“Those who can do. Those who can’t go online.”
This modern “Antigone” story begins as Isma is traveling from Britain to the USA. Her family, originally from Pakistan, had migrated to London, and they are Muslim. Her mostly absent jihadi father had died while being taken to Guantanamo. Isma has raised her younger twin siblings, Aneeka and Parvaiz, after her mother’s death. She is finally going to pursue her dream, Ph.D. in sociology in Amherst, Massachusetts. Her status as a British Muslim creates obstacles as she travels and navigates a long-distance relationship with her siblings.
While in Amherst, Isma stays in touch with her sister Aneeka via Skype and other online access points. However, her brother Parvaiz distanced himself from the family, followed in his late father’s footsteps, and became involved with ISIS. At a local coffee shop, Isma meets Eamonn, a Brit with a Muslim background. Eamonn’s father is Home Secretary, a high official in Britain. Karamat Lone, the father, has advised Muslims to conform to modern society, and he demonstrates contempt for mosque habits, which is part of his heritage. Isma and Eamonn strike up a guarded friendship. Eamonn returns to London and begins a love affair with Aneeka. Through Eamonn’s falling in love with Aneeka, Shamsie shows her strength as a writer as she develops her plot and conveys powerful themes and conflicts for the reader to consider. The story is riveting. Rather than summarize it, the following list represents what I thought about while reading:
Strength of love and family
Power of religious faith and what persists when one develops contempt for the customs of ancestors
Birthright of citizenship
Burial rights
Common issues of migrants and women
Bonds between fathers and sons; the need for father figures
Sibling relationships; bonds of twins
Abandonment
Shame
Habits of secrecy; the role of secrecy in families and politics
Cults, scams, and brainwashing
The sociological impact of war on terror
Forgiveness; consequences of being unforgiving and rigid
GRIEF
