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The Colour of Home: Growing Up in 1970s Britain
'Striking, surprising, brutally honest' RORY STEWART
'A gripping and unique coming-of-age story' ANDREW MARR
'A memoir unlike anything you will read from a politician' ALAN JOHNSON
'Important and deeply moving' MISHAL HUSAIN
'A startling memoir that screams with authenticity' MICHAEL DOBBS
'Run, Paki, Run.'
The words ricocheted off the walls of the Rochdale underpass that connected Sajid Javid's home and primary school. Even as a five-year-old boy, he had learned that 70s Britain could be a cruel and violent place for those seen as outsiders.
Leaving behind the devastation of Partition, Sajid's father moved from Punjab to the UK in the 60s. The family held on to many of their Indo-Pakistani traditions, setting them apart and often leading to rejection by their new neighbours.
In this tender but powerful memoir, Sajid Javid shares his story of a childhood marked by poverty, racism and the tension produced by trying to conform to two cultures. These led to run-ins with the police, trouble at school and eventually the risk of estrangement from his family by defying their wish for his arranged marriage in favour of choosing the woman he loved . With each new trial, Sajid learned to dig his heels in further, speaking up for himself and stubbornly refusing to accept the limits that seemed imposed by his background.
Told with honesty, heart and humour, The Colour of Home charts Sajid's remarkable rise from adversity to the heart of British life. It is a story of hope, determination and survival - a tribute to the parents who gave everything and the brothers who struggled alongside him - and an invitation to every 'outsider' to keep going and dream big.
'A gripping and unique coming-of-age story' ANDREW MARR
'A memoir unlike anything you will read from a politician' ALAN JOHNSON
'Important and deeply moving' MISHAL HUSAIN
'A startling memoir that screams with authenticity' MICHAEL DOBBS
'Run, Paki, Run.'
The words ricocheted off the walls of the Rochdale underpass that connected Sajid Javid's home and primary school. Even as a five-year-old boy, he had learned that 70s Britain could be a cruel and violent place for those seen as outsiders.
Leaving behind the devastation of Partition, Sajid's father moved from Punjab to the UK in the 60s. The family held on to many of their Indo-Pakistani traditions, setting them apart and often leading to rejection by their new neighbours.
In this tender but powerful memoir, Sajid Javid shares his story of a childhood marked by poverty, racism and the tension produced by trying to conform to two cultures. These led to run-ins with the police, trouble at school and eventually the risk of estrangement from his family by defying their wish for his arranged marriage in favour of choosing the woman he loved . With each new trial, Sajid learned to dig his heels in further, speaking up for himself and stubbornly refusing to accept the limits that seemed imposed by his background.
Told with honesty, heart and humour, The Colour of Home charts Sajid's remarkable rise from adversity to the heart of British life. It is a story of hope, determination and survival - a tribute to the parents who gave everything and the brothers who struggled alongside him - and an invitation to every 'outsider' to keep going and dream big.
- GenresBiographyNonfiction
283 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 5, 2026
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78 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 10, 2026
This is a deeply moving and joyful memoir. Sajid’s life story is truly remarkable, I found myself moved to tears on several occasions, yet also laughing out loud at others. It’s inspirational and life-affirming, full of warmth, resilience and wisdom. There are so many lessons to take from his journey, and the book offers a privileged insight into the character and values of an extraordinary human. I’ve always admired how Sophia and her siblings are such kind, grounded people, with strong family values and a strong moral compass…This book showed me why☺️❤️
February 10, 2026
The Colour of Home is Sajiv Javid’s memoir of growing up as the son of Pakistani immigrants in 1970s and 80s Britain. It traces his family’s move to Bristol, his father’s work in a corner shop, the pressures of fitting in at school, and the gradual shaping of his ambition. It’s as much a portrait of a time and place as it is of a childhood.
The strongest sections deal with the racism he encountered — sometimes overt, sometimes insidious. There are the casual slurs in the playground, the assumptions about where he “really” comes from, the sense of being marked as different. More unsettling are the quieter moments: lowered expectations from teachers, social exclusions that are hard to prove but easy to feel, the constant calculation about how much of yourself to reveal. He writes about these experiences in a measured, reflective way, which makes them more affecting than if they had been delivered angrily.
The book is at its best when it focuses on family — the resilience of his parents, the tension between gratitude and frustration, the push and pull between heritage and belonging. It captures that particular second-generation experience of wanting both to honour your roots and to step beyond them.
The memoir ends before his rise through the Conservative Party, just as his story begins to intersect more fully with public life. It is a pity he ended before talking about his rise through the Tory party. If he described that with such honesty it would be an interesting read.
The strongest sections deal with the racism he encountered — sometimes overt, sometimes insidious. There are the casual slurs in the playground, the assumptions about where he “really” comes from, the sense of being marked as different. More unsettling are the quieter moments: lowered expectations from teachers, social exclusions that are hard to prove but easy to feel, the constant calculation about how much of yourself to reveal. He writes about these experiences in a measured, reflective way, which makes them more affecting than if they had been delivered angrily.
The book is at its best when it focuses on family — the resilience of his parents, the tension between gratitude and frustration, the push and pull between heritage and belonging. It captures that particular second-generation experience of wanting both to honour your roots and to step beyond them.
The memoir ends before his rise through the Conservative Party, just as his story begins to intersect more fully with public life. It is a pity he ended before talking about his rise through the Tory party. If he described that with such honesty it would be an interesting read.
February 11, 2026
I bought this after hearing the first episode on Radio 4 - and I honestly couldn’t put it down.
I ended up staying up most of the night to finish it. What an amazing story. It’s raw, moving, and so vividly told that you feel like you’re right there alongside him.
It’s rare to read something so personal and so gripping at the same time. Absolutely brilliant.
I ended up staying up most of the night to finish it. What an amazing story. It’s raw, moving, and so vividly told that you feel like you’re right there alongside him.
It’s rare to read something so personal and so gripping at the same time. Absolutely brilliant.
February 10, 2026
An honest account of Sajid's family life.
February 11, 2026
Listened to abridged version on radio 4. Interesting that his maths tutor predicted that he would become chancellor one day.
February 16, 2026
A pile of stories about being a kid in the 70s in England. Nothing of interest really. Any kid anywhere might get up to all the same stuff.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews