I do not normally review books that I read but, when I read something extraordinary, I do. Kamila Shamsie‘s Home Fire comes under this category. I came across this book by accident and bought it at the recommendation of another avid reader friend and I am glad that I did.
The story as accepted by the author is based on the play Antigone and the characters in the book are all named with names similar to those of the play.
The story is about two families of British citizens of Pakistani origin who get trapped in problems of the modern world of terrorism.
Character portrayal is simply brilliant and the conflicting emotions of being Muslim, modern and British with roots in Pakistan are brought out vividly. The background is all too familiar for people who are abreast of what is happening in Britain vis a vis its Muslim population and I for one could not put the book down once I started reading it.
A very unusual treatment of a very troubling situation skilfully articulated by the author, I recommend it to my readers who are readers too.
It is available on both hard copy and kindle formats and I read it on my kindle. At some future date, I intend reading it again. I also intend reading all other books by the author.