The Family Tree - Sairish Hussain

Oh wow. After a heart wrenching opening where a young father deals with the death of his wife after childbirth, leaving him a single parent to Saahil and Zahra, the first part of the book settles down into an interesting and evocative portrayal of Muslim life in the UK, pre 9/11. Nothing, though, prepares you for the pivotal and horrendous event that sends the novel down a different path. It elevates the book to a work that certainly offers an insight into Muslim life in Great Britain but goes beyond that to look at issues such as racism, prejudice, revenge and addiction yet the warmth of family, loyalty and friendship is never far from its pages. Stereotypes are exploded and the novel offers food for thought for the discerning reader. 

The pitfall of dealing with some inflammatory, dreadful issues and occurrences is that a book can become hard and unyielding, difficult to read and relate to but this new author has managed to strike a balance that offers the reader a redemptive and sometimes humorous warmth throughout the book allowing us to feel involved and concerned and retaining our humanity.

The dynamic between brother and sister is an absolute delight but in truth the whole family relationships are beautifully depicted. It’s a bold book that doesn’t shy away from dark and challenging issues. Prepare to have your heart pummelled by these people, the different generations, their dignity and integrity remaining intact, their failures acknowledged and repaired though the journeys are long and tortuous for some. You may not emerge dry eyed from this tour de force. 

It’s a substantial volume covering a lot of ground with a sustained prose style that moves at a measured pace offering the necessary detail. The characters are depicted lovingly and even if their actions are questionable we never stop rooting for them and willing everything to work out okay. For me, personally it was an informative read regarding aspects of Muslim life and an opportunity to understand perspectives. 

My thanks to Harper Collins HQ for an advance copy of this book. I am the richer for having read it.