I too really enjoyed this book and am glad to have read it as it's not really the kind of book I would ordinarily have chosen.
I really admired Su and Lenka for their positivity and determination to improve their lives and make the most of their situations even though the reality of living in England was falling short of their expectations. Perhaps the bad hand life had dealt them so far meant they took a more realistic view that it was up to them to take control of their futures and not become passive bystanders in their own lives. I think this was particularly true of Su who was determined to make a place for herself in an environment so different to what she had previously known.
Sammy, though, was altogether more passive and looked to others (first Ehsan, then Rob, then Ehsan again) to lead her through life. At first I wondered if this was due to her younger age and relative lack of life experience but after a while it became clear that it was because this was what was expected of her within her culture and family. Her lack of freedom and the right to have a say in her own life (even down to her clothes) was very sad and I was glad to see her beginning to address some of these things with Ehsan. However, I have to say that I think it was an almost unbelievable leap for her to begin a relationsip with Rob, given her 'meekness' in other areas of her life. Whilst obviously this was a necessary plot to highlight to Sammy the shortfalls of her marriage and circumstances, I thought hers was the most unsatisfactory storyline. This is particularly true of Sammy's 'ending' which in some respects I think was a bit of a convenient closure. Although in the section at the end of the book about why she wrote it, Flatley stated that the 2003 murder of Shafilea Ahmed had influenced her, I think I would have preferred a less dramatic storyline for Sammy - one where we could have seen her life five years down the line.
Sorry if that last bit sounds too critical; it's really just my opinion which may be vastly different to others. As I said earlier, I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was very confidently written and, like a previous poster, I was surprised to read this is her first novel. It was extremely well-researched and I thought very authentic. It seemed to me that Flatley captured some of the native characteristics of the three different women very well and gave each their own distinctive voice. The book also showed how language and cultural differences could be overcome by the more universal traits of empathy, kindness and friendliness. I'll definitely keep an eye out for any future books by her.