Mohsin Hamid

Exit West

This speculative fiction novel is as panoramic as it is personal. It sweeps the globe, drifting across space and time, yet is irrevocably anchored to the present—to moments in the unfolding human experience. The novel’s sparse, economical prose ushers its readers through successive literary moments, and the plot pivots on small yet significant moments in the characters’ lives. The two main characters, young lovers, magically escape their war-shattered city in an unnamed country. Using an unwavering objective-omniscient point of view, Mohsin describes the large-scale political developments that thrust the lovers toward escape and depicts their day-to-day struggles in refugee camps and squats. The novel is clear-eyed and realistic, matter-of-factly reporting death, difficulty, and destruction. At the same time, it is deeply empathetic and hopeful, emphasizing regenerative capacities that spring from the cracks resulting from world-wide upheaval.