Akram's War

September 1, 2017
Akram Khan leaves his home in the early morning of Armistice Day with no plans to return. He has been radicalized by a childhood friend turned extremist and intends to detonate a bomb at a morning ceremony. En route, he meets Grace, a prostitute whose daughter was removed from her care by social services. Through the course of the night, Akram tells Grace stories from his life. Safdar's debut novel gives readers a view into the experiences of childhood and coming-of-age in a close-knit immigrant community. Of Pakistani descent, Akram grew up in the same house where he lives with his parents and wife. He is a former British soldier who was wounded in Afghanistan. The novel reads like a series of short stories as Akram makes friends, serves in the military, and enters into his arranged marriage. Although Grace feels at times little more than a catalyst for Akram's narrative, Safdar makes efforts to overcome some illogical plot points through his examination of relationships in economically depressed communities.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)