Wish Maker, The (PB)

A novel about love, family ties and self-discovery set against the turbulent world of modern Pakistan. A novel of flawless insight and sparkling prose that marked the arrival of a major talent. A nuanced, often humorous, and always novel look at life in modern day Pakistan’—Khalid Hosseini. A fresh voice from a new generation of Pakistani novelists’—Mohsin Hamid

Zaki Shirazi, who is attending college in America, comes home to Lahore for the wedding of his favourite cousin, Samar Api. From the moment he arrives in Pakistan, he has to reckon with startling social and political changes that have taken place in his absence. As he gradually settles back into his family home, Zaki begins to see the people closest to him in a new light. And in the days leading up to the wedding, bittersweet memories of his childhood start flooding back to his mind, as something shifts deep within him. Lively, witty and tender, The Wish Maker is an enchanting first novel about growing up and learning to let go.

Quotes

‘A remarkable debut’—The Hindu ‘Sethi’s is a measured, often witty voice that shows admirable control over the history his protagonist has inherited’—India Today ‘[Sethi’s] buzzing talent is unmistakable’—Time ‘Sethi has promise, style and confidence’—The Outlook

About the Author

Ali Seth was born in 1984. He grew up in Lahore and attended college in the United States. His writing has appeared in The Nation, The New York Times, Dawn and Outlook. This is his first novel.