MAZI LALATRESHA

Free-spirited and rebellious Saira has grown up in California with her beautiful obedient sister Ameena. From childhood she has broken the boundaries between her desire for independence and her familyxxs traditions - in particular her Bombay-bred motherxxs idea of how girls should behave. Now hungry for experience and curious about the world Saira travels to Karachi for a wedding and stumbles on family secrets that will shape the rest of her life. Itxxs the beginning of a journey of understanding and reconciliation that goes back three generations. Further surprises are to come as Saira visits London and discovers the political forces that have driven her fatherxxs family in India and in England. As her background gradually reveals itself Saira finds that the battles she faces - over love belonging and fulfilment - have faced others before and comes to realise that her many-layered inheritance is a thing to be treasured. In a beautifully written and deeply moving narrative Nafisa Haji explores issues of displacement and belonging and the lure of family home and tradition versus career and the excitement of the wider world - for men as well as women.