Among the brightest and best of his graduating class at Princeton, Changez is snapped up by an elite firm and thrives on New York and the intensity of his work. And his infatuation with fragile Erica promises entree into Manhattan society on the exalted footing his own family once held back in Lahore. For a time, it seems as though nothing will stand in the way of Changez's meteoric rise to personal and professional success: the fulfilment of the immigrant's dream. But in the wake of September 11, he finds his position in the city he loves suddenly overturned, and his budding relationship with Erica eclipsed by the reawakened ghosts of her past. And Changez's own identity is in seismic shift as well, unearthing allegiances more fundamental than money, power, and perhaps even love.
Most of the Group found this to be an absorbing, well-written book which gave a perspective and insight about September 11th and its repercussions in a subtle yet gripping way. Some members found the method of telling the story through a one way conversation very irritating, but others enjoyed this unusual form of narrative. The ambiguous ending also divided opinion. All agreed, however, that there was much to admire about this novel, bringing, as it did, the complex issues of Islamic fundamentalism and America’s ‘war on terror’ to the fore with great sympathy and balance in an easily readable and accessible way.
