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    Book Review: Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie

    Written by: Aiman Javed
    Posted on: September 07, 2017 |

    'Home Fire' by Kamila Shamsie

    I finished reading Kamila Shamsie’s latest novel, Home Fire, in a single go, my eyes aching and watering by the end. Of course, this was hardly unexpected considering that the novel has been recently long listed for the prestigious Man Booker Prize 2017.

    Home Fire, is a self-described reworking of the Greek Tragedy ‘Antigone’ by Sophocles, set in modern day England with South Asian characters. The story focuses on the lives of five people: Isma, her sister Aneeka, her brother Parvaiz, Aneeka’s boyfriend Eamonn and Eamonn’s father Karamat. Shamsie’s craft lies in how easily she takes a story from 441 B.C. and supplants it to fit our times. With quick brush strokes, she touches upon issues of immigration, second-generation citizens and terrorism, giving each its due importance.

    The dilemma which faces Home Fire’s protagonist, Aneeka, remains the same as that faced by Antigone; how will she bury her brother’s dead body when he is considered an ‘enemy of the state,’ as the book’s epigram puts it. However, Shamsie expands on the prelude to the crisis and thus breathes life into Aneeka’s twin, Parvaiz. His story gains an equal footing with that of his sister, a dire necessity considering how pertinent Parvaiz’s story is to our time. 

    Parvaiz, a 19 year old who goes to Syria to join the ISIS, gets disillusioned and then wishes to come back home to England. Caught up with stories of a father he never met (a man labeled a hero by extremists, and a terrorist by the state) Parvaiz suffers from a severe identity crisis. By painstakingly building his character, with details such as his passionate interest in sound effects, Shamsie humanizes him.  Thus, sympathy is swiftly evoked in the reader when Parvaiz hears Ameeka’s voice over Skype and the narrator comments, “The things you forget. How it feels to hear someone speak to you with love.”  His tale is a poignant reflection on how weak individuals get caught in the crossfire between religion, state and family. Unable to decide where their loyalties lie, they make human mistakes. But mistakes in their world, and ours, can only lead to exile at best, and death at worst. 

    For a book which features the Islamic State, Home Fire dwells surprisingly little on religion, focusing instead on families. Karamat, Eamon’s politician father, sides strictly with the government, and finds his family wrenched apart when he cannot control his son. Aneeka and Parvaiz defy the state, but cannot be together, partially due to their Muslim identity. Even Isma, whose caution marks her as a model citizen, has no guarantee of protection for her family. The novel teaches us that when the world is as chaotic as ours, duty doesn’t matter and neither does love. But at least love makes for a great story.  

    Divided into sections, with one for each character, the novel keeps shifting focus and doesn’t drag on for a minute. The hallmark of brilliant characterization is not only background, but also how just a few words can effectively render characters for e.g. Karamat’s single thought, “Probably a virgin” when he sees the head-covered Isma, reveals exactly who he is. The plot, just like that of Shamsie’s other novels, is fast paced and jumps from one heart-stopping moment to another. Cliff hangers abound and while this makes the novel exciting, in its fast pace, perhaps a few aspects weren’t as brilliantly captured.

    Among the many merits of Shamsie’s characterization, her portrayal of the relationship between Aneeka and Eamonn stood out as flawed. While their immediately having sex was entirely in line with their characters, the subsequent interactions were difficult to grasp. What Aneeka wants from the relationship becomes clear further on, but Eamonn? He suffers from an infatuation with Aneeka’s beauty - a love that is immature and off-putting, especially in contrast with his more mature friendship with Isma. Of course, Eamonn is entirely childish and perhaps that is what Shamsie wants to convey with his choices in love too. The ending, though understandable, also leaves something to be desired. While it makes for a hard-hitting conclusion, there remains dissatisfaction that death may simply be a convenient way to wrap up the story, rather than bring it to a truly satisfying conclusion.

    At the heart of the narrative lies its exploration of multiple relationships. Aneeka and Parvaiz’s relationship is particularly well-crafted, as is the tension between Aneeka and Isma’s clashing personalities - Aneeka’s volatility flaring up against Isma’s stability. Eamonn and Karamat are a true reflection of how awe for fathers can lead to a loss of perspective. The relationship of citizen with city is embodied by the freely roaming about Eamonn in London, and Parvaiz in Raqqa. The insertion of tweets, interviews and articles lends the climax an effective yet horrifying sense of reality – a testament to our new relationship with society at large. Aneeka’s promiscuity, despite her covered head and prayers, reveals a complex relationship with religion, while Karamat’s political career traces his relationship with his own community, as well as the mainstream citizens.

    Undoubtedly, with Home Fire, Shamsie proves why her previous work has also been nominated for awards, like the Orange Prize, the John Lelywenn Rhys Prize and the Baileys Prize. With six published novels already under her belt, the question her seventh, Home Fire, leaves you with is: what will you choose if caught between love, family, religion and state?  No matter the choice, the consequences will be chaotic.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021