Kirkus Reviews
“A beautifully rendered, deeply humane family saga . . .”
“A loving, fully realized portrait of a particular family . . . depicted with great warmth in beautiful prose.”
“Both heartbreaking and sobering.”
- Kirkus Reviews
The independent Kirkus review is published publicly by Kirkus Reviews.
The BookLife Prize 2026
“Chowdry’s characters anchor this fervid narrative with sincerity and vulnerability. Their emotional complexity gives the story an intimate quality that makes its larger conflicts feel deeply personal.”
“The dialogue has the rhythms and imperfections of real conversation, making exchanges feel immediate and believable.”
- The BookLife Prize
BookLife Review
“Chowdry’s poignant debut shows the profound journey from hope to despair for a British Pakistani family living in near-future Massachusetts.”
“An immersive journey that speaks to a family’s efforts to preserve their dignity, belonging, and identity amid the trauma of oppression and injustice.”
- BookLife
Learn about The BookLife Prize.
Early readers and librarians
“My heart literally ached at the end of this novel. It’s tragic, beautifully written, and horrifying. The timeliness of this novel under the current political administration is terrifyingly accurate.”
- Nancy Graben, librarian, NetGalley
“It truly took me on an emotional journey. It even made me wish my dad were still here so I could hear his voice again. What a beautiful and emotional read.”
- Debbie T., NetGalley
“This book had me staying up late in tears. The mundanity of their everyday contrasts with how they are treated.”
- Ronnica Fatt, author and NetGalley reviewer
“Beautiful and broken. The people. Their stories. Our world. This book is necessary. This story is real.”
- Clare Grové, Goodreads
