Homeland Elegies
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- Create Date：2021-06-23 06:51:19
- Update Date：2025-09-23
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- Author：Ayad Akhtar
- ISBN：0316496413
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Summary
An American son and his immigrant father search for belonging and reconciliation in the age of Trump。 A deeply personal novel of identity and belonging in a nation coming apart at the seams， HOMELAND ELEGIES blends fact and fiction to tell an epic story of belonging and dispossession in the world that 9/11 made。 Part family drama， part satire， part picaresque， at its heart it is the story of a father and son， and the country they call home。
Ranging from the heartland towns of America to palatial suites in Davos to guerrilla lookouts in the mountains of Afghanistan， Akhtar forges a narrative voice that is original as it is exuberantly entertaining。 This is a world in which debt has ruined countless lives and the gods of finance rule， where immigrants live in fear and the unhealed wounds of 9/11 continue to wreak havoc。 HOMELAND ELEGIES is a novel written in love and anger， which spares no one， least of all the author himself。
Ranging from the heartland towns of America to palatial suites in Davos to guerrilla lookouts in the mountains of Afghanistan， Akhtar forges a narrative voice that is original as it is exuberantly entertaining。 This is a world in which debt has ruined countless lives and the gods of finance rule， where immigrants live in fear and the unhealed wounds of 9/11 continue to wreak havoc。 HOMELAND ELEGIES is a novel written in love and anger， which spares no one， least of all the author himself。
Reviews
Susan Brown
，
This collection of stories chronicles how one man feels as a Muslim in America following the 9/11 terrorist attacked on the twin towers。 It is beautifully written， emotionally charged and personal。 Each chapter is its own separate elegy， or tale， creating interest in the lives of friends and family if the author。 I highly recommend this book！
Benjamin Shurance
，
I read through this book in one 7-hour sitting （slouching， really） this weekend at my in-laws。 I didn't have any internet， but had downloaded the book to ye ole Kindle before leaving home。 I had had the book on on my to-read list since the end of last year after seeing it on a list* from Englewood Review of Books。I was confused as I began， since I was expecting a novel， but then it turned out to be。。。 a memoir？ It was an interesting memoir， to be sure， part coming of age story， highlighting the I read through this book in one 7-hour sitting （slouching， really） this weekend at my in-laws。 I didn't have any internet， but had downloaded the book to ye ole Kindle before leaving home。 I had had the book on on my to-read list since the end of last year after seeing it on a list* from Englewood Review of Books。I was confused as I began， since I was expecting a novel， but then it turned out to be。。。 a memoir？ It was an interesting memoir， to be sure， part coming of age story， highlighting the racism faced by Southern Asians after 9/11， some awkwardly personal and seemingly inappropriate details about the author and other people， mixed in with reflections on Islam and on economic disparities in the U。S。 as well as the work and role of the artist。After a quick Google inquiry upon returning home on Sunday evening， I realized it is not a memoir but a novel （I could have just looked at the cover of the book， where it says A NOVEL， but I didn't）。 So I've been processing that for about a day now and my mind is still kind of blown about the author's blurring the lines between his own life and this imagined author of the same name。 Fake News！***I didn't remember it was on a list named "12 important FICTION books of 2020"。 Note: I've now 5 of the 12 this year， having read 1 other last year。**Trump's term as president is an essential reference point in the book。 。。。more
Lisa
，
Interesting book。 More like essays or short stories。 Some really thought provoking and eye opening sections。 Often found the writing pretentious
Ms。 G
，
Once again， the "it" book alludes me and makes me think why was this Obama's favorite book。 The narrative was not great -- bordering on cliche -- the writing OK; he definitely touched on a lot of hot contemporary topics。 In the end， it did not work for me except for the ending -- first time I was truly moved。 Once again， the "it" book alludes me and makes me think why was this Obama's favorite book。 The narrative was not great -- bordering on cliche -- the writing OK; he definitely touched on a lot of hot contemporary topics。 In the end， it did not work for me except for the ending -- first time I was truly moved。 。。。more
