Nadeem Aslam, hum aap pay waray jaain.
I think Nadeem Aslam is one of the most important writers of
our time. He writes about what plagues people, giving a reason for the madness while neither justifying nor blaming anyone for it.
This story is set in the fictional city of Zamana in Pakistan. Zamana is an Urdu word meaning era or these times. In the story, Helen, a poor Christian girl is educated by her parents' Muslim employers: a husband and wife architect couple with big hearts and a wondrous house. There is also a beautiful Kashmiri boy who plays the santoor and falls in love with Helen. The character I bonded with the most is Lily, Helen's father; a man who wants to do more for himself and his family.
I think The Wasted Vigil was brilliant. This book is
better.
