It is a semi-autobiographical novel, based on Syal's childhood in the mining village of Essington, Staffordshire, which won the Betty Trask Award.

The story revolves around Meena, a British Indian girl (the "me" of the title), and her relationship with her best friend, English neighbour Anita, as they grow up in the fictional Midlands village of Tollington in the late 1960s.

The film starred Chandeep Uppal and Anna Brewster in the title roles.

The story follows young Meena Kumar, an everyday girl, and the life she lives with her parents in Tollington, near Wolverhampton.

Meena is a bright girl, with a wise head on young shoulders, but one who retains a childlike exuberance and naivety.