This is a great first novel about love, family relationships and the immigrant experience. The Karim family is full secrets. The father, Rashid, marries Henna who was supposed to be a sophisticated young woman, only to find out that she is an illiterate, 14 year-old who married him in order to improve her social status. Many years later, Rashid falls in love with an English woman while on business in London and soon finds himself leading a double life. The secrets and lies continue until his daughter decides she has had enough. Farooki’s characters are wonderful and their stories are compelling.