Top

We have updated our Privacy Policy Please take a moment to review it. By continuing to use this site, you agree to the terms of our updated Privacy Policy.

The Return of Faraz Ali

On sale

31st March 2022

Price: £16.99

Select a format

Selected: Hardcover / ISBN-13: 9781529356014

Disclosure: If you buy products using the retailer buttons above, we may earn a commission from the retailers you visit.

‘Stunning, not only on account of the author’s talent, of which there is clearly plenty, but also in its humanity’ New York Times Book Review

A spellbinding debut set in Pakistan during the anarchic late ’60s – a multi-layered tale of family, identity and the politics of power in a caste-ridden society.

As riots erupt on the streets of Lahore, Inspector Faraz returns to his birthplace, the red-light district in the ancient walled city where women still pass on the profession of courtesan to their daughters. Plucked from it as a small boy by his influential father, Faraz has kept his roots well hidden. Now his father has sent him back: to cover up the murder of a young courtesan.

It should be a simple task in the marginalised community, but Faraz finds himself unable to obey orders or to resist searching for the mother and sister he left behind. Chasing down the walled city’s labyrinthine alleys for answers that risk shattering his carefully constructed existence, he is unaware that his sister faces having to return too, and to a life she thought she had escaped.

As riveting as it is thought-provoking, as profoundly intimate as it is wide in scope, The Return of Faraz Ali poses a timeless question: whom do we choose to protect, and at what price?

What's Inside

Read More Read Less

Reviews

Kamila Shamsie
A gripping read - everything beautifully evoked, from the alleys of the Old City to the atmosphere of corruption and secrets
Adam Johnson
Aamina Ahmad has done the impossible: made her literary debut with an enduring classic. Essential and compelling.
Yaa Gyasi
A rich and deeply moving novel about confronting histories both personal and political . . . Marvellous
Anthony Marra
In The Return of Faraz Ali, Aamina Ahmad moves across borders and through decades to create a mesmerizing portrayal of crimes and coverups in the walled-off world of Lahore's red-light district. That a novel so epic in scope can remain so intimate at heart is nothing short of astonishing.
Maaza Mengiste
The Return of Faraz Ali heralds the arrival of a strikingly accomplished and mature talent. Aamina Ahmad has managed to meld fast-paced, intelligent noir with a devastating portrait of the true costs of ambition and desire. A gripping read that does not let you go, even after the end.
Kirkus
This novel has everything a reader could ask for: a sizzling, noirlike plot; political intrigue juxtaposed with a rich intergenerational family saga; capacious, conflicted characters, including women who may be marginalized by society but are masters of their own narratives; and sublime sentences. A debut novelist, Ahmad manages this complexity seamlessly. A feat of storytelling not to be missed.
Omar El Akkad, New York Times Book Review
Stunning, not only on account of the author's talent, of which there is clearly plenty, but also in its humanity, in how a book this unflinching in its depiction of class and institutional injustice can still feel so tender . . . The fullness of the characters and their intersecting lives make this far more than a murder mystery . . . Ahmad's compassion, her deep care for the psychological and emotional nuances of her characters, never wavers . . . It extends through generations and transformations of place, all the way to a devastating final chapter, fully human, fully engaged with what makes us human.
Antonia Senior, The Times
A layered, fascinating portrait of a fractured family and of Pakistan. An impressive, gripping debut
Omar El Akkad, New York Times Book Review
Stunning, not only on account of the author's talent, of which there is clearly plenty, but also in its humanity, in how a book this unflinching in its depiction of class and institutional injustice can still feel so tender . . . The fullness of the characters and their intersecting lives make this far more than a murder mystery . . . Ahmad's compassion, her deep care for the psychological and emotional nuances of her characters, never wavers . . . It extends through generations and transformations of place, all the way to a devastating final chapter, fully human, fully engaged with what makes us human
Kamila Shamsie, Best Summer Books, Observer
A stunning debut novel - a noir-inspired thriller that weaves in politics, family ties, corruption and murder, while also being sharp about different kinds of power, particularly as it relates to women.
Monocle
A riveting exploration of the dangers of patriarchy, politics and power.
The Washington Post
Extraordinarily accomplished . . . . This is a great novel, rich in setting, shocking in its depiction of brute, inexorable power, but unexpectedly sweet in conclusion.
Fatima Farheen Mirza
The Return of Faraz Ali is a masterpiece. An intricately woven, deeply affecting labyrinth of history, hope, and longing that fulfils its every great ambition. I'm stunned by the gentle grace and spellbinding storytelling of Aamina, a writer I will return to for years to come.
NPR
It starts out as a crime novel . . . and then evolves into so much more . . . come for the evocative writing, the subtle characters, and plot - some of which veered in completely unexpected territory.
Ms Magazine
Dark and compelling, this debut novel is one of secrets, murder and loyalty. It's one that will stay with you.