At a cafe table in Lahore, a Pakistani man named Changez is telling a mysterious American stranger about his time living in the U.S. Changez was living the immigrant dream--top of his class at Princeton, dream job with a firm on Wall Street, dating Erica, a beautiful girl from one of the wealthiest families in NYC. But things begin to go wrong after September 11, 2001, when people begin to look at Changez differently. Erica can no longer deal with grief from her past, and Changez struggles with his identities as an American and a Pakistani.
Changez is one of the most intriguing characters I've come across in a long time. The author's decision to begin and end every chapter with Changez talking to the American stranger works well, reminding us where Changez has ended up. The ending is unexpected and powerful. It would be a wonderful companion to THE GREAT GATSBY.
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