Night of Power

A portrait of a Muslim family?-?from the heady days in Uganda to hard times in a new country and the tragic accident that forces them to confront the ghosts of the past.Its 1998. And Mansoor Visram has lived in Canada for 25 years ever since dictator Idi Amin expelled South Asians from Uganda. As a refugee with a wife and child Mansoor has tried his best to recreate the life they once had but starting over in Canada has been much harder than he expected. Hes worked as a used-car salesman as a gas-station attendant and now he runs a small dry cleaner in suburban Calgary. But hes hatching plans for a father-and-son empire that will bring back the wealth and status the Visrams enjoyed in Uganda. The problem is his son Ashif does not share his dreams and hes moved across the country to get away from his father. Hes a rising star at a multinational corporation in Toronto on the cusp of a life-changing promotion but he cant seem to forget his girlfriend from long ago. Mansoors wife Layla has spent the past decade running her own home-cooking business and trying to hold her family together. But Ashif rarely comes home to visit and Mansoors pride has almost ruined their marriage. As the fissures that began generations ago-and continents away-reappear Mansoor Ashif and Layla drift further and further apart.On the Night of Power a night during Ramadan when fates are decided for the next year a terrible accident occurs. Will the Visrams survive this latest tragedy?Night of Power is a heart-wrenching story of a family in crisis. Gripping and unforgettable Anar Alis debut novel vividly illuminates the injustices of displacement and the nuances of identity-of losing a home and coming home again.