No Honour by Awais Khan

 

It was when they snatched the baby from her that she realised how serious the situation had become. She watched her twin bother, Aslam, wrap her daughter - his niece - in a filthy rag that he might have picked up in the stables... He tossed the knitted shawl she had made for the baby onto the ground.

***

The Blurb

In sixteen-year-old Abida’s small Pakistani village, there are age-old rules to live by, and her family’s honour to protect. And, yet, her spirit is defiant and she yearns to make a home with the man she loves.

When the unthinkable happens, Abida faces the same fate as other young girls who have chosen unacceptable alliances – certain, public death. Fired by a fierce determination to resist everything she knows to be wrong about the society into which she was born, and aided by her devoted father, Jamil, who puts his own life on the line to help her, she escapes to Lahore and then disappears.

Jamil goes to Lahore in search of Abida – a city where the prejudices that dominate their village take on a new and horrifying form – and father and daughter are caught in a world from which they may never escape.

Moving from the depths of rural Pakistan, riddled with poverty and religious fervour, to the dangerous streets of over-populated Lahore, No Honour is a story of family, of the indomitable spirit of love in its many forms … a story of courage and resilience, when all seems lost, and the inextinguishable fire that lights one young woman’s battle for change.

My Review

Wow! This is a very thought provoking and powerful book.

Set in a small village in Pakistan, the book opens with a young woman and her baby being murdered by her twin brother in the name of bringing  dishonour on her family. This is probably one of the most powerful openings to a book I have read in quite some time.

This sets the tone for the whole theme of the book.  Women are totally in the hands of the patriarchal figures of both her family and society.  The novel demonstrates how these young women can be exploited and abused by men in a society that deems them as useless and superfluous. The book is filled with sadness and is heartrending but also demonstrates hope.

The author has taken an extremely difficult subject in tackling such taboo subjects. He writes unflinchingly and with an honesty that is arresting. I could not put this book down. It was utterly compelling and Mr. Khan's writing had me gripped from the first sentence to the last.

At the time of writing this, I have already begun reading another of his novels. He writes extremely well, and understands his characters completely. The book is written in alternating chapters between Abida and her father Jamil. I adored Jamil. His willingness to stand up to his village elders and face the consequences of doing so in order to protect his daughter was admirable in the extreme. His demonstration of his love for her above all else made for emotive and compelling reading.

I can hardly wait to read more work from the pen of this author, and I highly recommend this one.

Update: since writing this review I have published my review of In the Shadows of Love. You can find my review by clicking on the title.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1913193782

Publisher:  Orenda Books

Formats: e-book, audio and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)

No. of Pages:  276 (paperback)

Buy Links:

Bookshop.org

AmazonUK

WaterstonesUK

Amazon US

Orenda Books

About the Author:

Awais Khan is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario and Durham He has studied creative writing with Faber Academy. His debut novel, In the Company of Strangers, was published to much critical acclaim and he regularly appears on TV and Radio. The critically acclaimed No Honour was published in 2021. Awais also teaches a popular online creative writing course to aspiring writers around the world. He is currently working on his third book. When not working, he has his nose buried in a book. He lives in Lahore.

(media courtesy of the publishers website https://orendabooks.co.uk/authors/awais-khan)

(all opinions are my own)

(affiliated to bookshop.org)

In the Shadows of Love by Awais Khan - #bookreview #blogtour

 It's not mine...

That was all he could think of on the way to the hospital. There was an important meeting taking place when the call arrived, but he'd abandoned everything and rushed to his car.

***

A life hiding her heartbreak. A message that will change her world.

To strangers that pass her on the streets of Lahore, Mona Ahmed lives a life to be envied. Married to wealthy businessman Bilal, with happily married children and living in a vast home with staff to attend to her every desire, she seems to want for nothing.

But behind the gilded exterior lies a past of secrets and heartbreak. While they may have weathered the storm of Mona’s infidelity, with Bilal embracing the child born out of that secret love affair, their marriage remains shaky.

While Mona’s heart is broken with memories of her lost soulmate, she hides her pain behind becoming the perfect wife, hosting glamorous, high-profile gatherings for the rest of Lahore’s high society, keeping up appearances for fear of inviting gossip.

