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rebeccatcm 's review for:
Hashim & Family
by Shahnaz Ahsan
PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION:
“It is New Year's Eve, 1960. Hashim has left behind his homeland and his bride, Munira, to seek his fortune in England. His cousin and only friend, Rofikul, introduces Hashim to life in Manchester - including Rofikul's girlfriend, Helen. When Munira arrives, the group must learn what it is to be a family.
Over the next twenty years, they make their way in the new country - putting down roots and building a home. But when war breaks out in East Pakistan, the struggle for liberation and the emergence of Bangladesh raises questions about identity, belonging and loyalty.
Hashim & Family is a story of family ties, of migration and of a connection to home, and is the debut of an extraordinary new talent.”
NO SPOILERS
Hashim and Family is not an in-depth, insightful study of the difficulties encountered by immigrants when beginning a new life somewhere unknown - the casual and organised racism, the fear of getting it wrong, of making a mark but being inconspicuous. It is simply the tale of Hashim, who came to Britain in 1961, and the following twenty years. The difficulties faced are written about, as they were, and sadly still are, a part of everyday life, but we are given little insight into the feelings of those involved and I found there to be little empathy for the characters. But this is not “that” book and is by no means the poorer for it.
It is not wordy or crafted but is a quick, easy and enjoyable read. A concise family saga with ups and downs, tears and laughter.
As the daughter of a white English mother and an Asian/Caribbean father, who came this country a few years before this story begins, I was looking forward to reading Ahsan’s debut novel. I did feel, however, that the tales told seemed detached, as if told by a friend of a friend of a friend. Perhaps I am too close to the subject matter to be objective.
Thank you to NetGalley and John Murray Press for the Advanced Reader Copy of the book, which I have voluntarily reviewed.
“It is New Year's Eve, 1960. Hashim has left behind his homeland and his bride, Munira, to seek his fortune in England. His cousin and only friend, Rofikul, introduces Hashim to life in Manchester - including Rofikul's girlfriend, Helen. When Munira arrives, the group must learn what it is to be a family.
Over the next twenty years, they make their way in the new country - putting down roots and building a home. But when war breaks out in East Pakistan, the struggle for liberation and the emergence of Bangladesh raises questions about identity, belonging and loyalty.
Hashim & Family is a story of family ties, of migration and of a connection to home, and is the debut of an extraordinary new talent.”
NO SPOILERS
Hashim and Family is not an in-depth, insightful study of the difficulties encountered by immigrants when beginning a new life somewhere unknown - the casual and organised racism, the fear of getting it wrong, of making a mark but being inconspicuous. It is simply the tale of Hashim, who came to Britain in 1961, and the following twenty years. The difficulties faced are written about, as they were, and sadly still are, a part of everyday life, but we are given little insight into the feelings of those involved and I found there to be little empathy for the characters. But this is not “that” book and is by no means the poorer for it.
It is not wordy or crafted but is a quick, easy and enjoyable read. A concise family saga with ups and downs, tears and laughter.
As the daughter of a white English mother and an Asian/Caribbean father, who came this country a few years before this story begins, I was looking forward to reading Ahsan’s debut novel. I did feel, however, that the tales told seemed detached, as if told by a friend of a friend of a friend. Perhaps I am too close to the subject matter to be objective.
Thank you to NetGalley and John Murray Press for the Advanced Reader Copy of the book, which I have voluntarily reviewed.