Joseph Giardina
，
This very well could have been a good book。 It just wasn’t for me。 The social commentary was too sophisticated for me too follow。
Gretchen
，
It is verrry rare for me to complete a book in one day。 And yet， Homeland Elegies was so astounding that I put off everything else to finish it。 Full of revelations about being an “outsider” and about the long-distance pull of home。 I learned so much from this book and I know I’ll read it again。
Poornima Srinivasan
，
Weaving in and out of fiction and some undoubtedly real life inspired anecdotes， Ayad Akhtar’s book makes very compelling reading， is insightful and perceptive to a fine degree。 I loved the fluidity of the language， and he displays mastery of the language effortlessly。 It is an American saga， and tells the stories of many immigrant families， but it is much more than that。 It is also a kind of coming-of-age book with hardship tales， the struggle to find true love， and the impossible standards tha Weaving in and out of fiction and some undoubtedly real life inspired anecdotes， Ayad Akhtar’s book makes very compelling reading， is insightful and perceptive to a fine degree。 I loved the fluidity of the language， and he displays mastery of the language effortlessly。 It is an American saga， and tells the stories of many immigrant families， but it is much more than that。 It is also a kind of coming-of-age book with hardship tales， the struggle to find true love， and the impossible standards that second generation immigrants set for themselves。 He is clever in using cliched references （such as the impact of 9/11 on Muslims）， and still somehow finding a way to create a variant of a personal story。 Some cliches were certainly avoidable （the dad finding his way back to Pakistan seemed a little out of characeter）， and the explicit sexual references seemed gratuitous。 The last chapter is a masterpiece （the “Coda”）， summing up the complexity of America today through his professor’s eyes， covering cancel culture， anti-Muslim rhetoric， Trump era politics all done deftly。 My first book of Ayad Akhtar， but wont be the last for sure。 。。。more
Samah Sharmin
，
time to watch his play！
Elizabeth Joyce
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I had a hard time getting through this read， but it picked up more as I got further through it。 Thought provoking。
Dorothy Meyer
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A novel unfolds in the style of a memoir。 Why fictionalize a mostly true account if not for freedom of the literary device？ Perhaps to leave open an element of deniability， ah but not just from the author， also from the reader。 This is the story of a first generation immigrant， exploring how and where he feels “home”， if he ever truly does。 There are a few compelling narratives， the story of the cross necklace and the medical malpractice trial maybe the most compelling in my opinion。 These two q A novel unfolds in the style of a memoir。 Why fictionalize a mostly true account if not for freedom of the literary device？ Perhaps to leave open an element of deniability， ah but not just from the author， also from the reader。 This is the story of a first generation immigrant， exploring how and where he feels “home”， if he ever truly does。 There are a few compelling narratives， the story of the cross necklace and the medical malpractice trial maybe the most compelling in my opinion。 These two quotes stuck with me:“The comfort of reading: A day spent reading is not a great day， but a life spent reading is a wonderful life。”“Cheery pessimism or weary idealism- take your pick。” 。。。more
Susan Gaska
，
Four and a half stars。 Wow。 Thoughtful， highly informative， provocative。 If you want to simultaneously learn， be entertained and put your brain to good use I recommend this wonderful book。
Jerry-Book
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This is an eye opener。 It appears 20% memoir and 80% fiction。 How to Muslims look at us？ Can they assimilate？ Do they think Xmas is an orgy of materialism？ How do they look at 9/11？ Did the 9/11 terrorists attack us because they hated Disney-world？ Can Muslims be successful in the USA？ Are they real Americans or are they loyal to their home country？ Is their religion too hard to understand？ Why is it exactly Muhammad cannot be criticized？ Why is the author Rushdie condemned？ Did Neil Armstrong c This is an eye opener。 It appears 20% memoir and 80% fiction。 How to Muslims look at us？ Can they assimilate？ Do they think Xmas is an orgy of materialism？ How do they look at 9/11？ Did the 9/11 terrorists attack us because they hated Disney-world？ Can Muslims be successful in the USA？ Are they real Americans or are they loyal to their home country？ Is their religion too hard to understand？ Why is it exactly Muhammad cannot be criticized？ Why is the author Rushdie condemned？ Did Neil Armstrong convert to the Muslim religion while being on the moon？ How do they regard Trump？ Are they successful in this country？ How to Muslims view our Gulf Wars？ What about the color of their skin？ Is that a barrier？ Why do some Muslims feel better by returning to Pakistan？ The author is a playwright。 The main character in the book is a playwright？ Is he the same person？ Has the Muslim religion held back the progress of Muslim countries？ Why have so many Muslim professionals settled in the USA？ Can Muslims only marry fellow Muslims？ Under Trump are American Muslims now viewed by many as a Fifth Column？ Did the author have a bout with VD like the main character？ Did the the author have wild love affairs like the main character？ Are the political views of the main character and his father typical of American Muslims？ Did the author get rich in the same unscrupulous way as the main character？ Was his wealth due to a friendship with a hedge fund manager？ Was the author’s father really the personal cardiologist for Donald Trump？ Was the author’s father sued successfully for medical malpractice that was not his fault？ Is this book an accurate description of the clash between the American culture and Muslim culture？ The above are some of the many questions this book raises。 There are some answers。 。。。more
Donny
，
It takes place in Scranton and Wisconsin; it was written for me to read。 But seriously， I may have thought more about race from this book than any books specifically written about race。
Jenny Yates
，
I was never bored by this。 It’s brilliant， and it’s also a bit self-indulgent。 It’s a novel that closely follows the shape of a memoir。 The protagonist has the same name as the author， the same background， the same career path。 He’s an award-winning playwright whose parents are immigrants from Pakistan， and the book traces his life， his political awakening， and his grappling with his own identity。 There’s a lot of ranting in this novel， but as I said， it’s never boring。 It’s rather like an inten I was never bored by this。 It’s brilliant， and it’s also a bit self-indulgent。 It’s a novel that closely follows the shape of a memoir。 The protagonist has the same name as the author， the same background， the same career path。 He’s an award-winning playwright whose parents are immigrants from Pakistan， and the book traces his life， his political awakening， and his grappling with his own identity。 There’s a lot of ranting in this novel， but as I said， it’s never boring。 It’s rather like an intense conversation with a very original thinker， taking pains to give you the details of his life along the way。 There’s a circular pattern， in that he keeps coming back to central themes: what it’s like to be a Muslim in the US， particularly after 9-11; the basic character of this country; the quality of success in the US; the corrosive effects of the American emphasis on wealth。 This is the second novel I’ve read in which one of the characters is a Trump supporter。 In this case， it’s the narrator’s father。 In his younger days， he treats Trump for a heart ailment， and is wined and dined by him， and so he maintains a favorable impression of both the man and the advantages of wealth。 Like many immigrants， he’s very rah-rah about American， optimistic about the possibilities for success in this country。 And when Trump gets into politics， he supports him。 But he finds himself in the same hellish landscape of excess and corruption as Trump and his cohorts。 I thought the sex scenes in this novel were pretty superfluous， although the narrator’s more serious relationship with a woman was sensitively drawn。 However， the strength of the novel rests on the narrator’s sense of himself as both entirely American and entirely other， something that gets stronger after 9-11。 He keeps trying to inhabit that slippery place of truth between the “good Muslim” and the “bad Muslim”， while other people try to make him one or the other。 And as a playwright， he tries to show this to other people too， with mixed results。 Some quotes: Here he writes about a trip back to Pakistan to visit relatives: < During that trip， I resolved to stay calm through the crazy talk， to stanch my outrage， to listen for an emotional logic driving the thoughtless and obsessive suspicion。 What I heard as I listened with new ears was fear。 I heard the worry of a world treated to seven years of military and political bullying under the cover of “fighting the terrorist threat”。 