Each day has the same slow, regular rhythm… until the first message arrives, and everything in Mona’s life changes in an instant. Will the secrets of Mona’s past threaten her future, her marriage and even her life?

An utterly captivating, thought-provoking and heartbreaking read that fans of Christy Lefteri and Nadia Hashimi won’t be able to put down.

***

This book only released yesterday so I was enormously excited to receive an early readers copy.

It is a fantastic book, and I have read the whole book over a couple of days. In fact, I went straight from reading another of Mr. Khan's books, No Honour, (review coming soon) straight to reading this. I think it would be fair to say that I am now a huge fan, and I cannot wait to read more of his work.

The main character, Mona appears to have everything she could desire. A grand lifestyle in Lahore, Pakistan, a fruitful career, a husband and successful grown up children, as well as a younger son, who both she and her husband dote on. However, Mona has a closely guarded secret, and its revelation would destroy everything that she has. I wouldn't say that I found her a particularly likeable character, however I did find myself rooting for her every step of the way.

I was completely gripped by the plot. It is dramatic and fast paced and definitely had me reading beyond my bedtime. It was difficult to put down as alongside the potential revelation of Mona's secret, there are gangs, kidnappings and high class prostitution. Not to mention a very vindictive school mum who I could not but help hope got her comeuppance.

I have not read many books set in Pakistan, but this brilliant book has made me want to read more. I highly recommend this one and am confident that you will enjoy it every bit as much as I did.

ISBN: 978 1804368107

Publisher: Canelo Hera

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages:  304 (paperback)

About the Author:

Awais Khan was born in Lahore, Pakistan. He is a graduate of The University of Western Ontario and Durham University and studied Creative Writing at Faber Academy. In his free time, he likes to read all types of fiction, especially historical fiction and psychological thrillers.

(author photo courtesy of A for Authors Agency)

(ARC and media courtesy of Love Book Tours)

(all opinions are my own)

No Funeral for Nazia by Taha Kehar - #bookreview #blogtour

 

Naureen rose from her wicker chair and sauntered through the cobbled tracks along the lawn - lika Nazia used to. As she approached the bougainvillea creepers, she smoothed the creases on her off-white cotton kurta, stopping to light a cigarette...

***

Nazia Sami is a celebrated author, but perhaps her greatest plot twist is yet to be produced. In her final days, she wields a pen one last time as she fills her diary with instructions for her sister, Naureen, and writes six letters to be delivered after her death. There is to be no funeral for Nazia. Instead, only six invitees are asked to attend a party, one of whom is a mystery guest. Over the course of an extraordinary evening, secrets are revealed, pasts reconsidered, and lives are forever changed. 

Perfect for fans of MOHSIN HAMID and KAMILA SHAMSIE, No Funeral for Nazia is a striking and inventive exploration of what death can mean for both the deceased and those left behind.

***

There is some great fiction coming out of Neem Tree Press. I have read several of them, and they have been excellent. This book is no exception.

This book is set in Karachi, Pakistan, and the main character is Nazia. We never actually meet Nazia in the book as she has passed away but has left instructions with her sister, Nadeen that instead of a funeral they are to throw a party to celebrate her life for only six of her friends and family, plus one mystery guest. Each are promised a monetary inheritance to perform one last act in her name.

This sets the scene for this book which I really enjoyed reading. I particularly enjoyed the setting. The author's descriptions of the clothes and the food were excellent and were immersive. There is a helpful glossary at the back of the book with definitions of unfamiliar words.

The plot was a little different to anything I can recall reading in the past. It is quite hard to describe without creating spoilers, so I will just say that each of the characters reveals why their relationship with Nazia was problematic and this was done in an unusual way. However, the reader does get to understand their views of Nazia through this and to a lesser degree, of Nazia herself.

It is a story of love, betrayal and death. It considers the ways in which we see ourselves and also how others see us.

It was a short and interesting work of prose which I recommend.

