Reviews

Fairoz by Moniza Alvi

foggy_rosamund's review

4.0

A stark and moving story told in deceptively simple language, Fairoz is a book-length poetry sequence in which Alvi follows her titular Fairoz's journey into extremism. Fairoz is a teenager living with her mother and sister somewhere in England, and, though internet conversations, is drawn into a world of fundamentalism by Tahir, a young man who wants to marry her. Running in counterpoint are poems about myth, religion and fairytales, particularly The Snow Queen. Alvi's poems use simple language and short lines and stanzas, which gives them a huge impact, each one capturing moments of powerful emotion, and drawing apart threads of love, loss and vulnerability. The final poem "My Imagine Fairoz" is a particularly gripping and poignant demonstrations of Alvi's sympathy for her characters, and her refusal to condemn their individuality or vulnerability. A moving and far-reaching narrative.