Book description
Hayat Shah was captivated by Mina long before he met her: his mother's
beautiful, brilliant friend is a family legend. When he learns that Mina
is leaving Pakistan to live with the Shahs in America, Hayat is thrilled.
Hayat's father is less enthusiastic. Ever wary of fundamentalism, he
doesn't relish the idea of Mina's fervid devotion under his roof. What
no one expects is that when Mina shows Hayat the beauty of the Quran, it
will utterly transform him.
Mina's real magic may be that the Shah household becomes a happy one.
But when Mina catches the eye of a Jewish doctor and family friend,
Hayat's jealousy is inflamed by the community's anti-Semitism - and he
acts with catastrophic consequences for those he loves most. A
terrific first novel, warm and wise. Ayad Akhtar is an American-born,
first-generation Pakistani-American from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is the
author of numerous screenplays and was star and co-writer of THE WAR
WITHIN, which premiered at the 2005 Toronto Film Festival, was nominated
for an INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY and an INTERNATIONAL
PRESS ACADEMY SATELLITE AWARD (Best Picture - Drama), and released
internationally. AMERICAN DERVISH is his first novel.
