The Reluctant Fundamentalist (P)

Literary awards - Booker Prize Nominee (2007), James Tait Black Memorial Prize Nominee for Fiction (2007), Anisfield-Wolf Book Award (2008), Ambassador Book Award for Fiction (2008).

At a café table in Lahore, a bearded Pakistani man engages in a tense conversation with an uneasy American stranger. As dusk deepens to night, he begins to share the tale that has led them to this fateful meeting...

Changez is living the immigrant's dream in America. Excelling at Princeton, he is quickly recruited by an elite valuation firm. He thrives in the vibrant energy of New York City, and his budding romance with the elegant Erica promises entry into Manhattan's high society, reminiscent of his family's past prominence in Lahore.

However, the aftermath of September 11 turns Changez's world upside down. His once secure position in his adopted city is now precarious, and his relationship with Erica becomes increasingly strained. Changez undergoes a profound transformation, revealing allegiances deeper than wealth, power, and perhaps even love.

Praise for "The Reluctant Fundamentalist":

"Extreme times call for extreme reactions, extreme writing. Hamid has done something extraordinary with this novel." —Washington Post
"One of those achingly assured novels that makes you happy to be a reader." —Junot Diaz
"Brief, charming, and quietly furious . . . a resounding success." —Village Voice
Accolades:

A Washington Post and San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year
A New York Times Notable Book
Explore this compelling and thought-provoking novel that delves into identity, allegiance, and the transformative power of extreme circumstances.