NW Summary

In the first part of the novel, “Visitation,” Leah Hanwell is a social worker who lives in Northwest London with her husband Michel. They live in a working-class neighborhood, which is a step up economically from the Caldwell council estate (public housing) where Leah grew up. One day, Leah gets a visit from a former classmate named Shar, a woman in a headscarf who has come to her door to beg for money, promising to pay it back. Leah hands over the money, but when she tells the story about Shar to others, including her husband, they all try to convince her that Shar is a scammer who doesn’t deserve the money. Shar never returns the money like she promised.

Leah and Michel sometimes go to dinner with Natalie (who used to be called Keisha) and Natalie’s husband, Frank. Leah often feels insecure around her wealthier friend, particularly about the sometimes-clueless way Michel acts around them. Michel really wants to have a child and often talks about Leah going to a fertility clinic, but Leah hides from him that she is taking contraceptives and has had three abortions.

Leah begins to see Shar around the city and confronts her about not returning the money. Leah also sees Nathan, her former childhood crush who got expelled from school and now seems to be suffering from addiction and selling travel cards on the streets to survive. After an encounter with Shar, Leah leaves pamphlets in the mailbox of Shar’s squat about drug rehabilitation. Soon after, Leah gets a threatening phone call from a man who seems to be involved with Shar. Later, Michel confronts a man who might have been the one on the phone. The man kicks Michel and Leah’s dog, Olive, and the dog dies later that night. On the night of a big neighborhood carnival, Leah learns that a man, Felix Cooper, died just one street over from her on Albert Road.

The second part of the novel, “Guest,” follows Felix in the hours leading up to his murder. He used to be addicted to drugs and alcohol, but he has started to leave those habits behind, in part because of his increasingly serious relationship with Grace. He purchases an old car that needs serious repairs from a man named Tom, managing to get a good price. He also meets up with Annie, a showgirl that Felix has been involved with romantically but whom he wants to break up with now on account of Grace.

That evening, Felix is walking near the carnival when two men stop him to rob him. Felix has been robbed before and calmly gives over his money. But when one of the thieves asks for the zirconia earrings that Grace gave him, Felix refuses. The next thing Felix knows, one of the men has stabbed him fatally from behind.

The third part of the novel, “Host,” follows the life of Keisha (who becomes Natalie) from childhood until her mid-thirties. Keisha wasn’t the most popular in school, but her status as Leah’s friend helped her win people’s acceptance. But everything changed one day when Keisha’s mother found a dildo that Leah gave to her, forcing Keisha to stay away from Leah for over a year. During this time, Keisha meets Rodney, who is studious and goes to her church. They form a relationship and make plans to go to university together. Leah goes to a different university.

Soon after going to university, Keisha changes her name to Natalie. She also dumps Rodney and meets Frank, a mixed-race man who intrigues her, in part because of his wealth. Natalie eventually marries Frank. Initially, she is afraid to benefit from any of her husband’s considerable family wealth. As more time goes on, however, Natalie finds herself becoming more and more like her husband and losing some of her independence. She gives birth to her first child, Naomi, and soon after that gives birth to Spike.

One day, Natalie arranges a threesome with two young men she finds online. Frank finds evidence of her infidelity on her computer and confronts her. In response, Natalie runs out, heading in the direction of the big carnival that night.

Part four of the book, “Crossing,” details Natalie’s wanderings out on the streets that night. She runs into Nathan and smokes weed with him, reminiscing about their past in Caldwell. But while they’re talking, Nathan references a friend of his who sometimes gets out of control. It soon becomes clear that Nathan’s friend is the one who stabbed Felix, and Nathan was probably part of the mugging, too. Natalie feels that her current situation with Frank is impossible and goes to a bridge where she seriously contemplates suicide. Nathan helps convince her not to. The two of them part ways.

In the final part of the book, “Visitation,” it’s the day after the carnival, and Michel finally learns about the contraceptives that Leah has been hiding from him. Leah goes outside in their yard and refuses to speak, so Michel calls Natalie for help. Natalie comes over to talk to Leah, who is resistant at first. Eventually, however, Natalie manages to break through to her old friend. The two of them agree that Nathan probably had some involvement in the murder of Felix. As they call the police tip line, they feel like they used to when they were younger and used to call up boys they liked on the phone. Natalie makes the call to the police in the voice she used to use when she went by “Keisha.”