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Entangled Lives
Raza, a poor orphan trapped in the slums of Pakistan, is sent to a strict madrassah where he meets and falls in love with Perveen. They attempt to flee the city to escape their respective fates but fail. Perveen, pregnant, is sent back to her family, and Raza is sent to Afghanistan to fight as a Taliban solider. American journalist, Rachael Brown, travels to Afghanistan to cover the political unrest. When she meets Raza for a brief interview, she sees for the first time the true face of the poor and desperate young men with nowhere else to go. As the war unfolds, their paths cross again, and each must decide what they owe the other.
299 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 27, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
July 26, 2018
4 most harrowing stars
My reviews can be found here: https://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpres...
Frightening, although a work of fiction, this story about a young boy trained to be an ISIS fighter, was not only well written but mesmerizing. The things related in this book, are true, scarily true, and one could see that in many cases there was no choice for these young boys than to either die, watch their family die, or join ISIS. Coincidentally, I am reading The Terrorist Factory: ISIS, the Yazidi Genocide, and Exporting Terror, which affirms all of what Mr Omer has written.
In this shocking and heart breaking tale, we meet Raza, a young boy, an orphan, living in the slums of Pakistan. He is sent to a madrassah where he is beaten, raped, and treated miserably. The only hope in his young life is Perveen, a young girl who Raza falls in love with. The two plot an escape and they are successful for a time. Perveen becomes pregnant and soon their life together ends as Perveen is sent back to her family and Raza is sent to ISIS where he and others are trained to kill in the name of Allah. The boys are again mistreated, beaten, and even drugged to follow the line that ISIS is pursuing. They are subjected to such brutality that it becomes part and parcel of their existence.
Rachel Brown is an American journalist sent to Afghanistan to cover the turmoil. She meets Raza and through him begins to understand what these boys have endured as they were trained to kill wantonly. She herself struggles with her need to record and be in the midst of this conflagration leaving her husband for months at a time to pursue this story. Her life is entangled with her need to find and cover the truth.
As time goes on, Raza and Rachel meet once again and the choices they have made come to fruition. War, as someone once said, is hell and Raza is living every moment in that hell. His entangled life, along with all those others whom ISIS has kidnapped over the years, and turned into killers is tragic and appalling. It certainly gave this reader much to consider and ponder.
Thank you to Iman Omer, John Hunt Publishing LTD, and NetGalley for a copy of this, a most harrowing story of destruction and death.
My reviews can be found here: https://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpres...
Frightening, although a work of fiction, this story about a young boy trained to be an ISIS fighter, was not only well written but mesmerizing. The things related in this book, are true, scarily true, and one could see that in many cases there was no choice for these young boys than to either die, watch their family die, or join ISIS. Coincidentally, I am reading The Terrorist Factory: ISIS, the Yazidi Genocide, and Exporting Terror, which affirms all of what Mr Omer has written.
In this shocking and heart breaking tale, we meet Raza, a young boy, an orphan, living in the slums of Pakistan. He is sent to a madrassah where he is beaten, raped, and treated miserably. The only hope in his young life is Perveen, a young girl who Raza falls in love with. The two plot an escape and they are successful for a time. Perveen becomes pregnant and soon their life together ends as Perveen is sent back to her family and Raza is sent to ISIS where he and others are trained to kill in the name of Allah. The boys are again mistreated, beaten, and even drugged to follow the line that ISIS is pursuing. They are subjected to such brutality that it becomes part and parcel of their existence.
Rachel Brown is an American journalist sent to Afghanistan to cover the turmoil. She meets Raza and through him begins to understand what these boys have endured as they were trained to kill wantonly. She herself struggles with her need to record and be in the midst of this conflagration leaving her husband for months at a time to pursue this story. Her life is entangled with her need to find and cover the truth.
As time goes on, Raza and Rachel meet once again and the choices they have made come to fruition. War, as someone once said, is hell and Raza is living every moment in that hell. His entangled life, along with all those others whom ISIS has kidnapped over the years, and turned into killers is tragic and appalling. It certainly gave this reader much to consider and ponder.
Thank you to Iman Omer, John Hunt Publishing LTD, and NetGalley for a copy of this, a most harrowing story of destruction and death.
July 26, 2018
Thank you, @netgalley and Roundfire Books, for the advanced reading copy! Releases tomorrow! Review Below.
Entangled Lives has been the most diverse and unique reads of this year for me. Overall, I’m glad I read this book because it gave me a perspective of a world I otherwise might not have learned much about.
Raza is an orphan in Pakistan who is raised in a madrassah, a poor Muslim school that raises children with strict religious standards, but traps them in a world of perversion and abuse.
Once Raza enters adulthood and falls in love with a young girl in his village, they elope and try to escape their fates, only to later have his pregnant lover be imprisoned for the remainder of her life and he is sent to spend his days as a Taliban soldier in Afghanistan.
Rachael is an American journalist who travels to Afghanistan to personally witness how the war and religious and political conflicts are affecting its people, and more specifically, the women.
Rachael, while eager to be at the top of her journalist career, doesn’t realize the difficult road paved not only for the people she meets, but also herself.
This was a truly unique story line and I think was a great idea for a book. The reader learns a little bit more about the lives, albeit still fictional, of the culture of the people in Pakistan and Afghanistan in the timeline right before 9/11. I applaud the author for taking up a highly controversial subject and writing a great work of fiction.
My only gripe with this was the story was a little difficult to follow along. I think if each chapter had more detail at the beginning, just whose perspective it was, it would make for easier reading transitions for the reader. It sometimes took me a couple pages to figure out whose perspective the narration was coming from.
The story line came off simple, but covered many complex issues and cultures. It was an easy read, but still gave me a lot to think about.
The author was in no way rationalizing the horrible events that have taken place as a result of the Taliban, but offers the perspective of how everyone is affected and exposes the beauty to be found in hardship.
Entangled Lives has been the most diverse and unique reads of this year for me. Overall, I’m glad I read this book because it gave me a perspective of a world I otherwise might not have learned much about.
Raza is an orphan in Pakistan who is raised in a madrassah, a poor Muslim school that raises children with strict religious standards, but traps them in a world of perversion and abuse.
Once Raza enters adulthood and falls in love with a young girl in his village, they elope and try to escape their fates, only to later have his pregnant lover be imprisoned for the remainder of her life and he is sent to spend his days as a Taliban soldier in Afghanistan.
Rachael is an American journalist who travels to Afghanistan to personally witness how the war and religious and political conflicts are affecting its people, and more specifically, the women.
Rachael, while eager to be at the top of her journalist career, doesn’t realize the difficult road paved not only for the people she meets, but also herself.
This was a truly unique story line and I think was a great idea for a book. The reader learns a little bit more about the lives, albeit still fictional, of the culture of the people in Pakistan and Afghanistan in the timeline right before 9/11. I applaud the author for taking up a highly controversial subject and writing a great work of fiction.
My only gripe with this was the story was a little difficult to follow along. I think if each chapter had more detail at the beginning, just whose perspective it was, it would make for easier reading transitions for the reader. It sometimes took me a couple pages to figure out whose perspective the narration was coming from.
The story line came off simple, but covered many complex issues and cultures. It was an easy read, but still gave me a lot to think about.
The author was in no way rationalizing the horrible events that have taken place as a result of the Taliban, but offers the perspective of how everyone is affected and exposes the beauty to be found in hardship.
January 24, 2018
Kudos to Imran Omer – he has the audacity to take the perspective of a Taliban fighter (of course not to absolve him from his crimes, but to shine a light on his perceptions) and to confront Western readers with the historic realities of people living in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Most people in the West (me included) do not know enough about these regions, although some local conflicts have been prompted and shaped by Western politics. Just as Arundhati Roy’s The Ministry of Utmost Happiness (in which Kashmir plays an important role), “Entangled Lives” immerses its readers in these conflicts and shows how they affect families over generations.
Omer’s book tells the story of Raza, who grows up as an orphan in a radical religious school in Pakistan. He falls in love with Perveen and they run away – when they are caught, the head of the school sells impertinent Raza to the Taliban, and they in turn send him off to fight in Afghanistan. When Raza arrives in Kabul in 1996, the Taliban are still a milita, and Omer describes the period during which they gained power and established the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The narrative features real historic figures like the head of the UN Special Mission to Afghanistan, Norbert Heinrich Holl, and we even witness the brutal killing of Mohammad Najibullah, former President of Afghanistan.
