Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

Exit West is a truly amazing book that is so very timely.  Although it’s a slim book at 231 pages, it’s not a fast read.  It’s a book to savor and mull over and over. I read this about a month ago and I’m still thinking about passages that particularly struck a chord with me. The novel is set in a country that is about to explode into civil war.  Nadia and Saeed are the main characters. Both are Muslim, but neither is devout.  They begin to meet in secret and soon their world begins to crumble. Saeed’s father is a widower, his wife falling victim to the violence of the streets. Saeed lives with this father and becomes responsible for his well-being.   When conditions become extreme, they begin to hear whisperings about secret doors that just randomly appear; doors that have the ability to whisk people to other, safer parts of the world.  Of course, the safer parts aren’t thrilled about the influx of refugees who begin coming through the doors.  Also, passage through the doors comes at a price, not the least being the money it costs for the door guides.  It’s a book about culture, class, immigration, resistance, identity, loss of identity and so much more.