Through the eyes of a young girl, Trezza Azzopardi reveals a world rarely seen in fiction - the gritty underworld of Cardiff in the mid-20th century.

Tiger Bay, Cardiff, 1948. Maltese immigrant Frankie Gauci steps off the Callisto into the coldest winter ever. But when he and best friend Salvatore open the doors of the Moonlight Cafe, life seems good: downstairs there is sweet music, hot food, beautiful girls; upstairs there is gambling. The Hiding Place is narrated by Dolores, the youngest of six daughters of Frankie and Mary, his long-suffering wife. Long-suffering, because Frankie is a gambler who bets ‘more than he can afford to lose’.

Shortlisted
The Booker Prize 2000
Published by
Picador
Publication date
Trezza Azzopardi

Trezza Azzopardi

About the Author

Trezza Azzopardi was born in Cardiff and lives in Norwich. She is the author of The Hiding Place, which was shortlisted for the 2000 Booker Prize in 2000.
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