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Homeland Elegies

A Barack Obama Favourite Book

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Homeland Elegies

By: Ayad Akhtar
Narrated by: Ayad Akhtar
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About this listen

 AN ECONOMIST, NEW YORK TIMES AND WASHINGTON POST BOOK OF THE YEAR
'Outstanding... it is hard to convey the breadth and brilliance of this work' Observer
'A beautiful novel about an American son and his immigrant father that has echoes of THE GREAT GATSBY' New York Times

A deeply personal novel of identity and belonging in a nation coming apart at the seams, HOMELAND ELEGIES blends fact and fiction to tell an epic story of belonging and dispossession in the world that 9/11 made. Part family drama, part satire, part picaresque, at its heart it is the story of a father and son, and the country they call home.

Ranging from the heartland towns of America to palatial suites in Europe to guerrilla lookouts in the mountains of Afghanistan, Akhtar forges a narrative voice that is original as it is exuberantly entertaining. This is a world in which debt has ruined countless lives and the gods of finance rule, where immigrants live in fear and the unhealed wounds of 9/11 continue to wreak havoc. HOMELAND ELEGIES is a novel written in love and anger, which spares no one, least of all the author himself. Family Life Friendship Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Political Fiction Heartfelt Witty Middle East Iran

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Critic reviews

An urgent, intimate hybrid of memoir and fiction, HOMELAND ELEGIES thrusts us into the heart of a father-son relationship and in the process - improbably - does nothing short of laying bear the broken heart of our American dream turned reality TV nightmare... Stunning
A beautiful novel about an American son and his immigrant father that has echoes of The Great Gatsby
Ayad Akhtar offers up his heart and life with an honesty that astonishes. Never have I experienced such a reading thrill
Perhaps the best American novel I have read in several years (Richard Flanagan)
A passionate, wrenching portrayal of Americans exiled into otherness by a post 9/11 world
The challenge of remembering one's identity in a racist culture is at the heart of Akhtar's remarkable new book, HOMELAND ELEGIES...It would not surprise me if it wins him a second Pulitzer Prize
A triumph. Akhtar rages, he sings, he indicts, he falls in love, he sorrows, he dreams, he mourns, he transcribes! - and finally he transmutes injustice into the sublimest art
The astonishing work of an absolutely brilliant writer. With exquisite prose and lacerating honesty, Ayad Akhtar reveals the intersections of art, finance, race, religion, academia and empire
This is the book of the year
Part fiction, part memoir, and all brilliant
Provocative and urgent... a revelation
All stars
Most relevant
This was really enjoyable. I found it thoughtful and insightful and I couldn't wait to get back to it.

Wide ranging, interesting and informative

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Very sharp political critique told through the lens of a compelling blend of fiction and memoir. Beautifully read - best book I’ve read in a very long time!

Top marks

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The best book I have read this year. Engrossing and compelling. Sadly much too short.

Outstanding

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As a British Pakistani Muslim born and raised in the UK, the parallels and shared experiences are uncanny. Superbly written and blend of memoir / fiction

Insightful and elegant

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Amazing narration by the author. This book touches on so many current themes in American life, such as capitalism, the health system, everyday racism, college debt, etc. but does so by embedding it within different characters and dialogues. This way it can capture a lot more nuance and the dialogues feel very real and resemble some I‘ve had or have overheard. Still in some parts it feels a bit too much of an exposé of political events/views through personal interaction/dialogue where I would have wanted a bit more depth or a better connection to the authors personal life (e.g. the narrators black friend who is a Hollywood agent only appears in a dialogue about anti-trust law). But overall, this was great! The father-son story was the most beautiful part of it.

Amazing book

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