A review by katiegilley
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid

5.0

This was the story of Changez, a man who lives in Pakistan. He shares his tragic story with an obvious American visiting Pakistan as they sit in a market drinking tea and feasting on dinner.returnreturnThe story of Changez is amazing. He grew up in Pakistan, but won scholarships that allowed him to get his college degree at Princeton. After Princeton, he earned a spot in a successful financial firm in New York City where he gets constant praise from the higher-ups. He falls in love with a girl, Erica, who has a heartbreaking tale of her own.returnreturnAll goes well for Changez until 9/11 - the towers fall in NYC and suddenly people that look similar to Changez are the enemy. Along with this, he is constantly worried about the state of the world surrounding the attacks and the ensuing battles.returnreturnThis story is told completely in the form of a conversation. I truly felt as if I were sitting with Changez and eating dinner - it was beautifully written and so comfortable to read. Many of the points that Hamid makes really struck close to home - he makes excellent observations about American life and state of mind. This was an amazing read and I would recommend it to everyone.