“Ingenious… Builds to one of the most memorable final scenes I’ve read in a novel this century.” —The New York TimesWINNER OF THE 2018 WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR FICTION FINALIST FOR THE 2019 INTERNATIONAL DUBLIN LITERARY AWARDLONGLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE The suspenseful and heartbreaking story of an immigrant family driven to pit love against loyalty, with devastating consequencesIsma is free. … against loyalty, with devastating consequences
Isma is free. After years of watching out for her younger siblings in the wake of their mother’s death, she’s accepted an invitation from a mentor in America that allows her to resume a dream long deferred. But she can’t stop worrying about Aneeka, her beautiful, headstrong sister back in London, or their brother, Parvaiz, who’s disappeared in pursuit of his own dream, to prove himself to the dark legacy of the jihadist father he never knew. When he resurfaces half a globe away, Isma’s worst fears are confirmed.
Then Eamonn enters the sisters’ lives. Son of a powerful political figure, he has his own birthright to live up to—or defy. Is he to be a chance at love? The means of Parvaiz’s salvation? Suddenly, two families’ fates are inextricably, devastatingly entwined, in this searing novel that asks: What sacrifices will we make in the name of love?
more
Home Fire blew me away. The instant I finished its explosive ending, I wanted to write a review saying this, but decided to let my feelings simmer. Time changed nothing. Several weeks later, I’m as appreciative as ever. Home Fire is one of the most powerful books I’ve read in a long, long time.
With overtones of a Greek tragedy, Home Fire tells of the three children of a dead jihadist – the emotional burdens they bear at British Pakistanis, and the extremes to which they go for the love of their father and for each other. Entwined with their stories is that of the son of a British Home Secretary, a lapsed Muslim whose approach to jihadists and their kin is rigid.
I was drawn in at the very opening of the book, when the oldest of those three children, heading for a post-graduate program of study in America, is detained in the airport and questioned so long that she misses her flight. Her mindset during the interrogation, what she puts up with as she holds her tongue, is heartrending.
Home Fire is not first and foremost a political book. Mostly it is about family – about fathers and sons, about narrow-mindedness.
The author is unbelievably skilled, her writing lyrical without being obtrusive. And the narrator of the Audible edition to which I listened? Perfect. She captured each of the characters as I would have imagined that character to be.
My book group is discussing Home Fire at our next meeting. Of the many discussion points, there is the intersection of politics and family, the responsibility of a parent, and the making of a terrorist. I hope we discuss question like how much sympathy we should or should not have for the child of a terrorist. What are the pros and cons of a zero tolerance policy? What kind of people are we if we turn away from those who cry for help after making a mistake? Is it possible to rehabilitate a jihadist?
Finally, there’s this: Should the leader of country be flexible and recognize when his personal animus is affecting his policy? This question is front and center in Home Fire, just as it resonates between the lines of newspapers in America today.
This is a reworking of the ancient Greek drama, “Antigone,” but you can ignore the reference and dig right into this portrait of British-Pakistani women and men suffering in the wake of the terrorist activities of others. It’s told in five distinct voices, culminating in a character who is the most complex and compelling—and, in my opinion, the most tragic. This is not a perfect novel—a coincidence kicks off the plot—but it pays off. You will not forget the last line.
An eye-opening story with a kick in the end.
I recommend this book without reservation. It reads as if torn from today’s–and no doubt tomorrow’s– headlines, but it probes beneath them to enter the lives of people engaged in jihad, enabling readers to gain a deeper understanding of why people become involved.
The final pages left me breathless, but the depth of characterization, the sense of being trapped by one’s origins, the paradoxes of family background, enabled me to develop compassion in unusual ways. An important book, beautifully written, deeply thought-out and plotted. I recommend it highly.
Recommend to readers of contemporary fiction.
The book is a modern re-telling of the Greek tragedy Antigone. A knowledge of Antigone isn’t necessary but it does add an extra dimension to the read.
Aneeka and Parvaiz are twins. They grew up knowing their dead father, a jihadist, as a silence. When their mother dies they are brought up by their older sister, Isma.
When the twins reach adulthood, Isma decides to move to America to continue her studies. This move and Aneeka’s enrollment in University sets a series of events in motion that lead to Parvaiz travelling to Syria.
The story is interesting and thought-provoking. The radicalization of Parvaiz flows in a logical, natural way indicating how vulnerable some young men are in certain circumstances.
The conflict between love and family versus duty and social responsibility is well explored. The book also highlights the “image” problems Muslims have and how their culture and actions are perceived by non-Muslims.
This novel has been out for a few years now but it’s worth a mention because it’s a evocative story. Fascinating to learn more about the challenges of a Muslim family, and the strong bonds of the tight-knit siblings growing up in the UK. The powerful ending will stay with me for ever.
The situations of this book were a new subject for my reading. Really eye opening.
I wish more people would read it.
Kamila Shamsie weaves a profound and timely tale of race, religion, culture clashes, and terrorism in modern day UK and US. Above all, it speaks of parents, children, and siblings, and the impact of on each other, in life and beyond.
I found it quite educational and interesting to see this issue from the opposite view.
Wonderful author to keep track of.
One of the cleverest books I have ever read
Weirdly prescient, and totally credible
I’ve recommended this book to several book clubs–and all have thanked me! It’s rich and riveting from start to finish. The author tells the story from several different viewpoints, and pulls off the amazing trick of making you understand and feel each person’s perspective. The shocking ending is well earned.
It just didn’t ever “catch” me. The story is not bad, I just couldn’t get into it. I love the feeling of being lost in a book, that just didn’t happen.
A fascinating journey to another world within this world. I was spellbound through the entire book, told through different points of view. A story of heart wrenching humanity we can all recognize. I wish I could write like this.
Interesting book that kept my attention. I think I was supposed to sympathize with the characters but I didn’t. It was food for thought to see how characters with different approaches were all damned by the situation. It was an interesting musing on a present day problem.
Well-written page-turner about a British Muslim family and the complications of modern life in the age of ISIS.
Good story …very timely
Incredibly well written novel providing insights that feel 100% genuine. What happens to families grieving the loss of loved ones, manipulated by external forces, and torn apart by circumstances often beyond their control? Home Fire explores all of this which has the reader feeling empathy even for the “enemy.” The brainwashing (and that is not nearly a strong enough word for what happens to Parvaiz) is heart rending as is Aneeka’s grief. This story will haunt you and have you asking “why? how? but?” as you watch the news which you will no longer take at face value. Powerful stuff.
This is a book you cannot put down. It takes today’s insane political climate to it’s inevitable conclusion on a personel level right up to the top. I loved all the characters…possibly even those you weren’t supposed to love. It provides no universal answers, but it makes all of the questions crystal clear.