A really gripping read with a surprise ending that I wasn’t expecting. The description of growing up in Pakistan is very well done and interesting

From Zia’s Pakistan, 1988, to London Spring of 2020. Childhood friendships for a lifetime

I finished Shamsie’s easy to read, strong narrative and fully rounded character latest book, feeling like my heart, my mind, my viscera had been expertly pulled into any number of places

Of course, we need news, to help us think about world events, but maybe it is the LEAST imaginative of us, rather than the most, who needs FICTION to help us understand and truly feel the lives of others. Or needs the kind of fiction this is.

Shamsie has taken me before deeply into the lives and complexity of British Asian identities.

In this book, she initially focuses on two teenage girls in Karachi, during the period of General Zia’s dictatorship, but, far more universally, on the strong friendships which children, then adolescents, make, and which may, (or may not) last a life time. Both girls, Zahra and Maryam, are privileged daughters. Maryam is wealthier, her lineage that of a very successful high fashion leather goods manufacturer, moneyed capitalism. Zahra’s family more intellectual, dangerously critical of the authoritarian regime.

Over and above this, though, are the usual concerns and fascinations that young teenage girls, beginning to develop teenage bodies have

And to something which may challenge or change the trajectory of that friendship.

Jump forward to London in Spring 1999

From girls aged 14 to women in their 40s, what has changed, what has stayed the same, and will the past have unfinished business?

Well of course it will.

I found this a brilliant read – not least in the forensic way in which the cruelties of the immigration system in this country – particularly the practices of the present Government, are given flesh, blood, and many shed tears to take the reader into the human lives of those statistics.

After enjoying home fire I was excited to pick this up. The first half was engaging, entertaining and brilliant but unfortunately when the story skips forward in time it became dry and boring and I nearly did not finish. Shame.

A deep dive into the nature of friendship with the characters of Maryam and Zahra, who have been best friends since they grew up together as girls in Karachi. The women stayed friends even as both transitioned into very different adult lives in London. Maryam and Zahra are very different, and always have been, but some undefinable quality in their friendship has always meant that they were close despite this; but amidst the politics and power struggles of their older lives their friendship has to go under the test. Halfway through the narrative switches from Karachi in the eighties to London in the noughties which is initially jarring but quickly became much more interesting to me.

I found all of characters very likeable and engaging and overall found this both an easy but also a profoundly insightful read. There’s an interesting ending that I’m still thinking about!

My thanks to #NetGalley and Bloomsbury for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Stories about female friendship are always interesting to me and Best of Friends was a powerful tale. It had layers and depth, while looking at big themes such as politics and power play but the nuances of friendship remain at its heart. I really enjoyed this.

This was not for me. I feel really bad about this because the book has been held in such high review. But I'm left wondering if this is the case of the "Emperors new clothes" For me, this book was excruciatingly slow and over-indulgent. At numerous points, I almost gave up. It improved slightly in the second half but still left me disappointed.

What I enjoyed - 1) The support of deep, enduring female friendships. 2) Independent, powerful, intelligent female protagonists. 3) Set in Karachi was culturally interesting and fascinating.

Fourteen-year-old Maryam and Zahra have always been the best of friends, despite their different backgrounds and class. Maryam will inherit the family business, Zahra dreams of escaping abroad.
An irresponsible, careless decision at a party results in a traumatic experience that shapes the personalities and futures of these girls. We meet the girls again, 30 years later, living in London where their past will come back to haunt them.

I recognize the political commentary and the metaphors that lie beneath, but taking the story at face value, it was too slow with long stretches of nothing happening. The traumatic event that was the catalyst felt tame in light of the real tragedies and violence that occur worldwide, leaving me surprised at the lasting impact that it left. The emotion and vindictiveness of the characters made no sense as a result.

As always grateful to netgalley for the opportunity to review so many varied stories.

This was a nice easy read about friendship of two young girls which endured for many years although it was not without its difficulties. It made for a good read which was both touching and heartwarming. I enjoyed how the story slowly unfolded making it an enjoyable read,

Home Fire is one of my favourite books of all time so I went into this with extremely high expectations.

I was gripped by the first part: an intricate tale of two best friends against a political and cultural backdrop that they’re currently too young to be involved in yet influences their lives regardless. Shamsie’s writing is so quietly beautiful that I found myself drawn in before I even realised.

For some reason, I couldn’t connect as much with the second part. For that reason, it’s not a high rating for me personally — which is likely partially down to my reading mood at the time. There are some people that I’d still recommend this to though who would likely enjoy it more than I did!

I didn’t post a public review of this as I only post positive reviews.

Found this book at times really well written, depicting class and friendships in a refreshing way, but also incredibly slow at times

Zahra and Maryam are best friends in Karachi, at school together and sharing (almost) all their thoughts and experiences, yet Maryam can choose to take risks because whatever happens, she’s going to inherit the family business, whereas Zahra’s dad is treading a fine line as a TV presenter who doesn’t want to let his friends down by praising the leader and Zahra needs to behave perfectly in order to get the out she needs. The book and the girls’ long friendship turns out to pivot on one scary night when Maryam tries to take control but actually they get into a difficult situation – but who, in fact, got them into that situation and who took the blame?

I loved the atmosphere of the first section of the book in Karachi, the feeling of fear just averted, of divisions in society and double-think, of either doing what you have to do to get by or making sure you’re doing the right thing, but also of being a teenager, wanting to flirt with boys and sharing a collection of marked up Judith Krantz, etc., novels.

