Trespassing
by Uzma Aslam Khan
Harper Perennial $105
Set in Pakistan and the US in the 1980s and early 90s, this is the story of Dia, the daughter of a successful silkworm farmer, Riffat. Like her mother, Dia is spirited and resourceful, though troubled by the recent mysterious death of her father. Dia meets Daanish when he's called home from study in America to attend his father's funeral. They fall in love, but their families forbid them to see each other for reasons they don't understand. The lovers find themselves in an increasingly desperate battle to sustain their feelings. Meanwhile, an impoverished fisherman, Salaamat, leaves his village to seek his fortune in Karachi, only to find himself working for terrorists. Khan uses these multiple narratives to reveal the ways in which individuals clash against society's restrictions. She also explores the politics of Pakistan.