Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

This is one of the best books I've read in the past year. A beautifully written tiny story of two people falling in love and building a relationship in a world torn apart by war and the constant migration of people fleeing (or joining) wars.

The use of magical realism--"Doors" appear throughout the world that when you step through them, you are transported to another place far far away--is fantastic. As Hamid said in an interview--if the conventional way of fleeing war was included, the book would have been mostly about that. It is such a cumbersome and time consuming thing that it would dominate. He didn't want that--instead, the dominant line of the story is the relationship between Nadia and Saeed--two young adults who meet and fall in love in a city (unnamed) on the brink of civil war. 

The war, and the devastation of their city and lives, causes their relationship to become intense and all consuming incredibly fast. Are their feelings real or just the intense outcome of the war? When they decide to leave together through one of the doors, the relationship changes. As they continue to migrate--first to Greece, than England, and ultimately Marin California, they inevitably change, as does their relationship.

Hamid's writing is sharp, evocative, and beautiful. This book is fantastic--it has stuck with me and made me think. I hope to read more by this wonderful writer.

Recommended by Cynthia Lambert
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