavy handed at times.

[Liv Kisby · Rating 4 out of 5]

heartwarming, moving, engages in all the complex emotions of being human in a way that is digestible (maybe it only can be when you’re sitting on a bus), it captures such a realness of London, even if it exists in a utopic/dystopic version of the city where people on the buses actually engage in conversation.

[Tilly Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ami Rao has quickly become one of my favourite writers, and I think this book may just be her best yet. It’s powerful, emotional, wise, kind and somehow managed to make me grin wildly, and then totally shock me into silence not long after.

It’s a beautiful and thought provoking look at the melting pot that is London, and I loved how many different characters and cultures we explored via this bus journey. It reminds you that every stranger has a story to tell, and of how important human connection is. Aron and his joyful disposition has *almost* made me want to be sociable on my own commute 😂

An easy five stars, and I can’t wait for whatever’s next from Ami!

[Jai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning writing but why did I take until page 109 to figure out how to pronounce C’Mon 😂

[Hennah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vibrant, sharp and powerful. I loved this book.

📖SYNOPSIS: everything can seem possible on a London bus. You are on the 13, North London, heading for Boundary Road and no one is travelling light. Everyone has got something to share: love, desires, illusions and sometimes a touch of madness but two of the passengers have a past they can’t escape.

💭MY THOUGHTS: Ami Rao is such an incredible writer and encapsulates contemporary multicultural London so well. When we’re on public transport I think we all have this fascination/ tendancy to think about people’s stories. E.g. Why are they travelling on this very tube/bus right now? What’s their relationship to the person they are with? What’s their job? Etc.

Everyone has a story and it’s hard not to wonder. It was so interesting to see the cross-over between the characters and Rao did an impressive job of bringing the characters to life. I didn’t want it to end!

Masterful and poignant.

Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book!

[Dakota · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boundary Road is a quick (266 pages) but emotional and hard-hitting read that really packs a punch. We follow 2 main characters and the various people they meet on the 13 heading to Boundary Road.
✨
The thing I love about Ami’s writing is that she knows how to immerse the reader in the world she wants you to experience. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Aron and then switching gears and getting to know Nora. Each with their own story, and each will find their way into your heart.
✨
With a gorgeously philosophical voice, @amiraowrites delivers, once again, a novel that will make you think and ponder this world that we inhabit and our role within it.

[Mish Cromer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first came upon Ami Rao's writing during those first months of the pandemic in 2020 when I read her superb debut David and Ameena and I'm so glad i did. Rao is a fiercely intelligent and courageous writer, pushing at her own limits and creating wonderful work with skill and wisdom. Her latest novel, Boundary Road, is a must read. By turn funny, compassionate, incisive and observant it utterly broke my heart as I travelled with Aron and Nora and their fellow passengers on a London bus and despite it all, or rather because of it perhaps, it reinforced my love of humanity. Keep writing Ami, we need your eye and your beautiful voice.

[Katie Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really cleverly written, I love this. This is very much a character driven novel and the characters are beautifully written, each for them fully fleshed out, even the ones we only see briefly. The whole narrative format is really interesting as well, told in the first half through the eyes of one character, then told again but through the eyes of another character. The flashbacks slowly build each character, returning to the bus between each one and the little stories from the other passengers are so interesting. It's like people watching!

It is definitely heartbreaking though and I actually had to take a little break between the 2 main narratives because it made me so sad.

[Amran · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well that's the last time I'm buying a book because I have the same name as the author... This wasn't good. I found most the writing repetitive, always reiterating dull facts. I didn't finish the book because of this so maybe the story gets better later on. However, I also found most of the storylines unnatural and forced - anyone who lives in London knows how rare it is to interact with this many people on public transport. Overall it was disappointing.

[Veru · Rating 4 out of 5]

anyone else notice that Yasmin’s timeline isn’t adding up? when she is introduced, it is stated that her oldest child is 3 1/2… however, when the flashback to the fire and her staying with Elena and Nora is retold, it says she doesn’t want any more children and implied that she already has multiple… which is then followed up by another story including her, which is “four years later”.

something I had to get off my chest, I guess 😂

[Sidharth Khanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding book depicting the whole spectrum of human emotions. Such a unique and engaging portrayal of multicultural London through the eyes of two characters who I could not get enough of. The ending left me thinking for a very long time. 5 stars.

[Em Nightreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful journey through lives, classes, and cultures. The passengers on this bus journey are brought to life in an extraordinarily basic way, and yet it manages to be so beautiful.

[Anna Maven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book. 2 main characters, strangers, riding the same bus home. Loved the storied they had to tell and how their lives became intertwined at the end. Some hard hitting themes throughout.

[Arthur · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an original premise with relatable characters. Young multicultural lives intersect on London buses. Immersive literary fiction.

[Madi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple but compelling. Found it pretty slow at points but the ending was nice

[róisín · Rating 3 out of 5]

u can tell this is fiction cos who talks to ppl on the bus in london town

[Nicola Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boundary Road is an innovative and compelling slice of life story set mostly on a London bus. Aron Wilson has just started a new job and gets the number 13 home, a journey that will take him 90 minutes. During a busy rush hour Aron encounters a variety of folk and has interactions with some of them. Also on the bus is Nora, making her way home too. These two main characters form the central point around which the plot revolves.

I loved the sound of this character-driven book and I wasn't disappointed. It felt like being a fly on the bus window, dropping into all the different conversations. All of human life can be found on a London bus in rush hour and I enjoyed the diversity and the communication between the passengers.

I felt immersed in the enclosed environment, the multi-cultural characters, the sights and sounds, the thoughts and opinions. All so evocative and the dialogue felt authentic and honest. I smiled along with the characters but then every so often something would happen that would give me a jolt and one incident in particular left me reeling. I don't think I'll forget it in a hurry.

Boundary Road hits hard. It's a reminder of the complexity of human beings and their emotions and it delivers a powerful message about the fragility of life.

[Sam Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would never have picked this off my own back….
Was a Bookclub Choice for February.
Loved it
Loved it
Loved it
Be careful though, it stays with you…..

[Tim Leggatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was imaginatively constructed and quite compelling but ran out of steam slightly at points