Fatima Bhutto was born in Kabul, Afghanistan and grew up between Syria and Pakistan. She is the author of several books of fiction and nonfiction. Her debut novel,
The Shadow of the Crescent Moon, was long listed for the Bailey's Women's Prize for Fiction and the memoir about her father's life and assassination,
Songs of Blood and Sword, was published to acclaim. Her most recent books are
The Runaways, a novel, and
New Kings of the World, a non-fiction reportage on popular culture and globalisation.
AN EXPLOSIVE NEW NOVEL THAT ASKS DIFFICULT QUESTIONS ABOUT MODERN IDENTITY IN A WORLD ON FIRE
Anita Rose lives in a concrete block in one of Karachi's biggest slums, languishing in poverty with her mother and older brother. Determined to escape her stifling circumstances, she struggles to educate herself, scribbling down English words-gleaned from watching TV or taught by her elderly neighbour-in her most prized possession: a glossy red notebook. All the while she is aware that a larger destiny awaits her.
On the other side of Karachi lives Monty, whose father owns half the city. But Monty wants more than fast cars and easy girls. When the rebellious Layla joins his school, he knows his life will never be the same again.
And far away in Portsmouth, Sunny fits in nowhere. It is only when he meets his charismatic, suntanned cousin Oz-whose smile makes Sunny feel found-that that he realizes his true purpose.
These three disparate lives will cross paths in the middle of a desert, a place where life and death walk hand-in-hand, and where their closely guarded secrets will force them to make a terrible choice.
A big-hearted, beautiful novel. I read it with awe. Fatima Bhutto has an unflinching eye and a unique voice.
The Runaways is a book we should all read for it holds up a clear mirror to the way societies in many parts of the world are shaping, moulding, distorting and deforming the young. It is a book we all need.Bhutto gives a historical and contemporary context to rising fundamentalism. Compulsively readable, it is an astonishing achievement and vividly written.Deeply empathetic and powerful, this novel navigates the fragile worlds of its characters with a gaze that is both intimate and panoramic.Riveting and heartbreaking all at once. I read
The Runaways in a blaze of surrender.An extraordinary book for these extraordinary times.By turns terrifying and true and tender.
