Product Description

STARbooks Press explores homosexuality in a Pakistani/British Islamic community with STRAIGHTENING ALI by AMJEED KABIL.

For Ali Mirza, a young British born Pakistani man, life takes a sudden dramatic turn when his family arranges for him to get married even though he has told them he is gay. How will he survive his wedding night when he's not even turned on by his new bride, whom he has only met once and for five minutes? Sajda, his wife, claims she is in love with him, but she does not even know him. For Ali, this is the tip of the iceberg as his boyfriend has moved to France and is hesitant to support Ali. What is Ali to do? Should he run away to join the love of his life, or should he stay and live the life that has been arranged for him by his family? If he does run, will they find him and force him to be straight? Will he ever reunite with his lover? Ali must decide what is best for him and does in a matter of days in STRAIGHTENING ALI.

STRAIGHTENING ALI is a must read for anyone who has lived in or is curious about a society where arranged marriages are the norm and gays are brutalized for who they are. A riveting story about family ties, conflicting cultures and the basic dynamics of human relationships, STRAIGHTENING ALI opens one’s eyes to a world we know little about.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1259802 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 215 pages

Customer Reviews

Excellent Read
This is about as real and sad as it gets. Those of us who have been involved with East Indian Muslim [..] know all too well how this situation plays out too many times. I certainly felt totally a part of the story as I read through the book. There is a good flow and it ends in a way that easily lends itself to a sequel. This is a great reminder that there are always those who have it worse than ourselves. A recommended read.

A pleasant read, but definitely not Literature in capitals
I have rather mixed feelings about this novel. On the one hand it's a real page turner, a very easy read. But then again, it's just too easy, too flimsy, too superficial in many places. I even think it's more suitable for teenagers, who won't be bothered by a fancy writing style and/or a very sophisticated vocabulary. I certainly wouldn't put this book on my list of real profound gay Literature, but it's definitely OK if you're in for a week of leisurely reading with a nice glass of pear juice or a fine red port wine as well as a few chunks of spicy chorizo sausage, as I experienced last week. Voilà!