But this is not the only timeline we are following: Before Raza leaves Pakistan, he gets a hold of his mother’s diary through which we learn about his family background. Raza’s mother was not only caught up in the ethnic tensions in Pakistan, she also experienced the Bangladesh Liberation War (Bangladesh was a province of Pakistan from 1947 to 1971). Raza’s grandmother, about whom we hear only briefly, also lived through turmoil: She witnessed the unrest in the times of the Pakistan Movement that brought independence from the British Empire in 1947. Three generations who have known nothing but violence and war.
Apart from Raza, the story has a second protagonist: Rachael comes to Afghanistan as an American war reporter when she first meets Raza as a young Taliban fighter. Raza tells her his story when he ends up in Guantanamo (no, this is no spoiler, it’s actually the opening scene of then book).
It’s pretty challenging to follow this story when you’re unfamiliar with the political developments in the region, but it is also rewarding: After finishing the book, you will know a lot more stuff that, let’s be real, you should have known already. Nevertheless, the book is also a little overburdened: Omer had many ideas for his narratives, and while none of them are bad, it’s just a little too much. For instance, that Rachael also faces relationship difficulties due to cultural differences is just too obvious a narrative move. There are many, many intricacies here, and while this speaks for an author who really thought out his material, it overwhelmed me a little.
My main issue though is that Raza is an atypical Taliban (when sent to the war, he says: “I am being led to the slaughter, what’s there to be proud of?”; Rachael also perceives him as unusual among the Taliban) - although his whole education consists of radical indoctrination, he always holds the viewpoint of a man who sees through the charade and fights against his will, because he has nowhere else to go. While there might be Taliban who think like him, the perspective of someone who bought into the ideology and did or did not change his mind when he saw what it practically meant might have been more relevant, or the perspective of one of the many fighters who joined the Taliban because they thought their regime will finally bring a united and peaceful Afghanistan. With Raza, we seem to encounter a pretty unusual terrorist.
But maybe I am mistaken and the phenomenon Omer describes was more widespread; on his publisher's website, it says: "While the war touched the society as a whole, it was the vulnerable people on the lower rungs of the economic ladder who were most affected. Young men that were seduced by the madrassahs, working under the patronage of the state, were sacrificed in the fire of the war. Entangled Lives is the story of those young men." After all, Omer was born in Karachi and witnessed the chaos in Pakistan which resulted from the Russian invasion of Afghanistan in 1980. Still, the question remains whether these poor fighters were generally really as aware of their situation as Raza. One thing is clear though: Not all Taliban are simply "poor and desperate young men with nowhere else to go", this would be a far too simple explanation for this terrorist organization.
All in all, books like this are extremely important, because they shine a light on historic conflicts Westerners usually don’t know much about (or were you familiar with the recent history of Pakistan?). There is a risk that we grow numb towards the destiny of the people who live in these regions, a destiny that we do not understand because we only see televised bits of it, and Omer is one of the voices who fight against this.
Excerpt:
“As if to urge us on, the blood of our fellows began to drip down from the sides of the pickup, reminding us with all its ferocity that we were now officially a part of a war in which our roles would be minor, but our sacrifices would be major.”
Omer’s book tells the story of Raza, who grows up as an orphan in a radical religious school in Pakistan. He falls in love with Perveen and they run away – when they are caught, the head of the school sells impertinent Raza to the Taliban, and they in turn send him off to fight in Afghanistan. When Raza arrives in Kabul in 1996, the Taliban are still a milita, and Omer describes the period during which they gained power and established the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The narrative features real historic figures like the head of the UN Special Mission to Afghanistan, Norbert Heinrich Holl, and we even witness the brutal killing of Mohammad Najibullah, former President of Afghanistan.
But this is not the only timeline we are following: Before Raza leaves Pakistan, he gets a hold of his mother’s diary through which we learn about his family background. Raza’s mother was not only caught up in the ethnic tensions in Pakistan, she also experienced the Bangladesh Liberation War (Bangladesh was a province of Pakistan from 1947 to 1971). Raza’s grandmother, about whom we hear only briefly, also lived through turmoil: She witnessed the unrest in the times of the Pakistan Movement that brought independence from the British Empire in 1947. Three generations who have known nothing but violence and war.
Apart from Raza, the story has a second protagonist: Rachael comes to Afghanistan as an American war reporter when she first meets Raza as a young Taliban fighter. Raza tells her his story when he ends up in Guantanamo (no, this is no spoiler, it’s actually the opening scene of then book).
It’s pretty challenging to follow this story when you’re unfamiliar with the political developments in the region, but it is also rewarding: After finishing the book, you will know a lot more stuff that, let’s be real, you should have known already. Nevertheless, the book is also a little overburdened: Omer had many ideas for his narratives, and while none of them are bad, it’s just a little too much. For instance, that Rachael also faces relationship difficulties due to cultural differences is just too obvious a narrative move. There are many, many intricacies here, and while this speaks for an author who really thought out his material, it overwhelmed me a little.
My main issue though is that Raza is an atypical Taliban (when sent to the war, he says: “I am being led to the slaughter, what’s there to be proud of?”; Rachael also perceives him as unusual among the Taliban) - although his whole education consists of radical indoctrination, he always holds the viewpoint of a man who sees through the charade and fights against his will, because he has nowhere else to go. While there might be Taliban who think like him, the perspective of someone who bought into the ideology and did or did not change his mind when he saw what it practically meant might have been more relevant, or the perspective of one of the many fighters who joined the Taliban because they thought their regime will finally bring a united and peaceful Afghanistan. With Raza, we seem to encounter a pretty unusual terrorist.
But maybe I am mistaken and the phenomenon Omer describes was more widespread; on his publisher's website, it says: "While the war touched the society as a whole, it was the vulnerable people on the lower rungs of the economic ladder who were most affected. Young men that were seduced by the madrassahs, working under the patronage of the state, were sacrificed in the fire of the war. Entangled Lives is the story of those young men." After all, Omer was born in Karachi and witnessed the chaos in Pakistan which resulted from the Russian invasion of Afghanistan in 1980. Still, the question remains whether these poor fighters were generally really as aware of their situation as Raza. One thing is clear though: Not all Taliban are simply "poor and desperate young men with nowhere else to go", this would be a far too simple explanation for this terrorist organization.
All in all, books like this are extremely important, because they shine a light on historic conflicts Westerners usually don’t know much about (or were you familiar with the recent history of Pakistan?). There is a risk that we grow numb towards the destiny of the people who live in these regions, a destiny that we do not understand because we only see televised bits of it, and Omer is one of the voices who fight against this.
Excerpt:
“As if to urge us on, the blood of our fellows began to drip down from the sides of the pickup, reminding us with all its ferocity that we were now officially a part of a war in which our roles would be minor, but our sacrifices would be major.”
October 1, 2020
Rachael Brown, an American Journalist wants to interview a Taliban Prisoner Raza, to unfold the darkest side of his life. The story follows Raza's life from his childhood and how he ended being a Taliban soldier.
Raza, an orphan was forced to live in Madrassa where he was tortured, molested and treated miserably. He then meets Perveen, a young girl who becomes a hope for his life and falls in love with her. But destiny had some other plans. Perveen was sent back to her family and Raza and other young boys were sent to be trained as Taliban Soldiers, where he is encountered with the same treatment as in Madrassa. Will he ever meet Perveen?
Rachael through him learns about the lives of these young boys and their struggle. With the impending war, the lives of Raza and Rachael get entangled once again.
The author has very nicely and boldly narrated the struggles of boys who were forced to become Taliban soldiers and the political developments in Pakistan, the love story of Raza and Parveen. It's little difficult to understand the story for those who don't know the regional conflicts and developments of Pakistan and the Taliban. The struggle Raza and other boys go through is heart-wrenching. The author has portrayed all of the characters very nicely and the pace of the story was decent. Overall it was a good read.
