To Fill a Yellow House: A Moving Story of Unlikely Friendship and Belonging in a London Charity Shop

by Sussie Anie

Lyrical, witty, moving and timely, To Fill a Yellow House is a story of community, friendship and the power of creativity and connection.

When Kwasi's family moves abruptly from one side of London to the other, Kwasi is both excited by the change--the new house is so big--and unsettled by his new school and the pressures placed upon him by his parents and many aunties. One place Kwasi finds refuge and inspiration is the Chest of Small Wonders, an eclectic and run-down charity shop on the high street.

Rupert has run the Chest for decades, but since his wife's death several years before, he has struggled to keep their dreams for the shop alive. These days, fewer people shop second-hand, the Chest has become a depository for unwanted possessions, and Rupert is indulging more and more in herbal and perhaps-not-so-legal teas.

As Kwasi spends time in the Chest, an unexpected friendship develops between man and boy, a relationship that gives each a new sense of belonging. But the community and high street are changing, and when local politics threaten to engulf the Chest, both Kwasi and Rupert must decide who their allies are and where their futures lie.

To Fill a Yellow House is as vibrant and surprising as the city it is set in and marks the arrival of a bright and bold new talent.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Friendship, British Literature

370 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2022

About the author

Sussie Anie is a British-Ghanaian writer, born in London in 1994. Her writing has been published in Lolwe, and was shortlisted for the 2020 White Review Short Story prize. She has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia, where she was the recipient of the 2018-19 Kowitz Scholarship. To Fill a Yellow House is her debut novel.

source: Amazon

Reviews

[Rosh · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: Had great potential but the writing style makes this book a tough one to enjoy. It is interesting and atypical. Literary fiction lovers *might* enjoy this. The GR blurb isn’t accurate.

Story Synopsis:

Young Kwasi has always lived with his mom and his various ‘aunties’ who keep coming and going out of his home. When his family shifts to a new side of London, Kwasi’s life is uprooted, leading to mixed feelings in him. His only place of solace is the ‘Chest of Small Wonders’, a charity shop run by an eccentric old man named Rupert, who is battling his own demons. The story covers Kwasi’s adjustment into his new lifestyle, Rupert’s battle of wills with those who want him to give up the shop, and the connection and unlikely parallels between their lives.

Where the book worked for me:
👍There are quite a few interesting characters in the story. Both Kwasi and Rupert are unusual and strong characters, and they carry the plot well on their underconfident shoulders.

👍I loved the idea of the ‘Chest of Small Wonders’. A book set around a small independent store always has a strong local flavour, and this novel is no exception. It brings to life the high street of London that it is set on. The vividness and variety of the activities and objects in the shop is a further attraction.

👍Many elements in the plot highlight the value of having a strong local community spirit. Enjoyed all of these.

👍The characters of Kwasi and Rupert are quite contrary to each other, and yet both seem to be dealing with similar issues, trying to fit in a world that demands a certain behaviour from them. Kwasi’s dreams of becoming an artist and Rupert’s insistence on being allowed to run his shop the way he wants to are written very well.

👍The ending is somewhat bittersweet, but it worked for me. Might not work for everyone.

👍The author is a British-Ghanaian writer, and she explores both sides of her national identity well in this book. I haven’t read a book with Ghanaian characters, so this was a decent first look. However,…. (continued below)


Where the book could have worked better for me:
👎 (continued from above)… I did expect to learn more about Ghana considering the author’s heritage. But the references are very casual and vague, and I learnt just a bare minimum of what could have been possible.

👎 Other than the main duo and a couple of the other characters, the rest are somewhat unidimensional and predictable.

👎 After a strong start, the book delves into repetition and doesn’t recover from the stagnancy until almost the final quarter. This makes the middle part tedious.

👎Several facts are touched upon but never explained. Most of these are connected to Kwasi’s aunties – I never quite figured out their exact role in the house.

👎The blurb promises “an unexpected friendship develops between man and boy”. This makes the story seem warm but the reality is quite the opposite. It becomes pretty dark and gloomy at times, and the supposed ‘friendship’; is more like a strange connection than anything else.

👎The book is too slow and the plot, meandering.


Overall, quite mixed feelings. The characters and their situations are good, but the plot and the writing required more work. 50% good feelings, so a 50% good rating.

2.5 stars, rounding up as it is a debut work.


My thanks to Mariner Books and NetGalley for the DRC of “To Fill a Yellow House”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.


