Home Fire By Kamila Shamsie.
Blurb: Isma is free. After years of watching out for her younger siblings in the wake of their mother’s death, she’s accepted an invitation from a mentor in America that allows her to resume a dream long deferred. But she can’t stop worrying about Aneeka, her beautiful, headstrong sister back in London, or their brother, Parvaiz, who’s disappeared in pursuit of his own dream, to prove himself to the dark legacy of the jihadist father he never knew. When he resurfaces half a globe away, Isma’s worst fears are confirmed.
Then Eamonn enters the sisters’ lives. Son of a powerful political figure, he has his own birthright to live up to—or defy. Is he to be a chance at love? The means of Parvaiz’s salvation? Suddenly, two families’ fates are inextricably, devastatingly entwined, in this searing novel that asks: What sacrifices will we make in the name of love?
My thoughts: This is a story about two British Muslim families torn apart by radicalisation. We hear from each character’s perspective, which gives you compassion for the people who make mistakes. The setting of North London maybe hit home more for me, as I lived there til I was 10. I could see the landscape of Wembley, the streets, the smells were very real to me. The character’s were fully rounded and tragically flawed in different ways. Karamat’s political ambition, Isma’s fear, Eamonn’s passion, Aneeka’s heartbreak, Parvaiz’s isolation. The book is a deserved winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction. It questions the humanity of politicians and terrorists, in the same breath. It made me think about when does ‘rebel’ turn into ‘extremist’? Should we have compassion for radicalised young people? Should they be stripped of their national identity if they break the law?
5/5.