The story begins on a not-quite utopian island commune where the narrator and her father are the two newest and least liked members. After immersing us in life on the island, our young heroine takes us back to her previous life in Boston, where she and her father belonged to a wide Ethiopian network, but kept to themselves, as her father preferred. Until the intoxicating arrival of Ayale the parking lot attendant. The unofficial king of Boston's Ethiopian community, Ayale is a born hustler, and his charm soon holds our narrator in thrall. But by the time the scope of all Ayale's projects reveals itself, our narrator has unwittingly become complicit in something bigger and darker than she ever imagined. A haunting story of fatherhood, national identity, and what it means to be an immigrant in America today, The Parking Lot Attendant explores how who we love, the choices we make, and the places we're from combine to make us who we are.

A mesmerizing, indelible coming-of-age story about a girl in Boston's tightly-knit Ethiopian community who falls under the spell of a charismatic hustler out to change the world.

About the Author
Nafkote Tamirat is a native of Boston. She holds an MFA from Columbia University. Her short stories have appeared in Birkensnake, The Anemone Sidecar, and Best Paris Stories. This is her first novel.


Book Information
ISBN 9781250250285
Author Nafkote Tamirat
Format Paperback
Page Count 240
Imprint St Martin's Press
Publisher St Martin's Press
Weight(grams) 204g
Dimensions(mm) 209mm * 137mm * 17mm