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[Zach Carter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited in the beginning of this book, but it just never really got anywhere. The pacing was really off, where so much time was spent on what felt like set up, and then the pay off was all crammed in to the last 50 pages. I also felt like the way politics were treated - in discussing Africa as a whole and the Thatcher years of the UK - were sloppy and somewhat reactionary. Overall I felt really lukewarm about this.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kwasi is 7 years old when he moves to a town in London with his mother & aunties. His father goes to Ghana to build a home for them and does not return. He is a minority in his school and finds himself linked to a small group of boys - one of whom is the son of the local chancellor. These boys are trouble. Kwasi misses his father living in a household of women. He befriends an older widow, Rupert who runs a charity store in town.

The book is charming and unpredictable. The voice the author uses for Kwasi and Rupert both ring true.

4* as I did not like the ending. But, that also had a ring of truth and real life to it.

[Sharon L · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book suffers from having too many side-plots that end up underdeveloped and distracting. The whole story could have been told from inside the charity shop, with Rupert and Kwasi still struggling with social pressures of what they should do vs. what they want to do, and been a much stronger novel. The Aunties and Tulip just appear with very little backstory or connection to the plot, and only serve to dish out pressure for Rupert and Kwasi. King Obi and Dadda take up too much space. Jericho and his crew, plus the "threat" of homeless vagrants moving in next store add little to the story. Actually the only parts of the story I enjoyed were set within the shop when the characters talked about the displays and community engagement. Strip the plot down to these two characters dealing with the pressures of life from two different perspectives, and show them developing a friendship (in the book we are basically just told they are now friends, but friends would know each others name, right?), and then we have something special.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jennifer]

Received advanced reader copy from Goodreads giveaway. DNF at 34 pages.

Alas, I did not even give this one my requisite 50 pages before I DNF’d. Did I really only spend TWO days reading this? It felt like I was staring at the book and going “should I DNF?” for much longer than two days! And yet, in two days, I only read 34 pages. I was interested in Kwasi’s art and was a teensy curious about the shopkeeper, but I could not force myself to continue reading with a hope that I would find a momentum or groove. I just could not get comfortable with this writing style.

I’m sure this story of unlikely friendship will find its audience. But I’m not one of them.

[Glenda Nelms · Rating 4 out of 5]

To Fill a yellow House is a thoughtful story about belonging, community and friendship. Kwasi, the child of Ghanian immigrants, lives with his mother and aunties in a chaotic home where he isn't heard. He struggles at school but loves to draw. Rupert, a white man who runs a charity shop, has been marooned in grief since the death of his wife. Kwasi and Rupert forms an unlikely friendship. Compelling story which explores the power of creativity.

[Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. I kept reading it thinking I would like this book. I didn't like this book.

[Jamie Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really gorgeous story about childhood, generations and community. If sometimes a bit unclear, the strength of the main characters makes up in spades.

The presentation of Kwasi's sensory overload is brilliant and captures his difficulties excellently, if sometimes he skews younger than he is.

Rupert's story is less clear, in my opinion, but his relationships bring most of the humour to the story, particularly his bond with Kwasi which is so beautiful.

[LuAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely book about community and people who truly care about each other.

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a 3.5 read for me

thoughts coming shortly

[Mila Caley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The story of a boy struggling to find his identity in a mainly hostile environment connecting with an ageing widower with a quirky charity shop was very engaging. The twists and turms are sometimes brutal but ultimately sweet and moving. A picture of modern London is depicted in a very unusual way. The lyrical style works very well and is different from anything else I have read. What an amazing debut!

[Laura Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

While good, To Fill A Yellow House is a bit of a slow burn. The story follows young Kwasi, who has a passion for art despite his family’s misgivings about it, and Rupert, an older shop owner trying to stay afloat. It’s a very artsy tale about belonging, immigration, social status, and more.

[Dorlene Bruorton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was fortunate to win an advanced reader’s copy of this title from GoodReads. Thank you to GoodReads and Mariner Books for the opportunity. My review is not affected by my good fortune.

I felt that this book was a very, slow tedious read for me. I was glad when I finished it.

The back cover teaser about the relationship between the owner of a thrift store and a boy sounded promising. The Chest of Small Wonders charity shop was a draw for me. I enjoyed the descriptions of the displays at first. After awhile, they seemed repetitive.

The shop owner is cantankerous but interesting. He is constantly reminiscing about his late wife and her unfulfilled plans for the shop. He also imbibes a great deal with “herbal” tea additives. All of this is written repeatedly.