Raza, an orphan was forced to live in Madrassa where he was tortured, molested and treated miserably. He then meets Perveen, a young girl who becomes a hope for his life and falls in love with her. But destiny had some other plans. Perveen was sent back to her family and Raza and other young boys were sent to be trained as Taliban Soldiers, where he is encountered with the same treatment as in Madrassa. Will he ever meet Perveen?
Rachael through him learns about the lives of these young boys and their struggle. With the impending war, the lives of Raza and Rachael get entangled once again.
The author has very nicely and boldly narrated the struggles of boys who were forced to become Taliban soldiers and the political developments in Pakistan, the love story of Raza and Parveen. It's little difficult to understand the story for those who don't know the regional conflicts and developments of Pakistan and the Taliban. The struggle Raza and other boys go through is heart-wrenching. The author has portrayed all of the characters very nicely and the pace of the story was decent. Overall it was a good read.
Read
January 28, 2018An emotional read that will keep thinking and rightly so. The conflicts involving countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan are what we only see and get the view point from the media. We never learn about where the hate comes from and why. Raza, one of the main characters in this story grew up in a madrasa in Pakistan after his mother left. Were the boys at the madrasa were treated badly and became dollars per head to go fight for the Taliban. Most of which didn't understand the war and were hopelessness turned into hate. But not hate targeted towards one individual but a hate in general. Imran Omer's voice is important for us to listen to so that we can truly understand and fight against it.
@Netgalley @RoundfireBooks
@Netgalley @RoundfireBooks
August 31, 2018
Good attempt.
Though, 1) you are left to wonder why someone did something. There is zero character development (e.g. the main protagonist, Raza's unbelievable story reads like a go-with-the-flow checklist of bad fate and dumb choices, I don't even know where to begin with him; Rachael acts like a typical white foreigner with a savior complex, you also never understand how in the world she ever ended up hooking up with Arun, let alone marrying him; Bayfazl - has no family - and is raping kids but none of them questions him or gets back at him or talk to each other about it and everyone is okay being a 'soldier' for him inspite of his treatment of them - or reconciling religious text with his 'predilections'; Masi / maternal caretaker had a strange role in Raza's life, acting like a passive-aggressive snake, years later she actually thinks it's okay to send his alleged son - or any boy - to Roshni Ka Minar; Tara had a degree that she never used preferring to live in slums; Sumeira gives her 'U.S. address and phone number' to Raza; No explanation as to why Shahbaz Khan, son of a feudal and crop grower of Nawabshah, would want to marry a slum dwelling girl, aka Perveen; Perveen's son is literally snatched away from her in the end by Rachael, without any improvement in her life condition, or jail sentence?; There is no repertoire or love lost / brotherhood between these madressah soldiers / jehadis/ terrorists, no suicide bombers, no rhetoric on Kashmir or 'Satan' America, etc.; Except for Farooq, Yasin, Arshad, Peter and Shahzad every character in the story is a 'Khan'; it's hard to believe Raza/ Taliban fighting in north and south had a 'scant' knowledge of OBL before 9/11; etc. etc.)
2) Loved how different histories are merged in the book, favorite part was the Mazar Sharif events - and ironically it is the only place described with authoritative detail. The rest, including Karachi - or Raza's slum area -, Dhaka, Kabul, even Washington D.C. are nothing more than labels (skimmed) in this book.
3) Had a problem with author's description / recollection of certain historical events.
But a good attempt. It's a page turner.
Though, 1) you are left to wonder why someone did something. There is zero character development (e.g. the main protagonist, Raza's unbelievable story reads like a go-with-the-flow checklist of bad fate and dumb choices, I don't even know where to begin with him; Rachael acts like a typical white foreigner with a savior complex, you also never understand how in the world she ever ended up hooking up with Arun, let alone marrying him; Bayfazl - has no family - and is raping kids but none of them questions him or gets back at him or talk to each other about it and everyone is okay being a 'soldier' for him inspite of his treatment of them - or reconciling religious text with his 'predilections'; Masi / maternal caretaker had a strange role in Raza's life, acting like a passive-aggressive snake, years later she actually thinks it's okay to send his alleged son - or any boy - to Roshni Ka Minar; Tara had a degree that she never used preferring to live in slums; Sumeira gives her 'U.S. address and phone number' to Raza; No explanation as to why Shahbaz Khan, son of a feudal and crop grower of Nawabshah, would want to marry a slum dwelling girl, aka Perveen; Perveen's son is literally snatched away from her in the end by Rachael, without any improvement in her life condition, or jail sentence?; There is no repertoire or love lost / brotherhood between these madressah soldiers / jehadis/ terrorists, no suicide bombers, no rhetoric on Kashmir or 'Satan' America, etc.; Except for Farooq, Yasin, Arshad, Peter and Shahzad every character in the story is a 'Khan'; it's hard to believe Raza/ Taliban fighting in north and south had a 'scant' knowledge of OBL before 9/11; etc. etc.)
2) Loved how different histories are merged in the book, favorite part was the Mazar Sharif events - and ironically it is the only place described with authoritative detail. The rest, including Karachi - or Raza's slum area -, Dhaka, Kabul, even Washington D.C. are nothing more than labels (skimmed) in this book.
3) Had a problem with author's description / recollection of certain historical events.
But a good attempt. It's a page turner.
January 20, 2018
A gripping fictional story that could easily be a real account of what happens to survivors of the onslaught of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Told by a reporter who goes to Afghanistan to interview a Taliban soldier captured by American forces, the soldier relays the story of his life while being left behind by his mother, growing up in a madrasa, and losing his child and the woman he loved.
An emotional and at times, heartbreaking read that will keep you thinking.
Thank you Net Galley.
An emotional and at times, heartbreaking read that will keep you thinking.
Thank you Net Galley.
October 1, 2020
Entangled Lives invites you into a world Americans know little about. This window into the world of Isis fighters, fundamentalism, and Pakistani slum life is not for the feint of heart. Enter the world of Raza, an orphan being trained by the worst people that God's good earth has to offer. His only hope in the world is a a girl name Perveen. The two make plans to escape their devastating fate only to be confronted with challenge after challenge and increased turmoil.
The book is lacking in quality as far as editing is concerned. Editing is an essential part of the literary process and I hope the publisher would consider hiring a good editor for a follow up to this novel. Readers would benefit tremendously from a little bit of editing to clean up some of of the grammatical miscues and translation issues. While I appreciated the use of the Arabic / Urdu words, more guidance / translation may have been employed to engage Western readers.
The book is lacking in quality as far as editing is concerned. Editing is an essential part of the literary process and I hope the publisher would consider hiring a good editor for a follow up to this novel. Readers would benefit tremendously from a little bit of editing to clean up some of of the grammatical miscues and translation issues. While I appreciated the use of the Arabic / Urdu words, more guidance / translation may have been employed to engage Western readers.
April 5, 2018
I enjoyed this book. I learnt a great deal whilst reading it yet I found it very subtle. I was drawn into the story of Raza which managed to span several generations and thereby managed to enlighten me as an unknowledgeable reader on the conflicts in Pakistan and Afghanistan. I found the writing at times to be quite poetic. Rachael as a character seemed to me to be quite believable, even likeable, and her story as an American journalist worked well to weave in and out of Raza's. I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the unfamiliar.
October 1, 2018
Very rarely one finds a book where the author has gone against the tide of popular opinion and takes a different approach to the subject. Imran’s book Entangled Lives, does exactly that. He has presented a different face of the Jihadist movement and shed light on conditions and mechanisms that insinuate militant minds.
Imran’s has researched his subject well and his depiction of the chaos and the events that occurred around Dr Najibullah overthrow and demise are daunting and realistic. His story telling skills are impressive especially the way he draws and connects the aftermath of creation of Bangladesh to the plot
All and all a good read. Highly recommended.
Imran’s has researched his subject well and his depiction of the chaos and the events that occurred around Dr Najibullah overthrow and demise are daunting and realistic. His story telling skills are impressive especially the way he draws and connects the aftermath of creation of Bangladesh to the plot
All and all a good read. Highly recommended.