By 2008， it was clear that there would be no end to the bloodshed that the Bush administration had started based on pure fabrications， and it was easy to understand the terror that motivated the infuriating stupidity of my Pakistani relatives: that they might find themselves next up in the round of imperial slaughter， future victims of this new era of unending American vengeance。 > < After hanging up， I drove in silence。 The wheels grumbled along on the blacktop。 The wind wheezed at the cracked window。 Inside too， I heard something – distilled and dour， the quiet rumble of gathering truth。 It would be another hour before I got to the city limits， but by then my mind would be made up: I was going to stop pretending that I felt like an American。 > < The current of anger growing across the world had nothing to do with immigration， he believed， but was all about the System that debt had created， an inescapable， asymmetrical， transnational force。 The people paid into this regime with their catalogs of monthly debt payments and subscription fees， all to support what was now the only true political order of our time， a corporate regime that offered no representation， no vote， no participation in either the velocity of its appetites or the bearing of its destructive course。 > < I studied her face as she slept。 By that morning’s unusually pristine semilight， her skin was the color of pekoe and turmeric。 My own skin – darker， a shade of murky copper – had long been the source of a central confusion: since childhood， I’d felt a visceral disgust for the sickly tints of the white skin I saw everywhere around me， the blanched arms and legs， faces the color of paste， flesh devoid of warmth or human glow， a wan affliction incomprehensible to me except as something to be hidden; I’d felt all this since childhood， and yet， paradoxically， the fact that my own skin was not white had only ever seemed surpassingly strange。 Indeed， later， through my adolescence and early adulthood， the experience of seeing myself in a mirror took me aback。 It was nothing about my eyes or nose or lips – nothing about my face except for its tarnished-penny hue。 In my complexion alone I saw a person I didn’t recognize， someone who， had I seen him in the school hallways or at the mall or municipal swimming pool， I would have thought did not belong here。 I knew that about myself because I knew that was how I saw others who looked like me。 My likeness in the mirror was a reminder of something about myself I always chose to forget， something never available to me except when confronted by my appearance: that though I didn’t feel “other” in any meaningful way， I clearly appeared only that way – at least to myself。 > < In other words， however much Bork and others like him may have inveighed against personal liberties in the public sphere， they were positively gaga over individualism’s most wanton， unfettered forms in the private sector。 Indeed， I’ve come to think that the central political paradox of our time is that the so-called conservatives of the past half century have sought to conserve almost nothing of the societies they inherited but instead have worked to remake them with a vigor reminiscent of the leftist revolutionaries they despise。 > This is after a trip through some run-down towns in the southern US: < Locality itself was in decline， as dollars were drained from the American heartlands and allocated to points of prosperity along the urban coasts。 In the South， it was in farming that you saw the worst of it。 People – black， white or brown – couldn’t live off their land anymore。 Corporate consolidation led to larger and larger tracts and the increasingly automated systems required to water and harvest them。 Prices for produce dropped， yes – but so did the tax base。 There’d never been more jobs that paid so little， most of which went to migrants who didn’t object to making a pittance。 > When his father ends up in a courtroom， the victim of anti-Muslim prejudice， he has some interesting things to say about the experience。 < I’d never been in a courtroom before， and I was surprised at how similar it felt to sitting with an audience as it watched a play。 Years of putting up plays in front of audiences left me with little mystery when it come to their shifts in collective mood。 > 。。。more
Sheila
，
