Wonderfully exuberant and mischievous... [a] jewel box of a novel.
Independent
If Pakistan is a land of untold stories, whispered conspiracy theories and closed-door mutinies, then thank heavens for Tariq Ali, whose access to its innermost secret chambers has made him the country's finest historian and critic.
- Fatima Bhutto, New Statesman
A humdinger of a book, full of energy, intelligence and bite.
- Hilary Spurling, Daily Mail
Bold, clever, full of multilingual jokes, and replete with socio-historical detail.
Times Literary Supplement
Audacious... Islamic politics and faith, the mille-feuille of layers that constitute belief, and the salty real world behind closed doors, are all caught starkly by Ali's uneffusive prose. For once 'unputdownable' is the case.
- Tom Adair, Scotsman
A novelist of distinction ... Ali offers a persuasive account of the corruption of contemporary Pakistan, especially the brutal sexual politics, and his wry, ruminative account of lifelong friendship rings with truth.
- Michael Arditti, Daily Mail
Offers great insight into the history and culture of the Muslim world.
Booklist
Ali pays perfect attention to detail, reminding the reader of the merits of Naguib Mahfouz's Cairo Trilogy. Whether describing the bonds of friendship, the sights and sounds of Lahore or the state of Fatherland in the throes of a military dictatorship, the writer's grip on detail never slackens.
Karachi Herald
All human frailty and nobility is here-an imaginative tour de force.
Sunday Telegraph
A very beautiful novel, sensuous, funny and intelligent.
- Florence Noiville, Le Monde