Summary

Sarfraz Manzoor’s autobiography Greetings from Bury Park presents Sarfraz’s experiences growing up in Britain after emigrating together with his mother and older siblings from Pakistan. The autobiography mainly focuses on Sarfraz’s father, Mohammed Manzoor, the tense relationship between the two, and the impact of Mohammed Manzoor’s death on his son. 

Sarfraz begins the book by talking about the tense relationship between him and his father. Sarfraz’s modern approach to life and his career clashes with his father’s views, as Mohammed wants his son to have a secure and respectable profession. Sarfraz recalls building his identity by rejecting his father’s, which is something he now regrets. 

The first part of the book presents Mohammed Manzoor’s life and his determination to protect his children from the difficult experiences he has endured in Pakistan. Mohammed moved to Britain where he worked for eleven years while his wife and three children – Navela, Sohail, and Sarfraz – remained in Pakistan. The family joined Mohammed in Britain when Sarfraz was almost three years old and moved to the Bury Park district of Luton. A few months later, Sarfraz’s mother, Rasool Bibi, started working as a seamstress from home, with the help of her children. 

Sarfraz recalls rejecting his father’s values and beliefs. One of the most dramatic episodes of the book is the one that presents Mohammed’s death and Sarfraz’s battle with feelings of guilt and regret. 

Sarfraz recalls the modest life the family lived in Luton and his realization that their family was not like his friends’ families. Although the family had little money, the four siblings – including Sarf...