@internrachel @julia1
And the other book I read was Ours Are The Streets by Sunjeev Sahota (256 pages). This is narrated by Imtiaz, a young British Muslim, born and raised in Sheffield. The novel is told as a series of recollections as Imtiaz (Imz) is preparing himself to die for the beliefs he holds dear as a letter to his estranged wife, daughter and mother. At the start Imz is a ’normal’ British teen, he likes going out, galleon love and is slightly embarrassed of his Pakistani parents who he thinks do not fit in with the country they’ve settled in.
When Imz’s father dies he heads to Pakistan for a journey which ultimately changes him. The story is about Imz’s shift into extremism and, more than that, his mental decline.
It’s a controversial subject focusing on the ever-relevant topics of religion and war and manages to be sad, funny, touching and infuriating, always thought provoking, and well worth a read.