October 6, 2018
Book Review
Basic Details:
Book Title: Entangled Lives
Subtitle:
Author: Imran Omer
Genre: Culture – Pakistan, Historical Fiction
Part of a series? No
Order in series:
Best read after earlier books in series? No
Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Overall score:
I scored this book 5/5
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️
Short Summary of the book:
This book tells the story of a young orphan, Raza, who lives in the slums of Pakistan. One day he is offered an education at a madrassah. It is a strict life, where he suffers abuse from the mullah, Fazal.
During this time he meets Perveen, a girl he falls in love with. After they flee from the city to escape an arranged marriage for Perveen, they have a brief reprieve.
She is, however, captured and sent to prison. Raza learns about her pregnancy and knows there is a price on his head. He returns to the madrassah and Fazal, whose main aim in life is to make money from the boys he trains. He sells them to the Taliban to fight in Afghanistan. Against all odds, Raza survives, meets an American journalist, Rachael and they meet again once he is imprisoned in America.
What I liked about the book:
I particularly liked the description of the characters in this book. Raza was a likeable boy, who grew up to be a decent man, even if he was fighting for the Taliban and considered by the wide world to be a terrorist. He remains compassionate where others are hardened by the war they are fighting. Raza continues to worry about Perveen and their baby and learns his son has been sent to the madrassah. He cares for his son, although he has never met him, and wishes to protect and safe him. The relationship between Rachael and Raza is also very warmly described. It was difficult to put the book down, something which is always a good sign.
What I didn’t like about the book:
I was sorry when the book ended. I wanted to know what happened next and what became of Raza, Perveen, their baby, Rachael and her family.
My favourite bits in the book:
I loved where Raza and Perveen ran away and had a brief reprieve from the harshness of the life they lived. I also loved the decision Rachael made at the end of the book and now wonder what happened next.
My least favourite bits in the book:
I didn’t like it when the book ended and no final answers were forthcoming. What happens to the characters next? I wonder whether any further books are planned to follow on from this one.
Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?
I don’t know if there are any follow-ons planned for this book. It would be nice to read what happened next.
What books could this be compared to and why?
I’m not sure what to compare this book to. It approaches the terrorism issue from a completely different angle. Young, vulnerable and poor boys, who are groomed and brainwashed to fight in a war they don’t really believe in. So different from how we normally hear it on the news.
Recommendation:
In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:
Children No
Young Adult Possibly
Adult Yes
If you like Fiction based on real issues, this book might be the book for you.
I look forward to reading more books by this author.
Book Description by Author:
Raza, a poor orphan trapped in the slums of Pakistan, is sent to a strict madrassah where he meets and falls in love with Perveen. They attempt to flee the city to escape their respective fates but fail. Perveen, pregnant, is sent back to her family, and Raza is sent to Afghanistan to fight as a Taliban solider. American journalist, Rachael Brown, travels to Afghanistan to cover the political unrest. When she meets Raza for a brief interview, she sees for the first time the true face of the Taliban: poor and desperate young men with nowhere else to go. As the war unfolds, their paths cross again, and each must decide what they owe the other.
Basic Details:
Book Title: Entangled Lives
Subtitle:
Author: Imran Omer
Genre: Culture – Pakistan, Historical Fiction
Part of a series? No
Order in series:
Best read after earlier books in series? No
Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Overall score:
I scored this book 5/5
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️
Short Summary of the book:
This book tells the story of a young orphan, Raza, who lives in the slums of Pakistan. One day he is offered an education at a madrassah. It is a strict life, where he suffers abuse from the mullah, Fazal.
During this time he meets Perveen, a girl he falls in love with. After they flee from the city to escape an arranged marriage for Perveen, they have a brief reprieve.
She is, however, captured and sent to prison. Raza learns about her pregnancy and knows there is a price on his head. He returns to the madrassah and Fazal, whose main aim in life is to make money from the boys he trains. He sells them to the Taliban to fight in Afghanistan. Against all odds, Raza survives, meets an American journalist, Rachael and they meet again once he is imprisoned in America.
What I liked about the book:
I particularly liked the description of the characters in this book. Raza was a likeable boy, who grew up to be a decent man, even if he was fighting for the Taliban and considered by the wide world to be a terrorist. He remains compassionate where others are hardened by the war they are fighting. Raza continues to worry about Perveen and their baby and learns his son has been sent to the madrassah. He cares for his son, although he has never met him, and wishes to protect and safe him. The relationship between Rachael and Raza is also very warmly described. It was difficult to put the book down, something which is always a good sign.
What I didn’t like about the book:
I was sorry when the book ended. I wanted to know what happened next and what became of Raza, Perveen, their baby, Rachael and her family.
My favourite bits in the book:
I loved where Raza and Perveen ran away and had a brief reprieve from the harshness of the life they lived. I also loved the decision Rachael made at the end of the book and now wonder what happened next.
My least favourite bits in the book:
I didn’t like it when the book ended and no final answers were forthcoming. What happens to the characters next? I wonder whether any further books are planned to follow on from this one.
Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?
I don’t know if there are any follow-ons planned for this book. It would be nice to read what happened next.
What books could this be compared to and why?
I’m not sure what to compare this book to. It approaches the terrorism issue from a completely different angle. Young, vulnerable and poor boys, who are groomed and brainwashed to fight in a war they don’t really believe in. So different from how we normally hear it on the news.
Recommendation:
In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:
Children No
Young Adult Possibly
Adult Yes
If you like Fiction based on real issues, this book might be the book for you.
I look forward to reading more books by this author.
Book Description by Author:
Raza, a poor orphan trapped in the slums of Pakistan, is sent to a strict madrassah where he meets and falls in love with Perveen. They attempt to flee the city to escape their respective fates but fail. Perveen, pregnant, is sent back to her family, and Raza is sent to Afghanistan to fight as a Taliban solider. American journalist, Rachael Brown, travels to Afghanistan to cover the political unrest. When she meets Raza for a brief interview, she sees for the first time the true face of the Taliban: poor and desperate young men with nowhere else to go. As the war unfolds, their paths cross again, and each must decide what they owe the other.
July 24, 2018
Imran Omer’s Entangled Lives is not an easy book to read. It shouldn’t be an easy book to read. It is, after all, the story of how young men in Pakistan and Afghanistan in the 1980s and 1990s saw perpetual war as a given and had little choice but to fight. It is, after all, the story of a war between the USSR and Afghanistan that led to the rise of the Taliban that harbored Osama bin Laden.
And it is part memoir, because Imran Omer grew up in Pakistan during the times he writes about in this novel.
Right away, it becomes clear that Raza, the main character in the story, is representative of the many thousands of poor young boys and men who were orphaned, who were starving, and who had nothing to look forward to when the radical teachers began setting up madrassahs to teach the Quran and ready men for the holy jihad. The schools meant food and shelter and safety, relatively speaking. For too many, it has obviously been the only choice.
One of the strongest parts of the novel is when Raza reads his mother’s diary and learns about the turmoil that rocked Pakistan and the surrounding areas in the 1970s, leaving her pregnant and separated from all family.
Perpetual war.
There is a weaker part to the story, and it has to do with the trope of white saviorism.
Rachel Brown is an American reporter who covers war. Her Indian husband is not happy about prolonged absences but she isn’t particularly happy in her marriage. So it’s fairly clear she escapes to Afghanistan just as the Taliban begins it’s push for total power in 1996. By chance, she interviews Raza at a stadium. By chance, he spares her life later. And by chance, after 9/11 she sees a photograph of him on television, after he’s been arrested as a terrorist and, I think, taken to Guantanamo Bay.
So she decides that should be the greatest story she tells.
The novel is meant to be Raza telling his life story to Rachel, in exchange for her getting his small son out of the same madrassah that put him on the path to terror. Rachel isn’t essential to the story, not really even as a vehicle by which Raza can tell the story. It’s possible to go for long stretches without thinking about her at all.
Raza, as representative that all men who do one thing might not be evil… evil enough to be painted with the same brush as everyone else around them, is what’s important to the story. It’s his story that makes this novel so good and so important.
(I received a copy of Entangled Lives from NetGalley and Roundfire Books in exchange for an honest and original review. All thoughts are my own.)
And it is part memoir, because Imran Omer grew up in Pakistan during the times he writes about in this novel.
