"In ITCOS, Awais Sophisticatedly Paints an Awkwardly Blooming Love Life of a Woman Caught amidst the Irony of the Elites, Collapsing Marriage and Terrorism"
Book Review by Dhiraj Sindhi
In the Company of Strangers by Awais Khan
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| In the Company of Strangers by Awais Khan |
About the author:
Awais Khan was born in Lahore, Pakistan. 'In the Company of Strangers' is his first novel published by Simon & Schuster, Hera Books and Isis Audio. His second novel 'No Honour' is published by Orenda Books and Isis Audio. He is a graduate of The University of Western Ontario and Durham University. He studied Creative Writing at Faber Academy. His work has appeared in numerous publications and he was longlisted for the Short Story Dagger in 2022. He has appeared for Interviews on BBC World Service, Dubai Eye, Voice of America, Cambridge Radio, Samaa TV, City42, Maverix Media and PTV Home to name a few. He has been on the judging panels for Gwyl Crime Cymru Prize and the Cheshire Novel Prize. He is represented by Annette Crossland (A for Authors Agency Ltd, London).
In his free time, he likes to read all types of fiction, especially historical fiction and crime/psychological thrillers. He is hard at work on his forthcoming novels.
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| Awais Khan |
Instagram: @awaiskhanauthor
Twitter: @AwaisKhanAuthor
Website: www.awaiskhanauthor.com
The Writing Institute: thewritinginstitute.online
SYNOPSIS:
The emotionally gripping story of love and loss in Pakistan. In the glittering world of Pakistan's elite, all is not what it seems… Mona has almost everything: money, friends, social status... Everything except for freedom. Languishing in her Golden cage, she craves a sense of belonging… desperate for emotional release, she turns to a friend who introduces her to a world of glitter, glamour, covert affairs and drugs. There she meets Ali, a physically and emotionally wounded man, years younger than her. Heady with love, she begins a delicate game of deceit that spirals out of control and threatens to shatter the deceptive facade of conservatism erected by Lahori society, and potentially destroy everything that Mona has ever held dear.
Disclaimer: This is not a review, it is only intended for initiating discussions. The opinions and views presented in this article are my own and do not reflect anything about the book's author.
REVIEW
In the Company of Strangers by Awais Khan is an unputdownable contemporary fiction novel set in Lahore that is witnessing frequent terrorist attacks; told from the perspectives of an overnight sensation in the modelling world—Ali and a woman from Lahore’s elite class—Mona. Ali’s life is shaken to its roots when he finds out that his brother is one of the victims and survivors of the latest terrorist attack in the city. On the other hand, Mona’s college best friend Meera’s glamourous comeback to Lahore’s elite group proves to be a catalyst for her life bound with the shackles of her doomed marriage. The novel has you hooked from its very first page as it elegantly explores the lives of its characters, divulging their struggles and secrets, one at a time.
The novel goes on to talk about some serious issues at length as Mona and Ali come closer and subplots overlap to create a complex web of sharp contrasts threaded with irony. The irony is like the main character in the novel, a literary device that could be discussed extensively in a research paper. The novel sheds light on the position of women in society and also raises voice against the oppression and humiliation they face through Mona’s mother-in-law—Nighat’s epic monologue, which goes like, “They’d wipe that bright red lipstick from your lips, probably slice your lips off in the process. Then they’d shroud you in a burqa and so many layers of clothing that you’d be unrecognisable…that’s the way they like their women.” Grab your copy to read the full monologue, it’s one of my favourite parts.
Another thing that I adore about this book is the ending. Despite so many layers of internal and external conflicts that plunge this book so deep and far, Awais Khan has aced the denouement game and overall wrapping up of the novel with a mind-blowing climax. On the whole, ITCOS is an extremely easy-to-read book that also carries the sheer intensity of terror production and women’s oppression.
Highly recommended!
Happy Reading!
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