An immersive and insightful story of poverty and politics in Pakistan.
In Athar and Athar-Jogee’s novel, a predawn visit from a stranger offers an opportunity that will lift a family out of poverty—but it comes with strings attached.
It’s 2014, and life in the financially struggling section of Karachi, Pakistan, is very hard. Bala Hadi, who works construction, and his wife, Naseebo, barely make ends meet and use their meager earnings to try to make things easier for their only son, 19-year-old Goha, who dreams of going to college. When a stranger knocks on their door early one morning, offering Goha an exciting opportunity to do “top secret” work for a mysterious group, he sees a chance to help his family. With a first-class train ticket in hand and his parents secure in new housing, courtesy of “the organization,” Goha leaves his life and family behind, traveling 800 miles to the tribal lands north of Peshawar. Initially told that he would be working on projects that focus on social change and preserving Pakistani heritage, Goha soon learns that the organization isn’t what he thought it was. He’s forced into a sexual relationship with his supervisor, but falls in love with the local imam’s progressive ex-wife. He’s reluctant to jeopardize the income he needs to support his parents, but he struggles with questions of morality, sexuality, and identity, which test his faith. In the end, he must decide what his future will hold. Authors Athar and Athar-Jogee, a father-and-daughter writing team, present richly developed characters in a story that will provide many readers with a window into Pakistani life and culture, complete with Urdu phrases with helpful translations. The compelling narrative examines gender roles, the effects of trauma, political extremism, and social stratification, all presented as part of one man’s journey to find his way in a difficult life. Readers who are unfamiliar with the setting will particularly appreciate the descriptions of the sights and sounds of the country, as seen through the eyes of a consistently relatable protagonist.
An immersive and insightful story of poverty and politics in Pakistan.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.
A struggling writer finds an unexpected muse when a mysterious man shows up at her cabin.
Petra Rose used to pump out a bestselling book every six months, but then the adaptation happened—that is, the disastrous film adaptation of her most famous book. The movie changed the book’s storyline so egregiously that fans couldn’t forgive her, and the ensuing harassment sent Petra into hiding and gave her a serious case of writer’s block. Petra’s one hope is her solo writing retreat at a remote cabin, where she can escape the distractions of real life and focus on her next book, a story about a woman having an affair with a cop. When officer Nathaniel Saint shows up at her cabin door, inspiration comes flooding back. Much like the character from Petra’s book, Saint is married, and he’s willing to be Petra’s muse, helping her get into her characters’ heads. Petra’s book is practically writing itself, but is the game she’s playing a little too dangerous? Does she know when to stop—and, more importantly, is Saint willing to stop? Hoover is no stranger to controversial movie adaptations and internet backlash, but she clarifies in a note to readers that she’s “just a writer writing about a writer” and that no further connections to her own life are contained in these pages—which is a good thing, because the book takes some horrifying twists and turns. Petra finds herself inexplicably attracted to Saint, even as she describes him as “such an asshole,” and her feelings for him veer between love and hate. The novel serves as a meta commentary on the dark romance genre—as Petra puts it, “Even though, as readers, we wouldn’t want to live out some of the fantasies we read about, it doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy reading those things.”
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
ISBN: 9781662539374
Page Count: -
Publisher: Montlake
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
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