Right away, it becomes clear that Raza, the main character in the story, is representative of the many thousands of poor young boys and men who were orphaned, who were starving, and who had nothing to look forward to when the radical teachers began setting up madrassahs to teach the Quran and ready men for the holy jihad. The schools meant food and shelter and safety, relatively speaking. For too many, it has obviously been the only choice.
One of the strongest parts of the novel is when Raza reads his mother’s diary and learns about the turmoil that rocked Pakistan and the surrounding areas in the 1970s, leaving her pregnant and separated from all family.
Perpetual war.
There is a weaker part to the story, and it has to do with the trope of white saviorism.
Rachel Brown is an American reporter who covers war. Her Indian husband is not happy about prolonged absences but she isn’t particularly happy in her marriage. So it’s fairly clear she escapes to Afghanistan just as the Taliban begins it’s push for total power in 1996. By chance, she interviews Raza at a stadium. By chance, he spares her life later. And by chance, after 9/11 she sees a photograph of him on television, after he’s been arrested as a terrorist and, I think, taken to Guantanamo Bay.
So she decides that should be the greatest story she tells.
The novel is meant to be Raza telling his life story to Rachel, in exchange for her getting his small son out of the same madrassah that put him on the path to terror. Rachel isn’t essential to the story, not really even as a vehicle by which Raza can tell the story. It’s possible to go for long stretches without thinking about her at all.
Raza, as representative that all men who do one thing might not be evil… evil enough to be painted with the same brush as everyone else around them, is what’s important to the story. It’s his story that makes this novel so good and so important.
(I received a copy of Entangled Lives from NetGalley and Roundfire Books in exchange for an honest and original review. All thoughts are my own.)
September 19, 2019
(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique)
I want to begin this review by stating that when Imran Omer contacted me to read Entangled Lives I was very upfront about my initial thoughts based off the book summary. I said the following to him…. “It’s not my typical read but I am willing to give it a chance.”
As you read my review below, I think you’ll see I was fair and honest. I may not like the subject matter but he did give more insight into a world I’m not overly familiar with.
War has always been a part of human existence. People fight for money, for power, or to be the dominant force over mankind. Yes, most individuals join the fight out of their own free will. However, some people are forced to pick up a weapon because they either kill or be killed for their defiance.
In Entangled Lives, Imran Omer (the author) allowed readers to see the harsh reality many men, women, and children face in their war-torn country. They are beaten, maimed, killed, and left without many options. They witness death. They live in constant fear for their lives. No place is safe…. not even their homes.
I live in the United States. While we have violence and mass shootings, we still have many freedoms where the people of Afghanistan seem to have none.
I think Imran Omer’s intent with this book was to make us feel empathy for the people of Afghanistan. I think he wanted us to see not all the soldiers want to fight; that some soldiers do have a merciful heart.
While I can appreciate his effort, it’s hard for me to associate the Taliban with anything but violence, death, and destruction. I did feel compassion for all the innocent people in the line of fire or those affected by the ongoing war.
Now that I spoke upon the contents of the story, I will address the way it was delivered. At times, Imran transitioned from event to event smoothly. Case in point, the diary entries were integrated nicely. On the other hand, the transitions from Raza’s story to Rachel’s didn’t always blend well. As the story progressed, the flow became choppy and sections felt rushed. I did knock some points off for how the book was laid out but not on the contents. I may not like the subject matter but Imran did a good job relaying how harsh the conditions are over in Afghanistan.
(Find more reviews/ratings at www.superkambrook.com)
I want to begin this review by stating that when Imran Omer contacted me to read Entangled Lives I was very upfront about my initial thoughts based off the book summary. I said the following to him…. “It’s not my typical read but I am willing to give it a chance.”
As you read my review below, I think you’ll see I was fair and honest. I may not like the subject matter but he did give more insight into a world I’m not overly familiar with.
War has always been a part of human existence. People fight for money, for power, or to be the dominant force over mankind. Yes, most individuals join the fight out of their own free will. However, some people are forced to pick up a weapon because they either kill or be killed for their defiance.
In Entangled Lives, Imran Omer (the author) allowed readers to see the harsh reality many men, women, and children face in their war-torn country. They are beaten, maimed, killed, and left without many options. They witness death. They live in constant fear for their lives. No place is safe…. not even their homes.
I live in the United States. While we have violence and mass shootings, we still have many freedoms where the people of Afghanistan seem to have none.
I think Imran Omer’s intent with this book was to make us feel empathy for the people of Afghanistan. I think he wanted us to see not all the soldiers want to fight; that some soldiers do have a merciful heart.
While I can appreciate his effort, it’s hard for me to associate the Taliban with anything but violence, death, and destruction. I did feel compassion for all the innocent people in the line of fire or those affected by the ongoing war.
Now that I spoke upon the contents of the story, I will address the way it was delivered. At times, Imran transitioned from event to event smoothly. Case in point, the diary entries were integrated nicely. On the other hand, the transitions from Raza’s story to Rachel’s didn’t always blend well. As the story progressed, the flow became choppy and sections felt rushed. I did knock some points off for how the book was laid out but not on the contents. I may not like the subject matter but Imran did a good job relaying how harsh the conditions are over in Afghanistan.
(Find more reviews/ratings at www.superkambrook.com)
February 12, 2021
#entangledlives is a political #fiction by @imran_omer_author
Rachel Brown is an American Journalist saw a prisoner on TV and remembered a dept to pay from past.
This is a heart wrenching story of Raza who is an unfortunate man right from his mother’s womb & so on. It’s about his journey throughout his life and how he suffered his miserable, unfair & helpless life.
Raza was imprisoned for being a Taliban soldier. Once he saved Rachel’s life in war zone & so she believed he has some reason to do all this & decided to cover his story. He got ready to share it in exchange of his son’s life.
Raza & some of his fellow homeless & helpless children are spending most of their lives in madrasahs in Karachi. They’re being sent to fight as Taliban soldiers in their young ages. These children haven’t seen any life but to follow the rules of madrasah and prayers. They are being used as per convenience & thrown into hell of war with or without their desire.
Raza fell in love with Parveen. They managed to flee away together. That part really raised my hopes high for poor Raza but they got traced & end up in more miserable situations.
Tara is Raza’s mother and very gutsy character but no less unlucky. I loved the part of the story where Tara is being elaborated. Start from her love life, her struggle during war, Raza’s birth & finally her diary.
Apart from Raza’s life cycle & sufferings, story involves whole dispute between taliban & other governments, Taliban’s enforcement of own Laws called as Sariah on whole Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kabul, Mazar-i-Sharif & so on. Author has covered not only political but religious disputes as well. The story shows real & ugly face of Taliban.
This story is an effect of religious misbeliefs, political dispute & warring on community. How innocent lives get suffered in war time.
I love that author has covered many social & delicate taboos of our society with much ease. Though its a work of fiction but I want to believe it than any nonfiction.
I personally loved the writing style, it’s very simple & absorbing with outstanding narration. I am so glad that I came across this book. I enjoyed every bit of it and its worth the time.
Rachel Brown is an American Journalist saw a prisoner on TV and remembered a dept to pay from past.
This is a heart wrenching story of Raza who is an unfortunate man right from his mother’s womb & so on. It’s about his journey throughout his life and how he suffered his miserable, unfair & helpless life.
Raza was imprisoned for being a Taliban soldier. Once he saved Rachel’s life in war zone & so she believed he has some reason to do all this & decided to cover his story. He got ready to share it in exchange of his son’s life.
Raza & some of his fellow homeless & helpless children are spending most of their lives in madrasahs in Karachi. They’re being sent to fight as Taliban soldiers in their young ages. These children haven’t seen any life but to follow the rules of madrasah and prayers. They are being used as per convenience & thrown into hell of war with or without their desire.
Raza fell in love with Parveen. They managed to flee away together. That part really raised my hopes high for poor Raza but they got traced & end up in more miserable situations.
Tara is Raza’s mother and very gutsy character but no less unlucky. I loved the part of the story where Tara is being elaborated. Start from her love life, her struggle during war, Raza’s birth & finally her diary.