The boy’s artistry is well described. I thought his home life was confusing and awkward. Didn’t like the bullying aspect but unfortunately it does happen.

Early on, it is revealed that something bad was going to happen. When the reveal occurred, it was predictable and certainly not as dramatic as the foreshadowing led you to believe.

2 stars - a tedious story overall. The descriptions were well written, which is why I gave 2 stars.

[Brian Mitchell · Rating 1 out of 5]

This story had potential but the pacing was way off. It was a very difficult book to get into and finish.

[Irishcoda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw To Fill A Yellow House by Sussie Anie on a display table when I walked into the library to pick up a book I’d requested. I was intrigued by the cover, a young boy stretching up on tiptoe with a thin paintbrush. The rest of the cover was yellow with orange lettering. I read the reviews on the back cover and decided to check it out.
I enjoyed the book although there were some issues that remained unclear to me, and perhaps that was intentional.
Kwasi was the little boy on the cover. When he’s first introduced, he’s seven years old and living in a large house on the outskirts of London. He has a very busy household: parents, two aunts, and many “aunties” that come and go. That was the first puzzle to unravel. Who were all these “aunties?”
Kwasi, a sensitive child, loves to draw. One day on an outing, he sees a quaint little shop and is intrigued by it. He sketches it but is gathered up by his aunties before he can go into it. His parents and aunties are very protective of him and he’s almost never out of their sight. He’s not allowed out but one day sneaks out and goes back to the shop.
The door is open, but no one is there. The shop is filled with a variety of curious knick-knacks, lamps, fabrics, toys, and furniture. He sits down behind the till and makes a drawing of everything he sees, filling in the details. A noise scares him and he bolts for the door.
The shopkeeper comes up from the basement but isn’t able to catch Kwasi. The shopkeeper’s name is Rupert. He is still grieving the loss of his wife, Jada. This curiosity shop was their dream. Much of the money they make from the secondhand donations to the shop are made to a charity. The shopkeeper has an addiction to something that is “perfectly legal” and can be brewed into a tea or coffee. Another puzzle.
There is a larger than life presence in the neighborhood: Councilman Obi. He has a son Kwasi’s age, Jericho. Here is another puzzle: is King Obi a good guy or not? He seems to be, but he also seems to be feared by residents in the neighborhood because he’s pushing for progress.
After the introductory chapters, Kwasi ages to about 15. There have been many changes and a few answers to puzzles. His parents are Ghanian immigrants and all the extra “aunties” that come and go seem to be refugees from war-torn places. Kwasi’s father has moved semi-permanently back to Ghana, working on a years-long project.
Kwasi is still helicoptered by his mother and aunties. He is alternately bullied and invited to join Jericho and his gang of friends. They seem to be involved in some nefarious doings which Kwasi wants no part of.
Instead, Kwasi has been secretly visiting Rupert at his shop. Rupert found Kwasi’s drawing left behind, liked it and framed it. When he realizes that his new visitor is the artist, he befriends Kwasi and encourages him.
It’s a tale told sensitively of love, grief, self-acceptance, and friendship. There is more to the story than I’m sharing but I don’t want to give it all away. I liked it very much and would rate it higher except for some of the ambiguous puzzles I haven’t been able to work out completely.

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to reading this and whilst I’m glad I did, I just feel - as someone else said - “lukewarm about it”. It kept me engaged enough to carry on reading and there were some tense moments that I thought would develop in to something more “gritty” and dramatic but this just seemed to go up, down, left, right, back again, forward again and never really ending up anywhere.

The ending was just a bit “blah” - I didn’t understand the point of it, it was withered and didn’t affect me at all. Almost as if the story was written with masses of time to fill then suddenly wrapped up in a hurry.

It’s a personal opinion of course, but I like the ending of a book to leave me FEELING something - a good example of this is Maps for Lost Lovers by Nadeem Aslam. I finished this, closed the book and cried. For the unexpected ending and the emotion of it.

To Fill a Yellow House was enjoyable in that I loved the bond between Rupert and Kwasi, which was extremely sweet, and everything to do with The Chest shop but the last third and the ending just didn’t do it for me, I’m sad to say

[Shell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kwasi's family is from Ghana, living in a majority white part of London. Although racism isn't really a theme of the story, there is an underlying tone. Kwasi doesn't have a stable home life. His house is filled with a rotating cast of "aunties". His father has moved back to Ghana to build a house, which seems to take several years. He is small for his age and his teachers feel he needs medication, as he doesn't do well in school, having trouble concentrating. He is an incredible artist, always wanting to draw. Kwasi is fascinated by a local eclectic charity shop, run by a man who many say killed his wife. Although forbidden to go there, he does and a unique relationship develops between the boy and the shop owner.

