A Splintering

'A riveting read that boldly calls out patriarchy in Pakistan and beyond' Mohammed Hanif, author of Red Birds 'An intoxicating, high-voltage mix of female rage, economic ambition, erotic awakening, and biting disdain aimed at the expectations faced by women in contemporary Pakistani society, Tara's voice will sear itself in your consciousness like the scowl of a convict facing the firing squad. Never have my sympathies been so roused, tested, and provoked by a character both heroic and tragic, wily and cornered, raw and charred... a magnificent sophomore novel, replete with Amna's trademark lyricism and sparkling wit' Aube Rey Lescure, author of River East, River West ‘Smart and gripping – I read it in one sitting. Tara is a glorious creation, crackling with life and aspiration and sensuality’ Kamila Shamsie, author of Best of Friends 'A lacerating novel by a writer of great insight and deep compassion' Mohsin Hamid, author of The Last White Man 'A Splintering is the dizzying kind of novel that puts every part of your brain in competition with the rest. It’s a page-turner, it’s a vivid chronicle of family life, it’s an intimate exploration of selfhood. And more than anything it’s an examination of the structures society builds up around us. In harrowing detail, Amna shows us how those forces - tradition, patriarchy, capitalism - deform and fracture our inner lives so profoundly that imagination becomes as much a prison as it is a key. I’m in awe of this book' Chris Knapp, author of States of Emergency 'A gripping, troubling, masterful story. I could not put it down' Ayşegül Savaş, author of The Anthropologists