American Dervish

A terrific first novel, warm and wise. -- Kate Saunders * THE TIMES *
this book is prescient and timely in both recognising and dramatically exploring this increasingly unbreachable social divide. * ENTERTAINMENT FOCUS *
his dialogue is free-flowing and natural, and he has a good eye for small visual details within a scene that colour the mood of the action around them. -- Alan Morrison * THE HERALD *
Both extremists and the ambivalent are accorded even-handed coverage and the characterisation is strong -- Catherine Taylor * THE GUARDIAN *
American Dervish is an extraordinary novel and one you certainly won't regret reading -- Roddy Ashworth * SUNDAY EXPRESS *
Akhtar proves the capacity of the great American stories to be endlessly renewed by each generation of writers -- Claire Allfree * METRO *
There are themes here reminiscent of The Go-Between by L.P.Hartley and Ian McEwan's more recent Atonement, of a life scarred by chame at a childish act that has catastrophic consequences in adult life. * TLS *
American Dervish is about the collision of cultures, identity and religion in 1980s America. * BIG ISSUE IN THE NORTH *
a pleasing read * THE SUNDAY BUSINESS POST *
Ayad Akhtar's first novel is deftly plotted, with a frame narrative that shows how Hayat's sense of shame pursues him into adulthood. There are shades of Ian McEwan's Atonement, but Akhtar's writing has a crisp, imagistic quality all its own. * THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *