Rosie Dastgir

This is a story of one family: Harris and his wife are divorced and he receives a sizable settlement from the sale of their former home that he isn't quite sure what to do with. His only daughter lives with a roommate in London and, unbeknownst to him, has dropped out of medical school. His cousins need financial help; another cousin helps him with his business and cares for him during a health crisis; he begins to date a sympathetic woman and gets wrapped up in a business deal with an old acquaintance of questionable character.

The key to this otherwise ordinary family story is that Harris is a Pakistani immigrant; his daughter is England born and bred; the other members of his family are some of each and their heritage and particular cultural habits inform their actions in this story.

While not a great book I certainly found it worth reading -- and not because it gave me a glimpse into an unfamiliar culture, although it did that, too. The author, Rosie Dastgir, did an excellent job of drawing each character, their interactions, their faithfulness to their own ideals and, finally, the lessons learned and the personal growth experienced.… (mehr)

The saga of an Anglo-Pakistani family, this book shows how family members face their demons under the premise of acquiring some of a small divorce settlement. The prodigal daughter has quit medical school, a nephew is falling in with a dangerous crowd, and a brother is desperate for help. At the center of the family is Harris, who is trying desperately to reconstruct his family and to reconstruct happier times. Harris has lost interest in the life he once relished. When he receives his divorce settlement he is torn asunder by the competing needs of his family members.

While the blurb and title suggested that the book was going to focus on Harris's efforts to get rid of his money, that really is not the major issue. Money is the background, really a premise to get the family members to work out some long-festering problems. This was an interesting enough book. I particularly enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Harris and his new love, the professor. Other parts of the story were more predictable. Still, a well-written tale of a believable family.… (mehr)