This is a beautifully written blend of fiction and memoir and a book written to make you think。 The author challenges you to put aside your opinions and listen to the unflinchingly honest voice of a Muslim man in the US after 911。 The read can be very disconnected at times， but again， this novel/memoir makes the reader think outside of previously read material on the themes of belonging， father-son relationships and the reality of bigotry and bias。 I will read it again in the future as I'm quite This is a beautifully written blend of fiction and memoir and a book written to make you think。 The author challenges you to put aside your opinions and listen to the unflinchingly honest voice of a Muslim man in the US after 911。 The read can be very disconnected at times， but again， this novel/memoir makes the reader think outside of previously read material on the themes of belonging， father-son relationships and the reality of bigotry and bias。 I will read it again in the future as I'm quite sure I could learn more each time I read this。 。。。more
Smkelly
，
Listened to audible where book was read by the author。 Added nuance to the story。 Highly recommend。 Story of an American Muslim who's family immigrated from Pakistan。 Listened to audible where book was read by the author。 Added nuance to the story。 Highly recommend。 Story of an American Muslim who's family immigrated from Pakistan。 。。。more
Justin Tate
，
Homeland Elegies （2020） is a "novel" that seems to riff off the 2016 memoir Hillbilly Elegy。 Both books succeed at offering family anecdotes to reveal something about the American political experience。 With Hillbilly we got a view into Appalachian values that offered some unique case studies for understanding why the Obamas were so despised by poor whites。 The memoir was an instant success that grew even more popular when Democrats scrambled to understand how a monster like Trump could receive e Homeland Elegies （2020） is a "novel" that seems to riff off the 2016 memoir Hillbilly Elegy。 Both books succeed at offering family anecdotes to reveal something about the American political experience。 With Hillbilly we got a view into Appalachian values that offered some unique case studies for understanding why the Obamas were so despised by poor whites。 The memoir was an instant success that grew even more popular when Democrats scrambled to understand how a monster like Trump could receive enough votes to become president。In Homeland Elegies we get something similar from a Muslim American perspective。 Akhtar doesn't steep his narrative in politics， but he does share family anecdotes， personal experiences in the aftermath of 9/11， and snippets of life as a celebrated playwright。 The combined effect illustrates how even some Muslims found themselves attracted to the Trump agenda， while others—like the author—were devastated to watch the country he loves be taken over by a lunatic。Although Trump is mostly off in the distance， often completely irrelevant given the time jumps， he is a present figure for understanding cracks in Akhtar's family unit。 It would be a shame， however， to let the former president distract from the simplistic beauty of a Muslim perspective on what is mostly everyday life （as much everyday life as you can get for a Pulitzer-winning author， anyway）。 That's where the real heart of the story is。The added twist in all this is that Ayad Akhtar has dubbed this book a novel instead of memoir。 The writing， structure， character names， events and personal facts， however， are all presented as non-fiction。 In interviews， the author even catches himself saying "I" instead of "the narrator" when discussing the content。 The decision to call this fiction is certainly interesting。 Was it purely for legal reasons？ How much is totally made up？ 10%？ 90%？ And does that cheapen the seemingly real story of a family， or make it genius？Critics seem to lean toward genius， frequently putting this novel on their Top 10 lists from 2020。 I'm much more on the fence。 As autobiographical fiction， the narrative clarity lacks substance and a thematic point is much more jumbled。 As non-fiction， there could have been more forgiveness for a collage of random events that vaguely resemble something like a message。 If the novel is a true novel， as in 100% fiction with only some names and minor details based on reality， then it is certainly an impressive experiment with form。 But I don't think that's what it is。 In the end， calling it a novel just feels like a legally convenient way to jazz up his life experiences， and a marketing ploy。Overall， I can't say Homeland Elegies is bad because it's not， but I can say I will likely forget everything about it by next week。 The few juicy lines of Trump bashing are all good fun， but I've also got Trump fatigue and am ready to move on。 The heartbreaking anecdote of xenophobia in New York on 9/11 is powerful， but since the story is a "novel" it doesn't mean as much。 Still， a rewarding experience to see the world for a few hundred pages from a Muslim American perspective， whether that's fiction or non-fiction， and for that it deserves a tepid recommendation。 。。。more
Becca
，
