Recommended: The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Excuse me, sir, but may I be of assistance? Ah, I see I have alarmed you. Do not be frightened by my beard: I am a lover of America.

Thus starts the monologue of "Changez", the principle character in "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" by Mohsin Hamid.
Seated at dusk at a Lahore cafe, Changez tells his story to a stranger, an American. A story of a Pakistani who studied in the US, found work in a prestigious company, met a girl and became singled out after 9/11. Gradually he starts question his path of life and how different he was from the people around him, in a Western country.

The story is told with a light, almost frivolous, sometimes ironical English, jumping between the subjects of love, culture, religion, prejudices and the war on terror. Despite the weight of the topics, the story remains so light it almost starts to resonate with irony or sarcasm without giving away any hint of the faith both Changez and his American acquaintance will face towards the end of the book.

Very well written and highly recommended!

You can find this book and more of my favorites in my library.
More recommended books from The Road.