Book review: ‘The Good Muslim’ by Tahmima Anam

The Good Muslim

A Novel

Tahmima Anam

Maya Haque is one of the century’s most interesting characters: prickly, passionate, tender, selfless, headstrong, devoted, belligerent, idealistic, naive, wise. “The Good Muslim” is Maya’s story, rooted in her devotion to nation and family and particularly to her brother, the tormented Sohail Haque.

“The Good Muslim” brims with gripping narrative, absorbing history and Shakespearean moral conundrums. Anam’s characterizations are complex and immediate; her settings are both fresh and archetypal. “It was a winter of return, mothers waiting at home, preparing elaborate meals with the leftover war rations, straining their eyes to the road, jumping at the slightest sound.

“The Good Muslim” is a timely drama about the unpredictable effects of religious zealotry and political violence as well as a keen examination of survival and forgiveness.

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