Tom Verkozen

Ahmad’s debut novel begins at the end of WWII and continues til Bhutto is hung in the mid-1970s. The action moves through Benghazi, Karachi, Dacca and in the narrow alleyways, bazars and brothels of the Mahalla of Lahore, a poverty-wracked walled city-within-a-city in Pakistan. Police detective Ali Faraz is a Kenjar who was mysteriously rescued at age five from the red light district Shahi Mohalla. In middle age, he is sent by the powers-to-be to cover up the killing of a 13 year-old girl. But Fazar search for meaning begins when finds himself drawn into solving the case, thereby unraveling his past and bucking the political establishment. Aamina Ahmad’s writing explores the effects of violence, poverty, war and politics on individuals and families yet while both her novel and Hosseini’s brilliant The Kite Runner are Pakistani stories of father-son relationships, the influence of the poverty and how the past informs the present, the novels significantly differ in character development. The beauty of Return of Faraz Ali is that it features both a group of men and a family of strong, beautifully-drawn women. As Faraz investigates the murder Ahmad displays the strength of four women — the famous past-her-prime actress Fidous and her family Rosina, Sofia and Aunty Kulsoon. For survival each of these women, mired in poverty and forced into a life of prostitution, violence, war and misogyny, provides a heart-wrenching contrast with the violence of the men. This is a delicious read of remarkable depth.

Tyehimba Jess gives voice to soul. What a lovely collection!