Then we’re in London in 2019 and while Zahra is head of a social justice organisation lobbying the government and trying to help everyone, Maryam is a tech investor who is flirting with the Tories. When her face-recognition app comes up against Zahra’s policy work, we wonder what will happen and whether it will break their tight bond. Relationships are carefully done, there’s diversity woven into every strand of the book, but not in a preachy way, and the differences between those lucky enough to be secure and those living in precarity is brought out beautifully and sensitively. And there’s so much nuance – one girl always waiting for the other, one woman doing so, then near the end, their paths converging at the right point: so cleverly done. Old friends reappear and fates intertwine and it’s fascinating until the last page.

Oh, and it also has the best, most sensitive portrayal of the Covid lockdowns I think I’ve seen so far.

Set against a tumultuous period in Pakistani history, Shamsie scrutinizes the friendship between Zahra and Maryam as they go through puberty, coping with the internal personal changes and those of the wider world. Best of Friends is an honest examination of the challenges in any friendship and the resentments that fester through real of imagined wrongs and the ties that bind individuals.

A multi-layered gripping novel, The opening is set in 1988 Karachi, and centres around two friends - the differences in their backgrounds and how that impacts their choices and life. I enojyed how Shamsie captures this..
The remainder of the novel fast forwards to London, Zahra and Maryam ,now women, and still dealing with the aftermath of that night in their own way.

There's no doubt Best of Friends is well written, and cleverly juxtaposes an enduring childhood friendship against political commentary, with Zahar and Maryam having very opposing views.

An event that took place in Karachi when they were teenagers is to have a profound effect on both women, and when a person involved in that incident reappears, it will have far-reaching consequences for everyone.

I enjoyed this book, but I never became fully absorbed or invested in Maryam or Zahar's stories. I felt that we were kept at arm's length to a certain extent, and perhaps this was deliberate. Certainly a book to make you think and question, but not a book that captivated me as much as I would have liked.

Childhood friendships are special and so it is with Maryam and Zahra in Best of Friends by Kamila Shamsie.
In 1988 when the Pakistan dictator dies a better future is envisaged for the fourteen year old Maryam and Zahra. Both girls are studying with the aim of getting to university although Maryam has a more relaxed attitude as whatever happens she will inherit a family business and a place in society.
In the second part of the story we are in London with Maryam and Zahra who have become important and influential. The story holds a mirror up to the country that Britain has become with politicians playing politics with peoples lives.
The story was excellent with both characters carefully drawn with their interconnected lives and the politics that intrudes on their lives carefully examined. I highly recommend this beautifully written novel.

The power of almost a lifelong friendship is explored in this book. Starting with children to teenager friendship then an adult friendship. I would have liked to not have such a time jump and had a bit more of a between story but it did show how events early in life have an affect on life. If you are looking for something different to read then this is it.

There's no doubt Shamsie is a great writer but as I was reading this, I expected to feel a lot more. Perhaps the story was too subtle for me (I usually like hard-hitting thrillers) but I think the theme covered are relevant and timely and something many people (especially women) can identify with. I included it as a book club pick for October in Karen's Book Group.

At the centre of this very readable novel lies a tale of heart-warming friendship with all its ups and downs. Zarah and Maryam’s is the kind of friendship where ‘whatever happened in the world you would always have this one person… who knew your every flaw… and who still, despite it all chose to stand with you.’

The two girls grew up together in Karachi, Pakistan, both quite privileged but from very different family backgrounds. We accompany them through their early teenage years and learn a lot about their fears, ambitions, preferences, anxieties and secrets, all set within the context of a post-partition Pakistan on the eve of Benazir’s rise to power. Then both of them get caught up in an event that will stay with them for the rest of their lives, but it also changes their present.

As a consequence, Maryam loses the prospect of inheriting her grandfather’s business and is shipped to London to study at a private school, Zarah stays behind but later secures a scholarship which allows her to follow in Maryam’s footsteps and studies at Cambridge University.

We meet the two of them again decades later, when both are highly successful figures in London’s public life: Maryam has become a top venture capitalist with links to some obscure and corrupt government circles, Zarah heads up the UK’s Centre of Civil Liberties. Given that Maryam’s professional network consists of the very people that Zarah’s organisation is trying to hold to account, the story of their continuing friendship is a story of closeness and tension, trust and suspicion, betrayal and forgiveness – all based on subtleties of subtexts they created throughout their lifetime of togetherness. What’s not to like?

Shamsie clearly has a bone to pick when it comes to the political administration 2019/20 - there is hardly a topic that escapes her scathing criticism in the second half of her book. Whilst this has my full sympathy, I do think that she runs the risk of superficiality by trying to address too many current issues, which takes away from a deeper understanding of a friendship that has weathered many a storm and is still there, in all its fragility.

I am grateful to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The story of friendship is a precious one but will always have twists and turns along the way. This book tells of a life long friendship which (as with all) had undercurrents that remain below the surface but are bubbling away and will explode at any time.
A great read.

Not the best book I ever read, but set against a period that I knew little or nothing about in Pakistan, this made for an interesting read.

i was intruiged by the premise of this and i liked the setting but the writing wasn't compelling and i wasn;t invested in the characters esp after they got older