"Exploring sisterhood, family friction and pursuing one’s dreams, this accomplished, well-observed debut radiates truths about real-life struggles and the intricacies of deep-rooted bonds."
Centred on two chalk-and-cheese sisters, Playing Games — the debut novel from acclaimed short story writer Huma Qureshi — is engaging, accessible, and finely threaded with truths about love, loneliness, friction between loved ones, and dilemmas around trying to find your way in the world.
On the face of it, Hana is your classic character who has it all. Two years older than her sibling Mira, she has a husband, a house, a degree from Oxford, and she works as a family lawyer. Mira, on the other hand, dropped out of her degree when the sisters’ mother died and now works in a café while pursuing her dream of being a playwright, while also wracked by self-doubt and writer’s block — if only she could find the right inspiration...
Tension is introduced to this set-up from the off, as we learn Hana has problems with Mira’s neediness, and her homelife isn’t as shiny as it seems. Then, when Hana and her husband have a monumental row, a tsunami bursts forth, unleashing ethical questions around what is — and isn’t — right to draw on for inspiration, and testing the boundaries of sisterly bonds and trust to the max.
Blessed with relatable observations and clearly-conveyed emotional dilemmas, Playing Games will have fans of female-centred, family-focussed fiction utterly hooked as it tugs the heart strings and prompts a stack of soul-searching “what would I have done?” questions.
Primary Genre | Modern and Contemporary Fiction |
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