A solitary cashier in an all-night garage is haunted by visions of real life and death, but is unable to intervene - until dramatic events force him to venture beyond his limits. He stumbles into hope, love, true insight - and Tamil London, where the hidden stories of others come to light: there's Kandy (a sex worker and psychology student), The Whistling Woman and, most important of all, the mysterious garage manager Siva. "The Winding Stick" is a story of London's immigrants: a novel that explores dislocation and delusion, but becomes bright with possibility and love.