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The Runaways

The new ‘bold and probing novel’ you won’t be able to stop talking about

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The Runaways

By: Fatima Bhutto
Narrated by: Maya Saroya
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About this listen

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of The Runaways, written by Fatima Bhutto and read by Maya Saroya.

Anita lives in Karachi's biggest slum. Her mother is a maalish wali, paid to massage the tired bones of rich women. But Anita's life will change forever when she meets her elderly neighbour, a man whose shelves of books promise an escape to a different world. On the other side of Karachi lives Monty, whose father owns half the city and expects great things of him. But when a beautiful and rebellious girl joins his school, Monty will find his life going in a very different direction.

Sunny's father left India and went to England to give his son the opportunities he never had. Yet Sunny doesn't fit in anywhere. It's only when his charismatic cousin comes back into his life that he realises his life could hold more possibilities than he ever imagined.

These three lives will cross in the desert, a place where life and death walk hand-in-hand, and where their closely guarded secrets will force them to make a terrible choice.

 Family Life Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Political Thriller & Suspense Women's Fiction Fiction Suspense

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Critic reviews

A tender, powerful and richly embroidered novel from a courageous storyteller.
From Karachi's slums to England's promises, (through connected cities and intersecting destinies), Bhutto's new novel will move you with its profound wisdom and sharp grasp of our turbulent times. Behind The Runaways, there is clearly a brilliant mind and a generous heart at work.

(Elif Shafak)
This is a bold and probing novel, from a writer strikingly alert to something small and true
Every page of this is priceless. I can't think of a better guide through the world we live in. I've never used the word "transformative" before, but I just did now. (Gary Shteyngart)
A powerful and moving book. It is a book that anyone rushing to condemn young people for being radicalised should read. (Anne Youngson, author of 'Meet Me at the Museum')
As compassionate as it is trenchant, this rare fiction is an illuminating guide through the great disorder of our times. (Pankaj Mishra, author of 'Age of Anger')
Dazzling . . . a novel that holds up to scrutiny a world of claustrophobic war zones, virulent social media and cities collapsing upon themselves, and then sets it down again, transformed by the grace of storytelling (Siddartha Deb, author of 'The Point of Return')
Bhutto's heady narrative flits through time and space with a sense of urgency, tracing three disparate young lives, each drawn into the realms of radicalisation, amid the dust of the Iraqi desert
The themes of radicalism (of all sorts) is a thread that runs through the lives of the characters representing the complexity of ideology and the perpetual human search for meaning. Eloquent and erudite...a treat to read (Rafia Zakaria, author of 'The Upstairs Wife')
The Runaways is a book we should all read for it holds up a clear mirror to the way societies in many parts of the world are shaping, moulding, distorting and deforming the young. It is a book we all need. (Jerry Pinto, author of 'Em and the Big Hoom')
A big-hearted, beautiful novel. I read it with awe. Fatima Bhutto has an unflinching eye and a unique voice. (Mohammed Hanif, author of 'A Case of Exploding Mangoes')
All stars
Most relevant
An absolutely gripping tale and a trio of characters.
Couldn't not put this down.

Gripping !

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I really enjoyed this book and I believe it is an important read for ours times. I heard it recommended on the High Low podcast and listening to the author speak about this topic was fascinating. The book shows the different sides to radicalisation and the way in which young people can be drawn into terrorism. A great read, gripping and I finished it in 3 days.

Excellent read

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I loved this book and the stories of the characters and their lives complicated by the innocence of their youth and the struggle to find an identity.

The narrator’s mispronunciations were off putting and a real let down but story had me so invested that I didn’t let it spoil my enjoyment.

Really gripping and a wonderful story

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Good narrator, enjoyable journey but as I suspected the ending was disappointing, what happened to the other two characters

First audible book

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