Our book group choice for May 2022 is The Khan by Saima Mir. A successful lawyer, her London life is a long way from the grubby Northern streets she knew as a child, where her father headed up the Pakistani community and ran the local organised crime syndicate.
Jia Khan is a successful lawyer in London. She is also the daughter of Akbar Khan, the head of a powerful Pakistani crime syndicate in Bradford, Yorkshire. Jia has always been proud of her father, but she has also always been determined to escape his criminal lifestyle.
When Akbar Khan is murdered, Jia is forced to return to Bradford to take over his business. She is not welcomed by the men in the community, who do not believe that a woman can lead them. But Jia is determined to prove them wrong.
She quickly learns that her father’s business is not as simple as she thought. There are many enemies who want to take it from her, and she must use all of her skills as a lawyer and a fighter to protect it.
Jia also has to deal with the fallout from her father’s death. She is haunted by his murder, and she struggles to come to terms with his legacy. But she knows that she must find a way to move on, for the sake of her family and her community.
As Jia struggles to find her place in the world, she also begins to question her own beliefs. She has always been taught that the Jirga, the traditional Pashtun council, is the highest authority in the community. But she begins to see that the Jirga is corrupt and that it is not always upholding justice.
Jia is faced with a difficult choice. She can either continue to follow the old ways, or she can break with tradition and fight for what she believes in. In the end, she chooses to fight for justice, even if it means going against the Jirga.
The Khan is a gripping crime thriller that explores the themes of family, community, and justice. It is a story about a young woman who is forced to confront her past and her future. It is also a story about the power of one person to make a difference.
The book is set in Bradford, a city in West Yorkshire, England. Bradford is a diverse city with a large Pakistani population. The Khan is a powerful and evocative portrait of this community. Mir writes with great sensitivity and insight, and she captures the complex dynamics of family, culture, and religion.
Some additional details about the book:
- The book is set in Bradford, Yorkshire, a city with a large Pakistani community.
- The book explores the cultural tensions between traditional Pakistani values and the more Westernized values of British society.
- The book features a strong female protagonist who is determined to succeed in a male-dominated world.
- The book is a fast-paced thriller with plenty of action and suspense.
Discussion Questions for The Khan
- Did you enjoy it?
- Did you find it entirely authentic? (the family relationships? The legal practice? drug cartels?)
- There’s a central tension around the laudable goals of trying to lift up a community vs the social ills which occur as a result. How effectively was this tension as a dramatic device?
- Is this a love letter to modern Britain? Or an indictment?
- What did you think of the main protagonist, Jia?
- Did you believe the circumstances around Jia’s marriage?
- Were the characters well drawn? Did you have a favourite?
- What did you make of the ending? What happens next for Jia?
- This is the author’s first novel. What did you make of it as a debut?
- To whom would you recommend this?