LoveReading Says
Centred on a young woman who strikes free from the misogynistic confines and culture of her small Pakistani village, Awais Kahn’s No Honour tells a brutally honest story of courage, strength and father-daughter bonds in searingly clear style.
The novel’s shockingly arresting opening sets the tone and themes in no uncertain terms as it recounts a brutal scene in which an unmarried young woman’s new-born is snatched from her before she’s subjected to public horrors. When it looks like sixteen-year-old Abida might face a similar fate, she’s driven to flee her small village for the city of Lahore, aided by her forward-thinking father, Jamil. When she vanishes, Jamil is compelled to go after her, leading to an entanglement of love, corruption and a lethal conflict between age-old practices and integrity, with a sense of place vividly evoked through the escalating pace.
Exposing disparities between rich and poor, and the corruption of people in public office as it also exposes the plight of women, this wends to a tense end, driven by Abida’s indomitable spirit of survival.
Joanne Owen
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No Honour Synopsis
A young woman defies convention in a small Pakistani village, with devastating results for her and her family. A stunning, immense beautiful novel about courage, family and the meaning of love, when everything seems lost...
In sixteen-year-old Abida's small Pakistani village, there are age-old rules to live by, and her family's honour to protect. And, yet, her spirit is defiant and she yearns to make a home with the man she loves.
When the unthinkable happens, Abida faces the same fate as other young girls who have chosen unacceptable alliances - certain, public death. Fired by a fierce determination to resist everything she knows to be wrong about the society into which she was born, and aided by her devoted father, Jamil, who puts his own life on the line to help her, she escapes to Lahore and then disappears.
Jamil goes to Lahore in search of Abida - a city where the prejudices that dominate their village take on a new and horrifying form - and father and daughter are caught in a world from which they may never escape.
Moving from the depths of rural Pakistan, riddled with poverty and religious fervour, to the dangerous streets of over-populated Lahore, No Honour is a story of family, of the indomitable spirit of love in its many forms ... a story of courage and resilience, when all seems lost, and the inextinguishable fire that lights one young woman's battle for change.
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Awais Khan Press Reviews
'A compelling and compassionate story' Anna Mazzola, author of The Story Keeper
'A shocking portrait of lives lived under the shadow of threat and prejudice. A brave book' Vaseem Khan, author of the Inspector Chopra series
'Addictive, brave and powerful' Louise Fein, author of People Like Us
'Beautifully written and immersive, No Honour starts with a powerful opening that propels you into the shocking themes. A must-read' Sarah Pearse, author of The Sanatorium
'A stunningly written, immensely important book' A. A. Chaudhuri
'Perfectly paced story structure and eloquent dialogue ... shocking, deeply moving and hugely important' Carol Lovekin
'A deft novel about survival, physical and emotional, in Pakistan ... and a fascinating plunge into unfairness, sexism, patriarchy and misogyny ... a page-turner' Soniah Kamal
'A deeply engaging story that keeps you hooked from the first sentence to the end ... a masterful story of courage in the face of seemingly impossible odds' Sopan Deb
'An absolute belter of a novel ... Hypnotic, atmospheric and by the end, so hopeful' Sarah Sultoon
'A compelling, brave and uplifting read for our time' Eve Smith
'Rich with wounding truths, numinous matters and cultural nourishment ... you are left reeling from an experience that is soul deep and mind blowing and heart wrenching' Faiqa Mansab
'A powerful, beautifully written novel. With surgical precision, Awais Khan exposes a culture poisoned by misogyny ... A strong contender for the best novel of 2021' Alan Gorevan
'Spectacular... a joy from start to finish' Charlie Carroll
'Khan is an icon, pioneer and inspiration. This book is devastating, vitally important and beautifully written' Rob Parker
'Insightful and sympathetic to the unique experiences of women, whilst evoking the atmosphere of Lahore ... hard to put down' Alex Morrall
'A gripping, horrifying, compulsive read with two rich, compelling lead characters' Jennie Godfrey