Apart from Raza’s life cycle & sufferings, story involves whole dispute between taliban & other governments, Taliban’s enforcement of own Laws called as Sariah on whole Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kabul, Mazar-i-Sharif & so on. Author has covered not only political but religious disputes as well. The story shows real & ugly face of Taliban.
This story is an effect of religious misbeliefs, political dispute & warring on community. How innocent lives get suffered in war time.
I love that author has covered many social & delicate taboos of our society with much ease. Though its a work of fiction but I want to believe it than any nonfiction.
I personally loved the writing style, it’s very simple & absorbing with outstanding narration. I am so glad that I came across this book. I enjoyed every bit of it and its worth the time.
July 15, 2018
I was drawn to this book because I know that I am sadly lacking in knowledge about the rise to power of the Taliban; conflicts in Pakistan and Afghanistan; and the reality of what this means to the various sections of society in these regions. I was not disappointed; shocked, angered, yes, but disappointed? No. Imran Omer has, with his beautifully written book, has filled in some of the gaps.
There are several strands to the plot. The orphan Pakistani boy, Raza, was placed in a Madrasa to be cared for and educated; in reality he (like the others) was in fact indoctrinated, sexually abused. Raza fell in love with Parveen, a girl in the Madrasa and they ran away together. Later both were captured; Raza returned to the mullah to be sold to the Taliban to boost their army, whilst she was taken away, held captive, raped and trapped. Raza later learned that she was pregnant.
Raza as a soldier for the Taliban in Afghanistan meets Rachel an American investigative journalist and the plot unfolds from their perspective and from Parveen’s mother’s perspective. This is sometimes confusing.
At times the language is quite lyrical which tends to make the atrocities we witness more shocking. The suffering and indignities that these poor people endure; the hopelessness; the sheer lack of dignity, consideration – they are all dispensable and disposable. Murder on a grand scale.
I am glad I read this book. I did learn more about the different cultures but I am afraid that I still lack any comprehension. I am left saddened and bewildered.
Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.
There are several strands to the plot. The orphan Pakistani boy, Raza, was placed in a Madrasa to be cared for and educated; in reality he (like the others) was in fact indoctrinated, sexually abused. Raza fell in love with Parveen, a girl in the Madrasa and they ran away together. Later both were captured; Raza returned to the mullah to be sold to the Taliban to boost their army, whilst she was taken away, held captive, raped and trapped. Raza later learned that she was pregnant.
Raza as a soldier for the Taliban in Afghanistan meets Rachel an American investigative journalist and the plot unfolds from their perspective and from Parveen’s mother’s perspective. This is sometimes confusing.
At times the language is quite lyrical which tends to make the atrocities we witness more shocking. The suffering and indignities that these poor people endure; the hopelessness; the sheer lack of dignity, consideration – they are all dispensable and disposable. Murder on a grand scale.
I am glad I read this book. I did learn more about the different cultures but I am afraid that I still lack any comprehension. I am left saddened and bewildered.
Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.
October 18, 2018
Raza, Perveen and Rachael, three people whose paths cross and each will never be the same. Raza and Perveen both are growing up in the slums of Pakistan. Rachael is an investigative journalist who has worked in the area for years and struggles with her own demons.
My main reason for wanting to read this book was to understand the path to becoming a Taliban soldier. The author accomplishes this, and it’s not a happy road to follow. Perveen, Raza’s love, being a female in the land of Sharia law has it so much worse. She doesn’t gain as much attention and compassion in the story as she deserves. The lives of each of these youth are so dispensable, unloved, not cherished.
Rachael is a very hard-working and dedicated reporter. A glimpse into the working conditions of her life is enough to gain respect for her trade. In an interesting turn of events, Raza spares Rachael’s life, thus the bridge between the three is built.
The later chapters of the book seem to falter a bit, and the subject jumped without warning. Other than that, I found this a very interesting and compelling book about a subject that I’m trying to give a face to.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to John Hunt Publishing, LTD and NetGalley for making it available.)
My main reason for wanting to read this book was to understand the path to becoming a Taliban soldier. The author accomplishes this, and it’s not a happy road to follow. Perveen, Raza’s love, being a female in the land of Sharia law has it so much worse. She doesn’t gain as much attention and compassion in the story as she deserves. The lives of each of these youth are so dispensable, unloved, not cherished.
Rachael is a very hard-working and dedicated reporter. A glimpse into the working conditions of her life is enough to gain respect for her trade. In an interesting turn of events, Raza spares Rachael’s life, thus the bridge between the three is built.
The later chapters of the book seem to falter a bit, and the subject jumped without warning. Other than that, I found this a very interesting and compelling book about a subject that I’m trying to give a face to.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to John Hunt Publishing, LTD and NetGalley for making it available.)
May 19, 2021
Who do you think the mothers, the young girls and the boys are before they are tagged "militants", "terrorist" and various other names by the Media. Do you know about their lives? Entangled Lives by Imran Omer is an attempt to write about Perveen,Raza and many like her through an American journalist Rachael Brown who wishes to know their story before they were trapped in the system of Taliban forever.
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The story starts at the time of the partition between India and Pakistan followed by the separation of East Pakistan and West Pakistan and the lives involved in them.
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The author mentions in his narrative about the prejudices the media and journalist enter with in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Amongst all this Rachael struggles to find peace in her own personal life and what is happening in Afghanistan on a daily basis.
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The "militants" lives are led to a point where they have nowhere to go and the dark days in their life makes them morbid and the concept of Madrassa and how it's still viewed by the western narrative in the media.
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The author also talks about the state-sponsored terrorism and which in turn takes the shape of "journalism" in return.
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The author covers the internal battles that the people fight to survive in the land they live.
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Entangled Lives is a reminder to us about the attack of Taliban started leaving no choice for the inhabitants of the country.
.
The story starts at the time of the partition between India and Pakistan followed by the separation of East Pakistan and West Pakistan and the lives involved in them.
.
The author mentions in his narrative about the prejudices the media and journalist enter with in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Amongst all this Rachael struggles to find peace in her own personal life and what is happening in Afghanistan on a daily basis.
.
The "militants" lives are led to a point where they have nowhere to go and the dark days in their life makes them morbid and the concept of Madrassa and how it's still viewed by the western narrative in the media.
.
The author also talks about the state-sponsored terrorism and which in turn takes the shape of "journalism" in return.
.
The author covers the internal battles that the people fight to survive in the land they live.
.
Entangled Lives is a reminder to us about the attack of Taliban started leaving no choice for the inhabitants of the country.
November 20, 2020
American journalist, Rachael Brown, travels to Afghanistan to cover the political unrest. She meets Raza, a poor orphan who was trapped in the slums of Pakistan, is sent to a strict madrassah where he meets and falls in love with Perveen. They attempt to flee the city to escape their respective fates but fail. Perveen who is pregnant, is sent back to her family and Raza is sent to Afghanistan to fight as a Taliban solider. While interviewing Raza, Rachael encounters the true face of the Taliban: poor and desperate young men with nowhere else to go. As the war unfolds, their paths cross again, and each must decide what they owe the other.
We generally read books on the struggle of a woman but a book on struggle of a man/boy is rare. The author write a heart wrenching story of the struggle of a boy who is forced to become a Taliban soldier.
The book was emotionally exhausting but I really enjoyed reading this book as it had a completely different view to regional conflicts. I highly recommend this book to those who are comfortable reading a highly emotional books.
We generally read books on the struggle of a woman but a book on struggle of a man/boy is rare. The author write a heart wrenching story of the struggle of a boy who is forced to become a Taliban soldier.
The book was emotionally exhausting but I really enjoyed reading this book as it had a completely different view to regional conflicts. I highly recommend this book to those who are comfortable reading a highly emotional books.
April 26, 2018
This book tells the story of Raza and Perveen who grow up in a madrassah, which they try unsucessfully to escape. Raza is ultimately forced to travel to Afghanistan to fight for the Taliban. Twice, in different circumstances, he meets Rachael, an American Journalist.
