SUMMARY

Prologue:


The time before the arranged marriage

In the prologue Manny is on the motorway Service station at Leicester Forest East.It is shortly
before his arrange marriage.At this time Manny is seventeen years old.He changes his clothes
because he does not want to marry a girl he did not know.

Part 1:

Chapter 1:

First impression of Manny´s difficult life

Manny decribes his family and his life.Manny has many problems with this family.He has two older brothers
and two older sisters,but the sisters do not life at home.Ranjit and Harry like to provoke Manny.He also has
not a good relation to his parents. The mother does not say anything,the most time she is in the kitchen or is watching TV.His father is an alcoholic and very aggressiv.He arranges marriages for his sons,because he
follows the Punjabi traditions.

Chapter 2:

Differences between the whole family and confrontation with Punjabi marriages

Manny gets a new room ,he must share a room with Harry from that moment.He sees the different situation of his family to the family of Ekbal.He is the brother of Manny´s dad and is the opposide of him.Manny wants to have a family like Ekbal.He is unhappy about his situation,seven people in one house.Manny draws a timetable of his future.When Harry comes back into the room it shows that they does not fit together.
Punjabi weddings are a three day event.The father wants Manny to come to the marriage of his brother.He told Manny that he also have to marry at the age of seventeen.The father tells him that he already sorted out a girl from India.


Chapter 3:

The life on Evington Road

Manny thinks about his marriage.He describes the weather and the horrible situation sharing a room with Harry.Manny likes to spend time with Ady,in the summer breaks they spend a lot of time together.On the Evington Road the most people are Asians.There are a lot of Asian restaurants and owner shops.Manny likes this place very much.Evington Road has different parts.One that is negative and dangerous,but on the other hand there is a nice part with Clarendon Park.When they walk down on Silver Street they see two girls Sarah and Lisa.It was the first time Manny sees Lisa.After that Manny knows that he wants to have a girlfriend.

Chapter 4:

Manny thinks about Lisa but does shoplifting

Manny thinks about Lisa everytime.Ady and Manny go into town and do shoplifting and so on.After that both wait for Lisa and Sarah.When Sarah sees them she goes to Ady and talk to him.Manny looks at Lisa very much.They ask Lisa and Sarah to drink some coffee with them.

Chapter 5:

The next school year

Year 9 begins.Ady and Sarah go out together.Manny is too shy to ask Lisa to go out together.Manny does not want to end up like his brothers.He thinks about his bad family situation and that he wants to be adopted or wants to be a superstar.One lunchtime they vistit Sarah at home.Sarah and Ady think that Manny needs a girlfriend.When Manny comes home Harry provokates him again the situation explodes.Than Ranjit comes into the room aswell.Manny sgruggels free and leaves the room.

Chapter 6:

The dates with Lisa and the visit of Ekbal and his family

Manny and Lisa have their tenth date,they sit in a Italian bar in town.Sarah and Ady arranged their first date.Their first conversation was about books and football.On that day they talk about her parents.Manny tells her about his father and that he is going to have an arranged marriage.When Lisa hears that she is shocked.They are talking a long time further.
Some weeks later Ekbal and his parents come to to see them.Ekbal asks Manny about his marriage because Manny´s parents going around and tell people what they have planned.Manny thinks the only way to get free of this situation is to make himself unsuitable.


Part 2:

Chapter 7:

Big trouble about Manny

Manny is at the police because he steal a CD. After the police has a conversation with him Ranjit pics him up.At home Manny was in big trouble the brothers shouting at him.Jas wants Ranjit to calm down but he does not do so. Later Ranjit comes in Manny´s room and wants to talk to him.Manny shouts at him that he does not want to marry.

Chapter 8:

The father´s reaction

Manny´s dad is sober and wants to talk to him about his future.When the father come back home Harry told him what had happend.The father´s reaction was very bad and he was very aggressiv.He told him that he had a strict upbringing.
Later Manny watches TV on the Sofa.Then the father tells him that he sorted out a girl for him.Manny thoughts it was the same like with Harry.The father tells him that the girl will come in two months.All night long the father sits him under pressure.


Chapter 9:

Trouble in school

Manny must meet the Headteacher during the break.He asks Manny about his bad results and behavior.He cannot understand why Manny´s performance is dropping.Manny does not want to say the reasons.At the End of their conversation Mr Sandhu asks him what his parents think of Lisa.

Chapter 10:

The discussion about arranged marriages

Manny tells Lisa about what Mr Sandhu ask him. Manny thinks that Mr Sandhu knows about his problems at home.Manny and Lisa are sitting on the steps and Manny looks for Ady. Lisa and Manny wait for her mum and talk about arranged marriages.Her mum pics them up.

Chapter 11:

A new situation with Ady

Manny starts year eleven very bad.He begins to skive lessons to see Ady in town and he steals money from his family.Ady leaves school.Manny phones with Ady because he wants to meet Manny in a bar.Together they have a lot of fun because it was a cool party.

Chapter 12:

Wonderful birthday

Because of the party with Ady Manny has a hangover but he has good mood.He writes stories at night and thinks about the ideal way of living.Then it is his 17 birthday.Traditionally they meet in a Pub.Manny does not like that and wants to go.In front of the Pub he sees Harry and his friends.Harry provocates him much.He blams him in front of the friends.Manny rings Lisa and visits her.

Chapter 13:

Sex and the results

Manny wants to forget all.He meets Lisa at the tennis court.She is also unhappy about his situation.Her parents want to invite him for a dinner.
He told his brother that he has an important football match.They spends him twenty pounds.
Ady tells him that Sarah is pregnant.Manny is shocked.
Ady and Manny go in city to look for baby clothes.
Manny drives with the bus to Lisa´s house.First they are in the kitchen but then the parents want to talk to them.The mother talks to Manny and the father talks to Lisa.They talk about many aspects of sex.
After that conversation the parents go in a concert. Lisa and Manny are alone.

Chapter 14:

Ady and Manny spend a lot of time together

It is the first night Lisa and Manny spend together.
Lisa spends time for her GCSE and does not have often time.
Manny is unhappy because he forgets the birthday of Ady.Manny and Ady talks about the future and the baby.They skive lessons and make fun with their teacher.
Manny gets a letter from school which says that his education is finished.


Chapter 15:

The planning of the India trip and other problems

Manny´s father tells him that he must come with them to India.They will force him to go.Manny is depressed and misses Lisa,he is angry about his situation.Jas talks to him about India.She promises him that it will be just a holiday trip.
Manny gets a letter from Lisa.In this letter she tells him that she is gonna go to Austrailia and that the relation is finished.But she also writes that he should write her an e-mail.
Manny is sad about it and about his future without Ady and Lisa.