To Be With Her!

So I read this new novel from American-Pakistani author Syed Afzal Haider - "To Be With Her".

From 'creative writing' standard and in comparing it to other authors in same genre like Rohintan Mistry, Jhumpa Lahiri, Arundhta Roy, Mohsin Hamid, Moazzam Sheikh, Khaled Hosseini etc., this novel is far less to reach any standard - But still I think it is an essential read for FOBs like me as it deals with psychological dilemma presented to people like me who travel to 'perdes'. For me it was interesting for 2 reasons as central plot evolves in Karachi and Chicago and these are the two same cities I spend good time of my life so all the streets and train stations described seems to me like its my own story. Also in fact, it appears to be a semi-autobiography of author himself.

Story revolves around a central character by the name of Ramzan Pervez Malik who migrates with his family in 1947 from India to Karachi at tender age of 8. He is perfect hero type boy who is good in studies, plays perfect cricket and romantic at heart. He falls in love with a girl from an elite class. Similar desi movie kind storyline where 'zalim samaj' comes in between but they both vow to marry once he returns from USA after studies. Hero's travel to USA via ship line has been described very eloquently as well as his culture shock in USA has been described very finely. So he fall in love again to an American girl named Sabina. At the end he returns to Karachi to tell his parents about his new love. Leila let her go and he returns to USA to live happily ever after with Sabina.

I loved some bitter, harsh and crude sarcasm about both cultures - written in a very pungent way. At many places I could not stop laughing. But novel become a drag with long lengthy and never ending love letters of romantic characters. Also, novel is full with over reporting of Hollywood movies.

Theme of novel can be concise in these words: "..........and I 've already left home more than once. I'm always going to be half empty. The change, the exile, my action, is not an isolated happening; it has affected every facet of my existence.......(and)...It is strange to be a stranger in your own land...(and)....I recall the story of a King who died in exile. He willed that his body be cremated but that his heart be removed from his body and returned for burial in the land of his birth......"