A review by sarah_faichney
In the Company of Strangers by Awais Khan

5.0

A stunning debut, "In The Company Of Strangers" encompasses many themes including the social mores of Lahori high society, the fashion industry (and modeling in particular), terrorism and radicalisation, obligation and love. Awais Khan's writing brings Lahore to life with unflinching honesty and authenticity, beautifully illustrating the difference between those who have and those who have not. The book confirms (with a great deal of humour) that spiteful, bitchy women are the same the world over. There are lots of cultural references throughout, which I particularly enjoyed. Some of the story makes for difficult reading, for example we are shown the many ways in which domestic violence is normalised and accepted. There are also some sub-themes at play including fractured friendships, drug abuse and prostitution. I'm really keen not to give spoilers as I didn't know anything about the book when I read it and I felt this enhanced the experience for me. There were a couple of expletives uttered as some of the plot points came to light! Khan is a masterful storyteller, skilfully capturing the heat, dust and claustrophobia of the city. I thought that the plot came together extremely well. Overall it was a compulsive and truly satisfying read which ran me through the gamut of emotions. As a final point I would like to thank Awais Khan for writing middle-aged women as real people with thoughts, feelings and desires when so often we are cast aside or left unseen.