In her debut novel, Pakistan-born discrimination lawyer Hina Belitz breaks the silence surrounding honour crimes and domestic violence in a deeply moving, quietly powerful story of one girl’s struggle to find hope and strength when confronted by oppression.
The arrival of a son is a cause for celebration in Lahore. But when Mani’s brother, Nu, is born, the colour of his skin soon makes him the subject of malicious rumours.
As the rumour mill intensifies, the siblings are forced to flee Pakistan with their mother to start a new life in London. But theirs is only a temporary reprieve. When the past catches up with them, Mani is left to care for her younger brother.
Desperate to make things better, Mani thinks she has finally found salvation for her and Nu in the promise of marriage.
Belitz’s novel opens with a brutal bang, a moment that has the potential to define both the novel and its characters in a tragic vein.
Yet this is a story not of surrender but of resilience, of hope overcoming adversity, of finding strength against powerlessness.
Belitz tackles difficult realities head-on in a narrative that is necessarily hard-hitting.
As upsetting and disturbing as Mani’s story is, ultimately its message is empowering and inspiring.
Published by Headline Review
