Nadeem Aslam's The Wasted Vigil

Browsing in bookstores and libraries is one of my favorite pastimes. Though I thoroughly enjoy the “customers who bought this book also bought these” feature on Amazon, nothing beats the serendipity of wandering through the shelves. I’ve found some great authors this way. One of them, Nadeem Aslam, was completely unknown to me until I discovered Maps for Lost Lovers, a beautifully written novel about two lovers, their families, and the immigrant experience. The language at times is heartbreaking and the insights into Muslim life in London are precise and poignant. Aslam’s latest novel The Wasted Vigil follows six lost souls in Afghanistan, as they try to make sense of their shattering world. Read my review here.