Harris Anwar is a British Pakistani proud of his Eastern heritage. In fact, it’s fair to say he’s proud, full stop: proud he installed his own central heating; proud of his swanky blue Citroën; even proud he’s owned the same Hoover for over twenty years.
The only thing rivalling his pride is his Muslim sense of responsibility and obligation. He longs to do well by those dearest to him. Whether it’s his nineteen-year-old daughter, Alia, in London, his cousin Nawaz and his family, living on top of their burgeoning takeaway in Yorkshire, or his friends and family back in Pakistan, Harris feels compelled to put himself second in order to help.
But there’s a problem: Harris’ best intentions always seem to breed the worst results. And so it’s no surprise that, when he decides to use his divorce settlement for selfless ends, this small fortune brings a huge cost of its own.
The only thing rivalling his pride is his Muslim sense of responsibility and obligation. He longs to do well by those dearest to him. Whether it’s his nineteen-year-old daughter, Alia, in London, his cousin Nawaz and his family, living on top of their burgeoning takeaway in Yorkshire, or his friends and family back in Pakistan, Harris feels compelled to put himself second in order to help.
But there’s a problem: Harris’ best intentions always seem to breed the worst results. And so it’s no surprise that, when he decides to use his divorce settlement for selfless ends, this small fortune brings a huge cost of its own.
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Reviews
'wonderfully entertaining' Book Group.
'an engaging and enlightening addition to the east-meets-west genre' Daily Mail.
'Dastgir has crafted a vibrant, at times comic and sometimes scary debut novel - a tale of one Pakistani family's attempts to assimilate into still often-hostile British society and of the hidden networks of Islamic extremism that extend outwards from London' Alison Roberts, London Evening Standard.
'[A] fine debut ... Dastgir, who was born in England but lives in Brooklyn, knows how to spin a yarn, with characters who leap off the page' Thomas Quinn, The Big Issue.
'Among the strengths of [her] writing are the naturalistic flow of her dialogue and her ear for the Yorkshire lilt. Her screenwriting flair also shines through in the deft jump-cuts between Lahore, Whitechapel and Yorkshire, and the arresting images of London's urban decay' Anna Travis, Times Literary Supplement.