“Keeping the
House is a truly beautiful debut. A mistress of deftly sketched
characters that become whole humans in a few lines, Cin tells stories of
working-class, inner-city life steeped in truth, emotion and vulnerability.
She is one of a new generation of writers who see the splendour of these
streets and articulate it with great majesty.” —Courttia Newland, Guardian
Best Books of 2021
“A beautifully stunning book revealing a realm of London most
wouldn’t know. Through my read I wavered between palpable nostalgia and
questions about the future of the community that conceived this story. Beyond
its fresh approach to craftsmanship, it’s the enormous heart of the story
that stays with you long after you’ve finished reading it. I’ll be rereading
this book for years to come. There is no other way to put it; Cin is an
important writer of our generation.” —Caleb Femi
“Keeping the House is such a bold and yet poignant read: musical, nimble, affectionate and (thank GOD) rule-breaking.” —Lisa McInerney
“Written with immediacy and poignancy, this is a powerful debut from an exciting and compelling new voice, I loved it.” —Salena Godden
“Tice Cin has arrived. With a style all her own and a confidence that radiates off each page, poetry that renders settings and characters incredibly vivid. No impression will escape you.” —Derek Owusu
“Lyrical, memorable, pulsing with life, energy and sensation. I so admired its polyphonic ambitions and evocation of place—not to mention love. Her writing sticks in the mind like a thumbprint on glass.” —Olivia Sudjic
“Thrums with feeling, illustrating the London community with a sharp and confident eye. Her characters are full and sure, and traverse their world with humor, boldness and love. Hope fills these pages.” —Caleb Azumah Nelson
“A brilliantly enthralling read. Tice Cin's potent crime caper marks the arrival of an intoxicating new voice.” —Irenosen Okojie
“A beautiful novel—forgiving, meandering and sexy. Tice Cin makes prose ooze and breathe and cook. Her multilingual Tottenham Turkish-Cypriot characters are real people to me now. I love Damla, Cemile and Ayla very much.” —Yara Rodrigues Fowler
“Tice Cin is an enthralling voice.” —Roger Robinson
“Tice Cin’s voice is so compelling and utterly original, and her book is a thing of beauty and craft, both soft and sharp. It envelops you then gives you a gut punch. An essentially London novel.” —Cecilia Knapp
“There’s always been a poetic, dream-like wonder to Tice’s writing. No detail goes unnoticed, unexamined. You see all the tiniest details through her eyes and her words—it’s a beautiful gift.” —Michelle Tiwo
“An intoxicating rush of language—and languages—funny, grimy (in all senses), and driven by a fierce energy, Keeping The House holds a deep sadness at its core, but never allows it to overwhelm us, instead finding beauty in balance.” —Will Ashon
“Keeping the House is a thrilling debut by a bold new talent: sparkling, polyphonic, and bristling with linguistic energy. Tice Cin has somehow fused experimental writing, crime fiction and the family saga together, while coolly inaugurating the London Turkish novel.” —Matthew Sperling
“A deft and dynamic debut flushed with unforgettable characters alongside an intimate sense of community. Tice Cin charts the complexities of inner-city and diasporic life, morality and relationships through a gripping network of twists and turns in a wholly unique way. I thought I knew what North London was about, I realised after reading this I didn't.” —Anthony Anaxagorou
Bookseller quotes:
“A bold and assured debut that rethinks what a crime novel can be.” —Ollie Simpson, Pages of Hackney
“Tice Cin fuses wild lyricism with dreamy romance in a form as voracious and alive as her characters.” —So Mayer, Burley Fisher Books
“A swirling collage of a novel that explores the dark side of a London community with great energy and warmth.” —Kate Ellis, Brick Lane Bookshop
“The Great Tottenham Novel exists and it’s called Keeping the House. I loved it.” —Gary Perry, Foyles
“Cin’s natural poetry and the unique rhythm of her storytelling weave a spellbinding narrative through several generations of a Turkish Cypriot family. A captivating read from a powerful new voice!” —Antony Hurley, Burley Fisher Books
“Tice Cin has a rare talent: Keeping the House weaves multiple languages and complex form, and still remains a fast paced, addictive read.” —Aimée Madill, Phlox Books
“A brilliant London novel, of the kind we need more of: polyphonic, multilingual, thrillingly alive with all the people, food, music that make this city what it is.” —Gayle Lazda, London Review Bookshop
“I loved Keeping the House for its energy and its heart, for being both funny and fierce—a deft, brilliant novel of girlhood, community, and cabbages.” —Elizabeth Perry, Daunt Summertown