I wanted to love this book more than I did， but the somewhat disjointed structure never felt resolved in a satisfying way， and the overly verbose prose got exhausting after a while。 （At some point， I found myself wondering who the audience was for this book as I think many people who could most benefit from Akhtar's insights - those who might be the least educated about or aware of the true Muslim experience in the U。S。 - would find themselves struggling with the text as I did at times and would I wanted to love this book more than I did， but the somewhat disjointed structure never felt resolved in a satisfying way， and the overly verbose prose got exhausting after a while。 （At some point， I found myself wondering who the audience was for this book as I think many people who could most benefit from Akhtar's insights - those who might be the least educated about or aware of the true Muslim experience in the U。S。 - would find themselves struggling with the text as I did at times and would likely not continue it。） Despite that， Akhtar has flashes of brilliance that made the book a worthwhile read。 。。。more
Banuta
，
At first I was excited， then provoked， then glad to be provoked。 So much of the book is courageous amd incisive and yet it’s also shot through with a sexism that is so disappointing that I disengage from the rest。 Akhtar’s points about the rule of money and the breakdown of society are all riveting。 I do wonder whyhe simply didnt write a memoir。
Jennifer Cannady
，
Compelling and provoking read。 Many other reviews will focus on the odd shape shifting of genre so instead I will just share that I was really surprised how well certain experiences the author describes for this character help those of us not impacted by fellow citizens questioning our identity or sense of belonging。 The author wields his sharp and insightful pen to excoriate both “homelands” to some degree but also share a deep appreciation for both as well。 I also found the character of the fa Compelling and provoking read。 Many other reviews will focus on the odd shape shifting of genre so instead I will just share that I was really surprised how well certain experiences the author describes for this character help those of us not impacted by fellow citizens questioning our identity or sense of belonging。 The author wields his sharp and insightful pen to excoriate both “homelands” to some degree but also share a deep appreciation for both as well。 I also found the character of the father’s attachment to and then disillusionment of Trump a great explanation for at least some people’s failure to see how destructive and batshit crazy Trump is。 。。。more
Alyssa
，
Akhtar's memoir is incredible in its blend of his life， his father's， and the overarching sociopolitical examination of the life for immigrants and children of immigrants in the U。S。 from 9/11 to now。 I cannot recommend this book enough and will be recommending it to everyone I know until the end of time。 Akhtar's memoir is incredible in its blend of his life， his father's， and the overarching sociopolitical examination of the life for immigrants and children of immigrants in the U。S。 from 9/11 to now。 I cannot recommend this book enough and will be recommending it to everyone I know until the end of time。 。。。more
Hannah
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Not sure how to describe this read。 It fluctuated between a personal narrative， family drama， philosophical rant， verbose politics and more。 Seemingly angry， the author writes this narrative as a brown person raised in Wisconsin from a known and highly specialized cardiologist father and humble mother。 Couldn't tell fact from fiction and the book didn't really have a common theme。 Not sure how to describe this read。 It fluctuated between a personal narrative， family drama， philosophical rant， verbose politics and more。 Seemingly angry， the author writes this narrative as a brown person raised in Wisconsin from a known and highly specialized cardiologist father and humble mother。 Couldn't tell fact from fiction and the book didn't really have a common theme。 。。。more
Karl O'
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I admittedly was put off by the semi autobiographical/fictional label this novel carried。 It’s a difficult book to categorize - but one full of opinions and big ideas。 Though I recognized it as a book smarter than I am it was fascinating， educational and engaging。 It does what the books I like best do - offers up plenty to consume without force feeding。 It left me thinking。 For all it’s tough subject matter it gave me a better understanding of the country at large and strangely an optimism I had I admittedly was put off by the semi autobiographical/fictional label this novel carried。 It’s a difficult book to categorize - but one full of opinions and big ideas。 Though I recognized it as a book smarter than I am it was fascinating， educational and engaging。 It does what the books I like best do - offers up plenty to consume without force feeding。 It left me thinking。 For all it’s tough subject matter it gave me a better understanding of the country at large and strangely an optimism I hadn’t expected。 Unfortunately a book that the people that most need to read it will likely never pick up。 You should though。 。。。more