I couldn’t put this book down. I wanted to see what the next thing to happen would be. The characters are very well written and most are very likable. I enjoyed most of the storyline, although, from start to finish, it made me feel very melancholy. A good read.

[EJ Rossetti · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I found this book to be slow, and I was not really fond of any of the characters, as they dwelt on their challenges and didn’t seem to ever fully overcome them.

Kwasi is a young Black boy living with his mother and several “aunties” in a London suburb. Kwasi struggles with finding acceptance from his family and his schoolmates, with speaking up for himself, and with focusing on anything except for drawing.

Rupert is an older white man who owns a struggling curiosity shop of sorts called “The Chest”. He is still mourning his dead wife, struggling with some sort of alcoholism and/or drug addiction, unable to pay the bills, unwilling to accept help, and stubborn in his ways.

Kwasi is basically failing school and is therefore a failure in his family’s eyes. He is socially awkward and does not want to get mixed up in some of the illicit activities that his peers are into. The Chest becomes his safe space. When Kwasi and Rupert meet it is certainly an unlikely duo. They don’t really become friends or help each other in any way. Kwasi seeks refuge at The Chest because it is the one place his drawings are accepted, therefore he feels accepted. Rupert likes Kwasi because ??? he has good drawings ??? and perhaps reminds Rupert of what his shop could be ???

The book also touches on important topics like gentrification and racism but never really goes anywhere with them. They felt like they could’ve been a focal point but were mostly implied in passing.

Nothing really happens in this book. Kwasi and Rupert, both separately and together, lament on their pitiful situations and don’t really accept help from anyone, not even each other, not even in the end. I did appreciate the unique writing style. It’s rather brisk and whimsical and sometimes poignant, and it often leaves room for inference. Kwasi especially seems to have a brilliant, creative mind. I think I would’ve loved to have a whole book where he described things from his beautiful point of view.

Overall really not a bad book. There were nice notes of finding community and fighting for want you believe in, and traces of modern issues. It’s just not the suspenseful or action packed or deep story that I usually seek.

[Marvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A novel about trying to build community in a place in London that is, in many ways, trying to destroy itself. At its heart are two wonderful characters: the widowed owner of a local resale shop and a boy, whose father immigrated from Ghana, who loves to draw. (The cover of the hardcover edition is wonderfully evocative.) There are others, though, who have very different visions of community in the place: volunteers at the shop who support the owner's vision in some ways but undermine it in others; a local gang that keeps trying to convince the boy to be part of their vision of "us"; a councilman, himself an immigrant from Jamaica, whose vision of community does not include the shop. Conceptually, it's excellent; in execution, it moves more slowly than necessary, with repetitive scenes. It probably would have been better as a shorter novel, but it's worth reading anyway--a promising first novel.

[Kelly {SpaceOnTheBookcase] · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished reading To Fill A Yellow House a couple of weeks ago but I have struggled to sit down to write a review. My biggest issue is that, while engaging at times, I also felt lost the rest of the time.

Kwasi, which autocorrect will change to virtually anything else, moves to a bigger house with more family members than are even named. Seriously, they’re just referred to as “Aunties” the whole time. When he meets Rupert, a middle aged man mourning the loss of his wife and owner of a charity thrift shop, an u likely friendship is formed. Kwasi finds stability with Rupert and Rupert find…well, I’m not sure.

The story bounced around a lot and I never felt like I had a firm enough grasp on it. I am sure there is an audience for this book, it just want for me.

I appreciate NetGalley & Mariner Books for the ARC to read & provide feedback.

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this novel rather slow in pace. The two main characters are unlikely companions- struggling to find direction in their lives and carrying the weight of others' expectations. Kwasi only wants to draw but lacks confidence. Bullied by his peers and chastised by his teachers and relations, he desperately wants somewhere to hide, to escape. Rupert, mourning the loss of his wife, lives day by day, trying to keep her dream of a community charity shop alive but too depressed to make the changes necessary to stop the business going under. The drugs he uses to escape reality cloud his vision and judgment. Fate brings Kwasi and Rupert together and as pressures escalate around them, man and boy are forced to face their demons- to take control of their lives.