The narration of the story switches between Raza and Rachael. I found Rachael's narration to be extremely absorbing and one which read almost as a memoir. In fact, the whole book has the feeling of a true story, I suppose because, in part, it is based on real conflict and recent history. It is tragically sad in parts, but is also one of those books which gives you a glimpse into a different culture and a very, very different way of life.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The narration of the story switches between Raza and Rachael. I found Rachael's narration to be extremely absorbing and one which read almost as a memoir. In fact, the whole book has the feeling of a true story, I suppose because, in part, it is based on real conflict and recent history. It is tragically sad in parts, but is also one of those books which gives you a glimpse into a different culture and a very, very different way of life.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 22, 2018
It’s always satisfying when someone does what they say they will do and Roundfire have done it with this novel. Their claim that. “Put simply we publish great stories” rings true with this work from Imran Omer. His insightful probe into the inner thoughts and beliefs of the Taliban were both informative and alarming and the world is a better place now that they are gone.
Imran blend of cultures, Eastern and Western is seamless and convincing and his character development is well rounded.
This is a novel that leaves more questions than it answers and, to my taste, that is exactly how it should be. Wanting more.
Imran blend of cultures, Eastern and Western is seamless and convincing and his character development is well rounded.
This is a novel that leaves more questions than it answers and, to my taste, that is exactly how it should be. Wanting more.
July 6, 2018
*An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.*
An interesting story that gives a human face of someone who was fighting with the Taliban...however, in my copy the formatting was a mess and the story jumped back and forth between Reza's, Tara's and Rachael's stories so abruptly that it was hard to follow.
An interesting story that gives a human face of someone who was fighting with the Taliban...however, in my copy the formatting was a mess and the story jumped back and forth between Reza's, Tara's and Rachael's stories so abruptly that it was hard to follow.
April 16, 2018
Another beautiful read given by Netgalley (thank you) which is contemporary and historic in its narrative which so clearly emphasises that in war, there are no winners or losers, just victims on both sides.
August 24, 2018
Full Review here:
Screen Wipe... TV ,MOVIE and BOOK Review: Entangled Lives by Imran Omer http://screenwiper.blogspot.com/2018/...
Screen Wipe... TV ,MOVIE and BOOK Review: Entangled Lives by Imran Omer http://screenwiper.blogspot.com/2018/...
May 31, 2020
I managed 75% but i could not finish it. I didn't like the way the story progressed and slowly got bored with it.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 18, 2020
Entangled Lives is a mesmerizing tale of the tragic reality of war. I love reading books in this genre that's why I picked this one up. The central theme of the book is about how war and poverty can change a country and its people. It sheds light on the heartbreaking reality in which people live even at this very minute in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It doesn't justify anything, it only shows a different perspective of the war. The main thing that the author wants to convey is the circumstances that lead to a person becoming a soldier.
The story is about Raza, a Taliban militant and Rachel Brown, an American journalist. Raza is an orphan who is taken in by a madrasah when he is young. He meets his love, Perveen there. They try to break free from the oppression and live their life. But they are eventually caught and torn apart. Raza is trained to be a militant in a war he has no interest in. Rachel Green comes to cover this war and they meet under 2 differ circumstances.
Their meeting is pivotal to the whole story and that's the reason you should read this book. The setting the author has described is authentic. To brand a person terrorist is easy, but there is human behind the tag and this book shows it. There is multiple point of views in the book which only adds cohesiveness to the narration. The characters could have been bit more deep. But suffice to say that this book had a deep impact on me. I'd definitely recommend it to everyone. It's a surreal experience.
-Afreen
The story is about Raza, a Taliban militant and Rachel Brown, an American journalist. Raza is an orphan who is taken in by a madrasah when he is young. He meets his love, Perveen there. They try to break free from the oppression and live their life. But they are eventually caught and torn apart. Raza is trained to be a militant in a war he has no interest in. Rachel Green comes to cover this war and they meet under 2 differ circumstances.
Their meeting is pivotal to the whole story and that's the reason you should read this book. The setting the author has described is authentic. To brand a person terrorist is easy, but there is human behind the tag and this book shows it. There is multiple point of views in the book which only adds cohesiveness to the narration. The characters could have been bit more deep. But suffice to say that this book had a deep impact on me. I'd definitely recommend it to everyone. It's a surreal experience.
-Afreen
April 5, 2020
Eye-opening and bittersweet
The novel follows the heartbreaking story of Raza who lives a life of hardship and sacrifice in Pakistan. Although we do follow a journalist Rachael who has her own struggles, this is very much Raza's story. His story is quite compelling for me especially that I don't live and definitely can't imagine living in the circumstances and environment he lives in. The glimpses of politics, societal dynamics, human interaction and relationships are eye-opening and thought-provoking for me, albeit depressing. I love that it ends on a sweet note, even though I do wish things had turned out better for both Raza and Rachael.
The novel follows the heartbreaking story of Raza who lives a life of hardship and sacrifice in Pakistan. Although we do follow a journalist Rachael who has her own struggles, this is very much Raza's story. His story is quite compelling for me especially that I don't live and definitely can't imagine living in the circumstances and environment he lives in. The glimpses of politics, societal dynamics, human interaction and relationships are eye-opening and thought-provoking for me, albeit depressing. I love that it ends on a sweet note, even though I do wish things had turned out better for both Raza and Rachael.
Read
February 13, 2018With his brilliant novel Entangled Lives, Imran Omer puts a human face on a subject otherwise overwhelmed by propaganda on all sides. In a story as exciting as it is important, as sad as it is hopeful, we can begin to understand the all too human personal tragedies behind a generation of war. Philip Athans, bestselling author
September 15, 2018
Behind the inflammatory headlines lies a tragic reality
The newspaper headlines only present one side of a complex story when it comes to reporting about the Taliban. The reality is heartbreaking and the author uses his narrative to explain how poor young men are cannon fodder for the war machine that feeds the extremism of the Taliban.
Young boys that are orphaned or from poor families are given to the Madrasa, supposedly to be educated but the reality is that they are indoctrinated, often suffer horrific sexual abuse at the hands of the very men that are supposed to protect them and are then sent to fight for a cause that has no meaning to them. Money is exchanged in return for this steady supply of young men by the wealthy countries supporting the Taliban such as Saudi Arabia. The reality is that these young men are no more than pawns in a dirty game of war and power.
This wonderful book puts into perspective exactly who the enemy is, and it is not the young man or woman forced into situations over which they have no control. The so-called enemy wearing the suicide belt or driving the truck into the crowd or planting the bomb is just another casualty of war.
If only the reporters took the time to look behind the scenes and in doing so would report a very different story. The majority of news agencies seem more concerned with headlines than reporting the other side of the story.
If the public was given the real story, that these young people are targeted as vulnerable youngsters and given no choice but to carry out the instructions of those that control them, there might be more understanding and empathy.
Raza is the ‘face of the enemy’, a poor Pakistani boy whose life is blighted by tragedy. The local Mullah offers to take him in and educate him after he is left an orphan but this turn of events leads him to be sold to the Taliban as a soldier. Even after running away with a young girl he meets in the Madrasa he cannot escape the fate that powerful men have decided for him. The young woman is also another pawn in the game that these powerful men play and she has been promised to a much older man as his third wife and she too has no control over her destiny either.
Raza is ultimately captured and imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay and this is where he meets the American journalist from his past. This past encounter serves to highlight that humanity can triumph in the worst of circumstances.
It is a tragic story and the reader is compelled to examine the reality that faces so many young, destitute people the world over. The author makes it clear this is one aspect of a very complex situation but it is certainly food for thought.
Gillian
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review
The newspaper headlines only present one side of a complex story when it comes to reporting about the Taliban. The reality is heartbreaking and the author uses his narrative to explain how poor young men are cannon fodder for the war machine that feeds the extremism of the Taliban.
Young boys that are orphaned or from poor families are given to the Madrasa, supposedly to be educated but the reality is that they are indoctrinated, often suffer horrific sexual abuse at the hands of the very men that are supposed to protect them and are then sent to fight for a cause that has no meaning to them. Money is exchanged in return for this steady supply of young men by the wealthy countries supporting the Taliban such as Saudi Arabia. The reality is that these young men are no more than pawns in a dirty game of war and power.
This wonderful book puts into perspective exactly who the enemy is, and it is not the young man or woman forced into situations over which they have no control. The so-called enemy wearing the suicide belt or driving the truck into the crowd or planting the bomb is just another casualty of war.