Jane Nicolet
，
Homeland Elegies: A Novel by Ayad Akhtar is not an easy read 。 。 。 vibrant， compelling and thought-provoking， yes; but easy？ No。 His writing style， elegantly placing me in all those rooms with him to follow what felt like his very personal， authentic journey with an amazing variety of characters， reads like beautifully flowing nonfiction。 But then， and I never knew exactly when， he interjects fictionalized events， creating a hybrid genre， always fascinating and sometimes frustrating。 What's true Homeland Elegies: A Novel by Ayad Akhtar is not an easy read 。 。 。 vibrant， compelling and thought-provoking， yes; but easy？ No。 His writing style， elegantly placing me in all those rooms with him to follow what felt like his very personal， authentic journey with an amazing variety of characters， reads like beautifully flowing nonfiction。 But then， and I never knew exactly when， he interjects fictionalized events， creating a hybrid genre， always fascinating and sometimes frustrating。 What's true？ What's false？ I wanted to know more about this Muslim American writer so unafraid to observe， analyze and report his unvarnished findings， and found an interesting interview with NPR where he describes his purposeful design to mix personal， descriptive fact with mind-messing fiction。 I believe his title may hold Ahktar's truest purpose: to write a lament highlighting his understandings of the costly， fractured paradox that is his homeland， America。 。。。more
Ken
，
On the cover， in letters almost as large as the title， we get the words "A NOVEL。" Thanks for telling me， I want to say， because it sure reads like Ayad Akhtar's memoir to me。 A story chiefly of his father， a Pakistani doctor working in America and， at least at first， enamored of Donald T**** before he became a candidate for president。In fact， that's the only part that looks fictional。 Akhtar's father， a cardiologist， treats businessman T**** for a heart condition， and I don't think he has a hea On the cover， in letters almost as large as the title， we get the words "A NOVEL。" Thanks for telling me， I want to say， because it sure reads like Ayad Akhtar's memoir to me。 A story chiefly of his father， a Pakistani doctor working in America and， at least at first， enamored of Donald T**** before he became a candidate for president。In fact， that's the only part that looks fictional。 Akhtar's father， a cardiologist， treats businessman T**** for a heart condition， and I don't think he has a heart condition。 In any event， while the son finds DT abhorrent from the get-go， but especially after he gets a taste of power， the father takes a while to realize that this is a very， very bad man。 Here's one of many quotes on that topic， one that touches on the national mood that led up to the 2016 election:"Most Americans couldn't cobble together a week's expenses in case of an emergency。 They had good reason to be scared and angry。 They felt betrayed and wanted to destroy something。 The national mood was Hobbesian: nasty， brutish， nihilistic -- and no one embodied all this better than Donald T****。 T**** was no aberration or idiosyncrasy， as Mike saw it， but a reflection， a human mirror in which to see all we'd allowed ourselves to become。 Sure， you could read the man for metaphors--an unapologetically racist real estate magnate epitomizing the rampant social self-obsession and narcissism that was making us all stupider by the day; greed and corruption so naked and endemic it could only be made sense of as the outsized expression of our own deepest desires-- yes， you could read the man as if he were a symbol to be deciphered， but Mike thought it was much simpler than all that。 T**** had just felt the national mood， and his particular genius was a need for attention so craven， so unrelenting， he was willing to don any and every shade of our moment's ugliness， consequences be damned。"This is all an interesting side show to the racism the protagonist goes up against as a Pakistani-American （born in the USA）。 He goes back to 9/11 to trace the roots of a series of ugly incidents he and his father experience。 The anti-Muslim fervor of 2011 is followed by the carte blanche public hate that T**** serves as a role model for， leading to more than a few uncomfortable moments in thebook occurring between 2016 and 2020。