Look Who it Was Random video

American Dervish by Ayad Akhtar

348 views · Published 31 January 2012 · 0:45 · Indexed 26 October 2026

Channel: Waterstones · 2012 · Entertainment

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"My intention behind writing the book was to open a window on what it was like to grow up Muslim in America. And at a time when the seeds of so much of what's happening in the world today were being planted."

"In the end, my first priority is always to tell a moving and universal story."

Hayat Shah was captivated by Mina long before he met her: his mother's beautiful, brilliant friend is a family legend. When he learns that Mina is leaving Pakistan to live with the Shahs in America, Hayat is thrilled. Hayat's father is less enthusiastic. Ever wary of fundamentalism, he doesn't relish the idea of Mina's fervid devotion under his roof. What no one expects is that when Mina shows Hayat the beauty of the Quran, it will utterly transform him. Mina's real magic may be that the Shah household becomes a happy one. But when Mina catches the eye of a Jewish doctor and family friend, Hayat's jealousy is enflamed by the community's anti-Semitism - and he acts with catastrophic consequences for those he loves most.

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