ISBN: 978 1911107743

Publisher:  Neem Tree Press

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)

No. of Pages:  272 (paperback)

About the Author:

Taha Kehar is a novelist, journalist and literary critic. A law graduate from SOAS, London, Kehar is the author of three novels, No Funeral for Nazia (Neem Tree Press, 2023), Typically Tanya (HarperCollins India, 2018) and Of Rift and Rivalry (Palimpsest Publishers, 2014). He is the co-editor of The Stained-Glass Window: Stories of the Pandemic from Pakistan. Kehar has served as the head of The Express Tribune’s Peshawar city pages and bi-monthly books page, and worked as an assistant editor on the op-ed desk at The News. Kehar’s essays, reviews and commentaries have been published in The News on Sunday, The Hindu and South Asia magazine and his short fiction has appeared in the Delhi-based quarterly The Equator Line, the biannual journal Pakistani Literature and the OUP anthology I’ll Find My Way. Two of his short stories appeared in an anthology titled The Banyan and Her Roots, which has been edited by the British writer Jad Adams. In 2016, he guest-edited an issue of The Equator Line, titled ‘Pakistan: After The Stereotypes’, that focused on new writing from Pakistan. Kehar curates Tales from Karachi: City of Words, an Instagram e-anthology that publishes flash fiction from and about Karachi. He recently compiled and edited the first print anthology of the initiative titled Tales from Karachi (Moringa, 2021). Based in Karachi, he teaches undergraduate media courses.

(book and media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)

The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon by Safinah Danish Elahi - #bookreview #blogtour

 

Daylight dims outside my window, as I heave a sigh, I wrap up my work for the day. The electricity bills for this month are higher than they were last month... I take one last look at the screen, hoping for the number to magically change...

***

Zohaib, Misha and Nadia believed they would be in each other's lives forever. As children they played, argued, teased and loved one another. Yet nothing could have prepared them for the tragic turn of events one fateful afternoon in Karachi, Pakistan, when the divisions and differences between them are revealed.

Years later and they are still trying to piece their lives back together, still trying to make sense of what happened. Zohaib is living in London, haunted by the ghosts of the past. Nadia has escaped the household where she first met Misha and Zohaib but finds fate delivering her back to their door…

The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon is a beautifully rendered portrait of love, healing, and long-buried pain, digging deep into the nature of trauma and class division.

***

What a fantastic title to catch a readers eye with.

This is the story of three lives; Misha, Zohaib and Nadia, and the chapters are told from their individual perspectives. There are also occasional chapters narrated by secondary characters. Misha and Zohaib are siblings and Nadia, along with her mother, work as servants in the household of the brother and sister. However, Nadia's position is slightly different to that of most children of her class as she is being educated alongside Misha.

The book moves backwards and forwards through time. Zohaib's chapters are set in present day London where he lives as an adult. Nadia's are also set in the present day in Lahore, but Misha's are set during her childhood in Karachi, Pakistan. This provides for a varied narrative of the three characters and has been extremely well executed. In the beginning I was puzzled by how the three stories were connected to one another, but it does all become clear as the book progresses.

This is a fairly short book but is a very powerful read. It is heartbreaking at times to realise how vast the repercussions that one childhood event had on them. It deals with themes of equality, racism and the issue of class within this one Pakistani household. However, it is also about loss and friendship.

The author is a great storyteller, and not a word of this novel has been wasted. She has carefully constructed a tight narrative and has done so extremely well. It is a character led novel with the plot gently simmering along in the background. It moves along at a fairly slow pace which is essential for this book as it gives the reader the opportunity to soak up the characters themselves.

This will appeal to readers who enjoy literary fiction, and I recommend it.

ISBN:  978 1911107705

Publisher:  Neem Tree Press

Formats:  Paperback

No. of Pages:  250

About the Author:

Safinah Danish Elahi is a lawyer, poet, writer, and the founder of an independent publishing house based in Pakistan. Her poetry collection has been critically acclaimed and one of her novels has been commissioned for television. Safinah was selected for the Iowa Writer’s Workshop 2022 Fall Residency and is often on the judging panel for writing competitions across Pakistan.

(book and media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)

The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon by Safinah Danish Elahi - #spotlight #blogtour

 

Today, I am excited to be shining the spotlight on The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon by Safinah Danish Elahi. I love the cover and I can hardly wait to read it. In fact, I will be reviewing this book on the 5th July as part of the blog tour so watch this space. In the meantime, here is some information about this book.

The Blurb

Zohaib, Misha and Nadia believed they would be in each other's lives forever. As children they played, argued, teased and loved one another. Yet nothing could have prepared them for the tragic turn of events one fateful afternoon in Karachi, Pakistan, when the divisions and differences between them are revealed.

