Someone Like Her by Awais Khan

 

Someone Like Her by Awais Khan.

Published 17th August 2023 by Orenda Books.

From the cover of the book:

Multan, Pakistan. A conservative city where an unmarried woman over the age of twenty-five is considered a curse by her family.

Ayesha is twenty-seven. Independent and happily single, she has evaded an arranged marriage because of her family's reduced circumstances. When she catches the eye of powerful, wealthy Raza, it seems like the answer to her parents' prayers. But Ayesha is in love with someone else, and when she refuses to give up on him, Raza resorts to unthinkable revenge…

Ayesha travels to London to rebuild her life and there she meets Kamil, an emotionally damaged man who has demons of his own. They embark on a friendship that could mean salvation for both of them, but danger stalks Ayesha in London, too. With her life thrown into turmoil, she is forced to make a decision that could change her and everyone she loves forever.

Exquisitely written, populated by unforgettable characters and rich with poignant, powerful themes, Someone Like Her is a story of love and family, of corruption and calamity, of courage and hope … and one woman's determination to thwart convention and find peace, at whatever cost…

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Multan, Pakistan, is a city mired in conservative views, steadfastly resisting change - especially when it comes to women's rights. Society here looks with disapproval at any woman over twenty-five who has yet to find a husband, but twenty-seven-year-old Ayesha is happy to go against the grain. Relieved that her family's straitened circumstances have made her less desirable on the arranged marriage merry-go-round, she is forging an independent and fulfilling existence working for a charity that helps women who have suffered from domestic abuse. Ayesha looks forward to deciding her own future with the man she loves, but then she comes to the attention of the powerful and wealthy Raza, a man who is used to getting what he wants... and when she refuses to submit, his vengeance is swift and despicable.

Ayesha escapes to London, where she attempts to put back together the tattered pieces of her life. Here she meets Kamil, someone trying to escape his own traumatic experiences. Together they embark on a journey towards healing, and their budding friendship promises so much more. But even in London, Ayesha's past threatens to derail her chance of happiness.

Someone Like Her is a stirring novel that explores powerful themes of domestic violence, and the clash between old fashioned values and the pressing need for change, especially when it comes to the rigid expectations of traditional cultures. 

The novel follows the tragic stories of Ayesha in Pakistan, and Kamil in London, beginning with their heartfelt personal histories, before a meeting in London where the threads of their individual tales collide in a way that changes the course of their lives. It is hard to talk about quite how brilliantly Khan weaves magic in this story without spoilers, but somehow he spins elements of cracking thriller, touching romance, compelling family drama, and vehicle to raise awareness, by comparing and contrasting the different experiences of Ayesha and Kamil. 

At its heart, this is a story of domestic violence, examining the visible and invisible scars left behind by those who have been through very dark times. Inevitably, this throws up a lot of gritty issues about how women are subjected to abuse without recourse to justice in Pakistan, and how the wealthy and corrupt can get away with heinous crimes, but Khan also widens his scope to open up the subject of domestic abuse in other areas too, looking beyond sex and international borders. He shows some really interesting insight along the way, and although there are many distressing scenes in these pages, Khan does more than dwell on the horror by taking his time to look at how survivors of abuse can move forward and find a way to help others too. Ayesha in particular shows such courage through all the horrible things she must endure in this story, and although my heart bled for her, there is hope too, which makes this book intensely moving.

There is no doubt that this book is hard hitting, and there is a lot to talk about, which makes it a great choice as a book club read. Khan's ability to touch on quite so many subjects in the telling of this story is really striking, delving into notions of reputation and misconceptions about the lives of others, alongside the more weighty themes, with a deft hand. The characters have real depth and complexity that translates to keenly felt emotion too. If that was not enough, the pace and tension of his storytelling is perfectly judged, particularly as the plot reaches its gripping climax. This is Khan's most ambitious novel to date, and I am impressed by how much he has grown as a writer since his debut, In the Company of Strangers. I am really looking forward to the next one!

Someone Like Her is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats. You can support the very best of indie publishing by buying direct from Orenda Books HERE.

Thank you to Orenda Books for sending me an ecopy of this book in return for an honest review, and to Random Things Tours for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the author:

Awais Khan is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario and Durham University. He has studied creative writing with Faber Academy. His debut novel, In the Company of Strangers, was published to much critical acclaim and he regularly appears on TV and Radio. 

Awais also teaches a popular online creative writing course to aspiring writers around the world. When not working, he has his nose buried in a book. He lives in Lahore.