[Kate Belt · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars! This is a story about a child of color, born to immigrant parents coming of age in London. The author excels at sense of place, descriptions, metaphor, and character development. The story is a book of possibilities in which the reader will bring their own experience to their understanding. Are we living in a world with the capacity for building real community or in a world of closed doors and class constructs? It’s a slow moving story (maybe a little too slow) that will be appreciated by readers who value character development more than action. It’s an engaging 1st novel, & I look forward to more from this author. This is an honest review of the free, uncorrected E-Proof from NetGalley.

[Emilia Halstead · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Where other readers have bemoaned the "slow pace" of the book, it was just right for this introverted/highly sensitive mind. I ADORE charity shops, especially in the UK (which I believe are far superior to the ones in the US), and I was transported back to my trips to London which occurred between 1997-2003, not too long before the timeline of this book begins.

I enjoyed the slow and realistic development of the relationship between Kwasi and Rupert, and the twist at the end of the book was very interesting/arresting to me.

I know that the other reason I connected with this book is because I am also neurodivergent, just like Kwasi, and his thought process was/is very similar to my own.

[Jamie Lindemulder · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was all over the place. One Goodreads reviewer said that it was filled with sub-plots and none of them went anywhere. And that is completely accurate. The main character, Kwasi, makes me very angry. His "friends" beat the crap out of him a couple of times, and he never once tells his mother, father or aunties? Why not? The leader of the boys picking on him is basically a relative. And then they try to frame him at the end for drugs and an arson? They're not your friends, Kwasi. And he sold a bunch of his artwork for $3,000 - did Rupert give him that money? I feel like this book was just a blur. I had a hard time following along and I really don't even know if anything in this review is something that really happened.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

* Received an ARC in a Goodreads giveaway.

After a slow and somewhat confusing start to the book, I ended up adoring the two main characters, Kwasi and Rupert. They are both just trying to find their place in a world that keeps getting in the way of letting them just be themselves. I was completely invested in their journeys, celebrating their victories and heartbroken with their setbacks.

The secondary characters were a bit more murky for me. I could never really wrap my head around their motives or actions, which would lead to confusion as to their role in Kwasi and Rupert's lives.

Overall, a wonderfully sweet, beautiful, human story.

[Lorena]

Young Kwasi, child of Ghanaian parents and older shopkeeper, Rupert, the main characters of this book develop a friendship over the course of this book. Kwasi is struggling in school and dealing with bullies. Rupert is a grieving widow trying to keep his charity shop open.

This is a slow read and personally difficult to follow for me. There seemed to be a lot of nuances and different ancillary characters but didn’t keep my interest. I wanted to love this book after reading the synopsis but it wasn’t for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the opportunity to read an advanced eCopy.

[Kimberley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel introduces the reader to Kwasi , a young Ghana immigrant living in London with his mom . The young lad has a hard time mixing and figuring in with the kids at school. Kwasi meets Rupert , an elderly gentleman and owner of the Chest of Small Wonders , a second hand shop. The youngster soon learns that the future of this unique retail shop and its neighboring businesses face demolition and future condo -like construction. They join forces to save the eclectic district giving the young lad as well as the old storekeeper purpose and determination to live.
It is a story of hope and survival .

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Goodreads Giveaway***
This book swept me into its world. I was in this evolving part of London with Kwasi, Rupert and all other characters involved in their lives. I can't believe this is a debut for Sussie Anie, considering the way the grasp the author has on how to pull in the audience. I can't say I was able to fully grasp all the themes being depicted nor the meaning of some of the story lines but this is one of those books where understanding doesn't matter. I immersed myself in it and let it pull me through, even though I don't think I know where I ended up.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gentle read about found family and cross cultural sensitivity. Kwasi, the child of Ghanian immigrants, lives with his mother and aunties in a chaotic home where he isn't heard. He struggles at school but loves to draw. Rupert, a white man who runs a charity shop, has been marooned in grief since the death of his wife, a grief that isn't helped at all by his self medicating tea. These two form a relationship which becomes critical when racism and gentrification rear up. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. This is very trope-y (young boy, grumpy damaged man) but it's got a good heart.

[Barbara Guner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sooooooo slow. What a shame - because the book had potential - but nothing really happens, and it is all rather disjointed. A shop keeper in a strange sort of charity shop befriends a young black boy who enjoys drawing. There are lots of meetings and the council wanting to close down the shop.... Please can someone explain to me whether the shopkeeper was an alcoholic, drug addict or both? What on earth were these special teas? I must live a terribly sheltered life..... I forced myself to finish the book. Very glad it's finished.