Years later and they are still trying to piece their lives back together, still trying to make sense of what happened. Zohaib is living in London, haunted by the ghosts of the past. Nadia has escaped the household where she first met Misha and Zohaib but finds fate delivering her back to their door…

The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon is a beautifully rendered portrait of love, healing, and long-buried pain, digging deep into the nature of trauma and class division.

ISBN:  978 1911107705

Publisher:  Neem Tree Press

Formats: Paperback

No. of Pages:  250

About the Author:

Safinah Danish Elahi is a lawyer, poet, writer, and the founder of an independent publishing house based in Pakistan. Her poetry collection has been critically acclaimed and one of her novels has been commissioned for television. Safinah was selected for the Iowa Writer’s Workshop 2022 Fall Residency and is often on the judging panel for writing competitions across Pakistan.

(media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)

Northern Boy by Iqbal Hussain - #bookreview #blogtour

 

Despite the years, her handwriting remains unchanged: big loops, rounded forms and circles for dots. I smile, then tut. She's put Sydney on the envelope rather than Melbourne. Judging by the date on the postmark, it's been round the whole of Australia to get here.

***

It's 1981 in the suburbs of Blackburn and, as Rafi’s mother reminds him daily, the family moved here from Pakistan to give him the best opportunities. But Rafi longs to follow his own path. Flamboyant,

dramatic and musically gifted, he wants to be a Bollywood star.

Twenty years later, Rafi is flying home from Australia for his best friend’s wedding. He has everything he ever wanted: starring roles in musical theatre, the perfect boyfriend and freedom from expectation. But returning to Blackburn is the ultimate test: can he show his true self to his community?

Navigating family and identity from boyhood to adulthood, as well as the changing eras of ABBA, skinheads and urbanisation, Rafi must follow his heart to achieve his dreams.

***

This was a wonderful book to read. Anyone who has grown up feeling that they were different will love this book. Even if that was not you, this is a great book to read. It is a heart rending story, filled with love and humour.

We follow the main character, Rafi, from his childhhood in the north of England, through to adulthood in Australia. Rafi is a fully realised character and I thorougly enjoyed getting to know him in this book. As a child he is theatrical and flamboyant. He is bullied at school and by his older brother at home, but when he is with his best friend Shazia, he is a child able to dazzle.

Rafi's mum, has a huge role in the book too. She is a colourful character, who wears flowers in her hair, sings, dances and cossetts Rafi. Whilst Rafi has his heart set on Bollywood, she wants him to have a respectable career as doctor, lawyer or account; the standard aspirations for sons in her Pakistani Muslim community. Her concerns with how others will perceive Rafi is to the forefront of her mind.

To the reader, it is abuldantly clear from the outset that Rafi is homosexual. How he will handle this within a community that is unaccepting is the main theme running through the book. The author accomplishes this superbly. His writing is full of compassion but imbued with humour. There were several occasions on which I would have liked to reach into the book and give Rafi a hug.  I was fully invested in his story and I do not think I will forget him in a hurry. 

This is an outstandingly compelling book which is well deserving of a five star rating. Reading it made for an immersive and gripping experience. This is Mr. Hussain's debut book and I think he is one to watch. I would defintely want to read another novel by this author if he were to write one. It is an excellent book and I highly recommend it.

ISBN: 978 1800183148

Publisher:  Unbound

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages:  359 (paperback)

About the Author:

Iqbal Hussain is a writer from Blackburn, Lancashire and he lives in London. His work appears in various anthologies and on websites including The Willowherb Review, The Hopper and caughtbytheriver.

He is a recipient of the inaugural London Writers’ Awards 2018 and he won Gold in the Creative Future Writers’ Awards 2019. In 2022, he won first prize in Writing Magazine’s Grand Flash competition and was joint runner-up in the Evening Standard Short Story Competition. In 2023, his story ‘I’ll Never Be Young Again’ won first prize in the Fowey Festival of Arts and Literature short story competition. He was also Highly Commended in the Emerging Writer Award from The Bridge Award. Northern Boy is his first novel.

(book and media courtesy of Random Things Tours)

(all opinions are my own)