Big book， but fast read。 Quite smooth， this sailing， and my interest in both the characters and what would happen to them never wavered， perhaps backed by the fact that the setting and backdrop was our contemporary times。At this point， my favorite novel that sure looks like a memoir of 2021。 The coda at the end， called "Free Speech，" even takes a critical look at how liberals （in this case， at a college） have worked against the country's interest even as the right is taking a hammer to its Constitution by backing the now-authoritarian-in-waiting， repeat candidate Orangutan （can you say "voter suppression" and "Republican politicians overturning election results at will"？）。Thoughtful and compelling stuff！ 。。。more
Nate
，
A very raw illustration of his family and influences over his lifetime！ A great read。
Nguyen Lan
，
thoroughly enjoyable read。 Involved many interesting avenues and explorations of what it means to be Muslim/American， within the speaker and his immediate family， and community's reactions to the decisions of the speaker。 Also involved the speaker putting himself on trial， his foibles and the foibles he learns of himself through seeing them reflected in others。 Additionally included many pithy observations of general society。 thoroughly enjoyable read。 Involved many interesting avenues and explorations of what it means to be Muslim/American， within the speaker and his immediate family， and community's reactions to the decisions of the speaker。 Also involved the speaker putting himself on trial， his foibles and the foibles he learns of himself through seeing them reflected in others。 Additionally included many pithy observations of general society。 。。。more
Nancy
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Mixed feelings。 Some parts are thought provoking and relevant （like when he discusses our society’s move to a corporate autocracy） while other parts were unnecessary and indulgent （describing his relationship with the woman who gave him an STD）。 In the book， he decries the desire for Muslim characters to be only heroes or villains， and I guess I felt a similar desire for the book。 He doesn’t have a completely unique and fascinating life story， but most of his experiences also aren’t really repre Mixed feelings。 Some parts are thought provoking and relevant （like when he discusses our society’s move to a corporate autocracy） while other parts were unnecessary and indulgent （describing his relationship with the woman who gave him an STD）。 In the book， he decries the desire for Muslim characters to be only heroes or villains， and I guess I felt a similar desire for the book。 He doesn’t have a completely unique and fascinating life story， but most of his experiences also aren’t really representative of immigrants or Muslims in general。 。。。more
Rachel
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3。5 stars
Carrie Mills
，
Welp， reading this was an all-day affair， but I couldn't pull myself away。 Part of my determination was to avoid embarrassment at book club later this week （eek！） but also this is difficult to put down。 Most immediate for me was the realization that I haven't spent much time thinking about the impact of 9/11 given how young I was at the time。 There was something so perversely fascinating， almost voyeuristic， about reading a fictionalized family history tethered to Pakistan's independence and 9/1 Welp， reading this was an all-day affair， but I couldn't pull myself away。 Part of my determination was to avoid embarrassment at book club later this week （eek！） but also this is difficult to put down。 Most immediate for me was the realization that I haven't spent much time thinking about the impact of 9/11 given how young I was at the time。 There was something so perversely fascinating， almost voyeuristic， about reading a fictionalized family history tethered to Pakistan's independence and 9/11。Focusing on the book itself， it's an immersive read， in part due to Akhtar's extensive vocabulary， cheeky footnotes， and critical character development。 Some figures loom larger than life within the text， notably Sikander Akhtar， Ayad's renowned cardiologist father who harbors a deep reverence for Donald Trump， and Riaz Rind， a Pakistani American hedge fund founder who takes an unexpected interest in Akhtar。The book club had much to discuss and the text drew a number of lively discussions。 Heartily recommend！ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Homeland Elegies
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Homeland Elegies&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Homeland Elegies&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0