How to get filthy rich in rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid

With a self-help format, a second-person narrative and a nameless protagonist, How to get filthy rich in rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid couldn’t have got more interesting as it tells the story of a cook in a rural village who leaves for the metropolis, falls in love with a girl and sets up an industry. And, he becomes filthy rich in a rising Asia.

Even though the plot is not very convincing at various instances, it makes for a fresh, original read. One, however, wishes that the pace of the book could have been slower as crucial and entire stages of the protagonist’s life pass by in merely a few pages, leaving the reader without a sufficient sense of closure. .

The prose is deft and Hamid does not lose fluidity as he journeys the life of his hero. Considering it was one of the most anticipated books in Pakistan in 2013, it definitely did not let the reader down.

The blind man’s garden by Nadeem Aslam

Set in the aftermath of 9/11, Nadeem Aslam’s latest offering The blind man’s garden begins with two Pakistani men slipping into Afghanistan. Jeo has discreetly offered to treat casualties in the “war against terror” with his adopted brother Mikal, who works at a gun shop, following him there. They are deceived and immediately sold to the Taliban in the throes of war. Struggling to do the right thing while faced with predicaments is integral to the story as Aslam tells it.

And even if the story falters at some instances, Aslam’s prose doesn’t. As a matter of fact, to some extent, his prose redeems any shortcomings the book may be offering — such as grim and terrifying descriptions of atrocities confronted by ordinary people at the hands of the Taliban. Here is a writer who knows his craft like the back of his hand. It’s hard to believe that he taught himself to write English after he moved to Britain from Pakistan. The power of his prose is haunting and lasting.

The shadow of the crescent moon by Fatima Bhutto

It’s not every day that you read a work of fiction with the story based in Waziristan, one of Pakistan’s most volatile regions, off-limits due to drone strikes and militancy. Since Waziristan has mostly gained notoriety for its perils, a reader is only intrigued to pick up Fatima Bhutto’s latest book.

During the course of three fateful hours, it tells the story of three brothers and the women close to them who decide to go to different mosques for security reasons. As the story is set into motion, the characters grapple with issues crucial to them in the face of situations such as sectarianism, terrorism, etc. It’s an exciting book but fails to deliver on some counts as it endeavours to tell too many things within the course of just one morning.

How it Happened by Shazaf Fatima Haider

Debut novel by Shazaf Fatima Haider, How it Happened is a quintessential tale of love, arranged marriages, family quarrels and rivalries. The story is narrated by the 15-year-old Saleha Bandian who tells the reader about how her elder brother Haroon and sister Zeba finally tied the knot. Matters are made worse due to the fact that the Bandian family is Shia and any prospective spouses for its younger generation must be from a similar Shia-Syed background.

Many reviewers and critics have linked Haider’s novel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, from her witty writing to her characters, of which Dadi bears the most similarities to Austen’s Mrs Bennett. However, despite all of these similarities, How it Happened fits perfectly into the local cultural context and is, therefore, immensely relatable for its readers.

I am Malala: The girl who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousufzai with Christina Lamb

One of the most anticipated books of 2013 was Malala Yousufzai’s autobiography I am Malala, which she co-authored with British journalist Christina Lamb. I am Malala starts with the horrifying incident of Oct 12, 2012 when Malala was shot in the head for her stance on education of girls. It then moves backwards in the past where there are many things to be learnt about the young girl whose resistance and support of education won many hearts both in Pakistan and abroad.

Although, it is important to remember that she also gained many critics at home. This has resulted in her book being banned in private schools in Pakistan. There is also the fear, further cemented with the release of her memoir, that Malala has been turned into a tool for certain powerful parties who may be using her in order to realise their own ulterior motives.

—By Soonha Abro and Fatema Imani