I'm back with fiction today but it's not a crime novel for once. Although there is definitely crime in it! And some shocking, heart stopping moments! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for the compelling Someone Like Her by Awais Khan - I read it in two days & it only took me that long because I had to adult occasionally! My thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for the invitation and to the publisher for my review copy.
The Blurb
'A shocking portrait of lives lived under the shadow of threat and prejudice. A brave book’ Vaseem Khan
‘A compelling and compassionate story’ Anna Mazzola
Multan, Pakistan. A conservative city where an unmarried woman over the age of twenty-five is considered a curse by her family.
Ayesha is twenty-seven. Independent and happily single, she has evaded an arranged marriage because of her family’s reduced circumstances. When she catches the eye of powerful, wealthy Raza, it seems like the answer to her parents’ prayers. But Ayesha is in love with someone else, and when she refuses to give up on him, Raza resorts to unthinkable revenge…
Ayesha travels to London to rebuild her life and there she meets Kamil, an emotionally damaged man who has demons of his own. They embark on a friendship that could mean salvation for both of them, but danger stalks Ayesha in London, too. With her life thrown into turmoil, she is forced to make a decision that could change her and everyone she loves forever.
Someone Like Her is published by Orenda Books and will be released on 17th August 2023.
My Review
Ayesha is 27, happy and fulfilled in her job at a charity for abused women. She is in no rush to marry but when he does she wants it to be to her soul mate, Saqib. Ayesha's parents are progressive - they allow her to work and have not tried to force her into marriage, despite her age - but they are only progressive to a point. The family used to be wealthy and although the money has been lost, they still have a good reputation, and Ayesha knows that they would probably not approve of Saqib. Raza is very rich and very powerful and keen to donate to the charity she works at, where their paths cross. Ayesha's parents are very taken with Raza. Ayesha is not... Meanwhile, in London, Kamil's relationship is coming to an end, and he's not really sure how he feels about it. It's clear to us that Kamil is very troubled and deeply sad. The circumstances that bring these two young people together are awful and sickening but they begin a tentative friendship and both find a little joy. Until something unthinkable happens and everything is turned upside down...
I couldn't help but love Ayesha. She is full of spirit, passionate about her job and devoted to her man. But we feel the weight of expectation on her shoulders and her sadness that her parents might not accept Saqib, not unless his circumstances change, anyway. As the book progresses we see her strength and resilience, which are a joy to read. But we also see her at her absolute lowest, and her despair will tear at your heart. My opinions of her parents yo-yoed through the book but, I think, they were trapped within a belief system that compels one to behave in a certain way. By the end of the book, I loved them, as I did Kamil's family in London. Talking about Kamil, he is so beautifully written that I clearly felt his pain and vulnerability. The gentle blossoming he feels in his friendship with Ayesha was just wonderful to see. And whilst Raza is definitely the villain of the piece, I must mention Ayesha's aunt, who is just awful!
This book was both shocking and fascinating. This is a culture I am not familiar with, nor do I understand it. I don't want to be disrespectful to anyone, but as a Western woman reading this, the attitude towards women in Multan and beyond was horrifying to me but even sadder in some ways was the acceptance of women of their lot. I realise that this has been culturally ingrained for thousands of years and is, I hope, changing slowly. But it's so far removed from anything I know, it's bewildering. I know this is fiction, of course, but we have all seen reports of violence against women in the name of honour, family or love. I haven't read Awais Khan's previous books but I found it quite moving that this is a male author shining a light on the situation of women in Pakistan. It feels a very positive thing.
This book also led me to a wonderful conversation with a Muslim acquaintance who was born and bred in Glasgow but whose family come from just fifty miles from Multan. And, whilst she is not bringing up her own daughter that way, she could echo many of the expectations from men of women, and those of women themselves, that are portrayed in the book. Such an interesting chat.
I'm struggling to summarise my feelings about this book. Someone Like Her is a book about strength and resilience, family and honour, violence and hatred, hurt and healing, and ultimately love. It's horrifying and shocking, but powerful, informative and important. I'm so glad I read it - I got a wee glimpse into a culture I really knew nothing about, it's opened up conversations and made me keen to find out more, to be better informed about the issues raised. It's a beautifully written cracker of a book which will break your heart then make it sing before putting you through the emotional wringer all over again. Read it, you won't regret it.
The Author
Pakistani author Awais Khan is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario in Canada and Durham University in the UK, and he is an alumni of the Faber Academy. His debut novel, In the Company of Strangers, was published to great critical acclaim, as was his next novel, No Honour – which convincingly and emotively explored honour killings – was published in 2021. When he’s not writing, Awais teaches a popular online creative writing course to aspiring writers around the world, and regularly appears on TV and radio in his native Lahore.
