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Welcome to AmericastanWith effervescent humor and wit, Jabeen Akhtar turns every stereotype of Muslim–Americans on its head in this refreshingly candid debut novel.
Samira, a Pakistani American, returns home to her family in North Carolina after being dumped by her boyfriend of eight years (for her best friend), fired from her job (because she ended up in jail) and finding herself on the FBI's terror watch list (after trying to run over her ex). But living at home with her somewhat eccentric and almost-dysfunctional family proves to be tricky and exhausting. Welcome to Americastan is a hilarious, delightfully irreverent yet thoughtful look at the Pakistani community in America—the double lives led by the young who debate the significance of animal sacrifice while sipping cocktails; atheists who agree to having a maulvi perform their wedding just to please their parents; and parties with an open bar, but only for the white people! |
"While [Welcome to Americastan] talks about serious issues at hand, it also does that in a manner so funny that you can't help but laugh out loud. The wit is biting and refreshing. The plot never fails to edge you further into the book and the characters literally speak to you." |
“Jabeen Akhtar is one of those rare and gifted people who seem biologically incapable of doing anything that isn’t incredibly funny. Even the trickiest situation is rescued by the strangely ironic humour that Jabeen manages to infuse. |
“Jabeen Akhtar puts her heroine in a world full of American confusion and Asian chaos. And skirts all the clichés.” |
"The accounts of the family are warm, funny and intimate and would strike a chord with readers who would readily identify with the situations. Akhtar's debut novel is a breeze--light-hearted and yet thought provoking." |