A compelling story that works on two levels — in this case as a deeply moving and highly specific tale of love and ambition, and as a larger, metaphorical look at the mind-boggling social and economic changes sweeping “rising Asia.”
It is a measure of Mr. Hamid’s audacious talents that he manages to make his protagonist’s story work on so many levels. “You” is, at once, a modern-day Horatio Alger, representing the desires and frustrations of millions in rising Asia; a bildungsroman hero, by turns knavish and recognizably human, who sallies forth from the provinces to find his destiny; and a nameless but intimately known soul, whose bittersweet romance with the pretty girl possesses a remarkable emotional power. With “How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia” Mr. Hamid reaffirms his place as one of his generation’s most inventive and gifted writers.”
In this haunting, unflinching and at times unexpectedly hilarious memoir, Alex Witchel offers up a fiercely honest account of how her adored mother slowly began “disappearing in plain sight.” “All Gone” is a potluck dish containing a variety of ingredients: childhood stories, complete with a cast of vibrantly portrayed relatives; practical knowledge gleaned from Witchel’s desperate battle against the relentless advance of her parent’s small-stroke-induced dementia; and, yes, real recipes passed down by her mother and grandmother.
Mr. Ahmad’s deep understanding of his characters shows what a powerful truth teller fiction can be.
