Review of BEST OF FRIENDS by Kamila Shamsie

3 Stars

I loved Kamila Shamsie’s novel Home Fire, so I was anxious to pick up her latest book.  This one is about female friendship.

The first part of the novel is set in 1988 in Karachi, Pakistan.  Two 14-year-old girls, Zahra Ali and Maryam Khan, are inseparable.  Zahra is the daughter of a cricket journalist who has become a celebrity, whereas Maryam is heiress to her family’s very successful business.  A traumatic event results in their being separated.  The second part of the novel is set in 2019 in London, England, where both Zahra and Maryam, now in their 40s, reside.  Both are high-powered women:  Zahra, divorced, is leader of a civil liberties group, and Maryam, happily married and mother to a daughter, is a venture capitalist specializing in tech companies.  Their political views are on opposite ends of the British political spectrum because Maryam supports the conservative government while Zahra is opposed to so many of its policies.  Nonetheless, they maintain their friendship built on a common past until the arrival of two men from the past threatens their bond.

In many ways, the two are polar opposites.  Zahra comes from a more humble background with less financial stability so she focuses on her studies to earn a place in a British university.  She is sensitive, bookish, and introspective.  Maryam, guaranteed to have a position in her family’s business, is spoiled and academically indifferent and has a rebellious streak.  Their different backgrounds and upbringings shape their reactions to the singular event which occurs to them as teenagers. 

The first part of the book which focuses on the adolescent girls is by far the most interesting.  Their depiction as teenagers is very realistic as they become aware of their bodies and their sexuality as well as their vulnerability as women.  They experience what Maryam calls girlfear.  The incident which they experience together and proves to be life-changing is fraught with danger.  The suspense in this section keeps readers on the edge of their seats. 

In contrast, the second part is dull and plodding.  Despite the differences between the two, there is a paucity of conflict and tension to maintain reader interest.  The plot moves slowly until a confrontation at the end.  I found it difficult to believe that the two didn’t have this face-off sooner.  Their values and interests diverge so much that a parting of ways seems inevitable.  When the two are still teenagers, Maryam says, “’We go together as far as we can’” and Zahra thinks, “A drift had begun, which would only grow as the years went on.  Deep down they both knew that on one had the kind of friendship when they were forty that the two of them had at fourteen.”  In essence, the second part of the novel shows this drifting apart, but it happens at a glacial pace. 

Actually, I had difficulty believing that the incident when they are 14 casts such a long shadow over their adult lives and friendship.  Zahra speaks of the “’shame and fear” they carried from childhood, and Maryam says the event affected the trajectory of her life.  Both contentions seem an exaggeration since neither lives with paralyzing fear and both are wildly successful.  The women respond differently when two men resurface to remind them of that past event, and their responses illustrate their personalities and upbringing.  The book offers no new insights into long-standing friendships; I would argue that it shows more about how nature and nurture influence how people react to a traumatic event. 

Readers should be warned that there is an ambiguous ending which some may not find satisfying.  Personally, I found the entire book unsatisfying.  It begins with promise but the second part is much less compelling.