On Brick Lane by Rachel Lichtenstein
"On Brick Lane" is an unforgettable journey through the vanished past, the disappearing present and the emerging future of Britain's most mythologized and misunderstood street. Home to successive waves of immigrants, Brick Lane is at once multicultural melting pot and sacred site, bounded by Hawksmoor churches, abandoned synagogues and newly developed mosques, with the old Truman Brewery at its heart. Bringing to life the memories and realities of Brick Lane's many communities, Rachel Lichtenstein harnesses the voices of the famous, the infamous and the obscure, merging memoir, reportage, poetry, photography and local history. The result is as vibrant and fascinating as the neighbourhood it so movingly celebrates.