If only the reporters took the time to look behind the scenes and in doing so would report a very different story. The majority of news agencies seem more concerned with headlines than reporting the other side of the story.
If the public was given the real story, that these young people are targeted as vulnerable youngsters and given no choice but to carry out the instructions of those that control them, there might be more understanding and empathy.
Raza is the ‘face of the enemy’, a poor Pakistani boy whose life is blighted by tragedy. The local Mullah offers to take him in and educate him after he is left an orphan but this turn of events leads him to be sold to the Taliban as a soldier. Even after running away with a young girl he meets in the Madrasa he cannot escape the fate that powerful men have decided for him. The young woman is also another pawn in the game that these powerful men play and she has been promised to a much older man as his third wife and she too has no control over her destiny either.
Raza is ultimately captured and imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay and this is where he meets the American journalist from his past. This past encounter serves to highlight that humanity can triumph in the worst of circumstances.
It is a tragic story and the reader is compelled to examine the reality that faces so many young, destitute people the world over. The author makes it clear this is one aspect of a very complex situation but it is certainly food for thought.
Gillian
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review
July 14, 2018
Entangled Lives takes place in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan in the 90’s and early 2000’s, with a few scenes in the US. A small part of the narrative takes place in Bangladesh and Pakistan in the 1970’s.
Raza and Parveen, Raza’s mother Tara, and Rachael: different characters, but all linked together by an invisible string, and pulled apart by war, human nature, and greed.
Imran Omer does an amazing job of creating a novel that is both historical (including recent history) fiction and fact, delving deep into the history of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, into conflicts, blurry borders, cultural clashes, religion and the differing of beliefs within the same religion, and humanity. You learn a lot about the history of the three countries in Entangled Lives, most of which you won’t really know about unless you have studied the region in some depth.
Raza, orphaned at an early age, grows up in a madrassah in Pakistan. In his teens he runs away with Parveen who has been promised to a prominent ruler in the area. They are captured and Parveen is sent to jail, while Raza is sold to the Taliban as a martyr, and sent to fight in Afghanistan. Before he leaves he receives his deceased mother’s journal as a parting gift, where he learns about his background. In the meantime, Rachael, a journalist from the US, sets off to cover the conflict in Afghanistan, and sees the Taliban takeover of the country firsthand. Several spur of the moment decisions link Raza and Rachael’s lives together with a force that neither of them would have thought would happen. There is a LOT more to the story, but I want to stay away from spoilers in my review!
There was so much I appreciated about this book, alongside the story itself. I really appreciated the insight into feminism in the Afghani context, something that white feminism has a lot to learn from. This book may have been written by a man, but there are some very pertinent points brought up that cannot be ignored when it comes to women and feminism in the Middle East, and the way occidental feminism can often be dismissive of Middle Eastern women. I also deeply appreciated the characters and their humanness, something that it might be hard to see in a member of the Taliban at a first glance. And also I appreciated that there were no excuses made for certain events and happenings, but that the narrative provides insight into how nothing is ever cut and dry, especially when it comes to war, poverty, and choices.
Highly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy!
Raza and Parveen, Raza’s mother Tara, and Rachael: different characters, but all linked together by an invisible string, and pulled apart by war, human nature, and greed.
Imran Omer does an amazing job of creating a novel that is both historical (including recent history) fiction and fact, delving deep into the history of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, into conflicts, blurry borders, cultural clashes, religion and the differing of beliefs within the same religion, and humanity. You learn a lot about the history of the three countries in Entangled Lives, most of which you won’t really know about unless you have studied the region in some depth.
Raza, orphaned at an early age, grows up in a madrassah in Pakistan. In his teens he runs away with Parveen who has been promised to a prominent ruler in the area. They are captured and Parveen is sent to jail, while Raza is sold to the Taliban as a martyr, and sent to fight in Afghanistan. Before he leaves he receives his deceased mother’s journal as a parting gift, where he learns about his background. In the meantime, Rachael, a journalist from the US, sets off to cover the conflict in Afghanistan, and sees the Taliban takeover of the country firsthand. Several spur of the moment decisions link Raza and Rachael’s lives together with a force that neither of them would have thought would happen. There is a LOT more to the story, but I want to stay away from spoilers in my review!
There was so much I appreciated about this book, alongside the story itself. I really appreciated the insight into feminism in the Afghani context, something that white feminism has a lot to learn from. This book may have been written by a man, but there are some very pertinent points brought up that cannot be ignored when it comes to women and feminism in the Middle East, and the way occidental feminism can often be dismissive of Middle Eastern women. I also deeply appreciated the characters and their humanness, something that it might be hard to see in a member of the Taliban at a first glance. And also I appreciated that there were no excuses made for certain events and happenings, but that the narrative provides insight into how nothing is ever cut and dry, especially when it comes to war, poverty, and choices.
Highly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy!
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July 24, 2018As an immigration lawyer I have seen many cases of Afghani refugees. However this novel still made a huge impression on me. We here in Holland live nowadays a safe life and you can hardly imagine what it will be when that safety is snatched away from you or when you are never safe.. This is happening over and over again in this book.
The novel tells the story of three different people and their lives are entangled with each other. Hence the title. We meet at first a young mother who recognises on tv a familiar face. She goes to Guantanamo Bay and it turns our that that inmate is the man who once saved her life. She asks him to tell him how he ended up in the Taliban and reluctantly he agrees to do so but she has to promise to save his son from life in a Madrassah. (religious boarding school).
So he starts to tell her about his life as an orphan in Karachi in Pakistan.
In the meantime we also hear about Tara a wealthy young woman whose parents live in what now is Bangladesh but then in 1971 was East Pakistan. She is a student who falls in love with a local Bengali student but her family is from West Pakistan. I used to have a friend who was born there in that year and who was adopted by Dutch parents and who could not understand why she looked so different from the people of the town she was supposed to come from until we saw a documentary of that war and realised. Reading Tara's story made me think of that girl all the time. Tara's parents are a very unhappy married couple who came together during the Partition between Pakistan and India. This influences Tara to make what in my eyes is a stupid decision and what is the only part in the book I had trouble believing.
While Raza is telling about his days in Afghanistan with the Taliban his story is chronologically interspaced with that of the American journalist so we see what happened from both sides.
The writer hails from Pakistan and now lives in the United States.
A very good novel that is no propaganda document. It is scary and very depressing. Definitely not a happy read. Although there is a happy result of goodness to look forward to.. Not a novel you will easily forget.
I got this novel for free via Netgalley a site that gives people who like to review new books an advanced copy to read.
I can really recommend it. The novel will be published on the 27Th of July 2018. A 5 out of 5 stars.
The novel tells the story of three different people and their lives are entangled with each other. Hence the title. We meet at first a young mother who recognises on tv a familiar face. She goes to Guantanamo Bay and it turns our that that inmate is the man who once saved her life. She asks him to tell him how he ended up in the Taliban and reluctantly he agrees to do so but she has to promise to save his son from life in a Madrassah. (religious boarding school).
So he starts to tell her about his life as an orphan in Karachi in Pakistan.
In the meantime we also hear about Tara a wealthy young woman whose parents live in what now is Bangladesh but then in 1971 was East Pakistan. She is a student who falls in love with a local Bengali student but her family is from West Pakistan. I used to have a friend who was born there in that year and who was adopted by Dutch parents and who could not understand why she looked so different from the people of the town she was supposed to come from until we saw a documentary of that war and realised. Reading Tara's story made me think of that girl all the time. Tara's parents are a very unhappy married couple who came together during the Partition between Pakistan and India. This influences Tara to make what in my eyes is a stupid decision and what is the only part in the book I had trouble believing.
While Raza is telling about his days in Afghanistan with the Taliban his story is chronologically interspaced with that of the American journalist so we see what happened from both sides.
The writer hails from Pakistan and now lives in the United States.
A very good novel that is no propaganda document. It is scary and very depressing. Definitely not a happy read. Although there is a happy result of goodness to look forward to.. Not a novel you will easily forget.
I got this novel for free via Netgalley a site that gives people who like to review new books an advanced copy to read.
I can really recommend it. The novel will be published on the 27Th of July 2018. A 5 out of 5 stars.
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