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I, Migrant: Book summary and reviews of I, Migrant by Sami Shah

I, Migrant

A Comedian's Journey from Karachi to the Outback

by Sami Shah

I, Migrant by Sami Shah X
I, Migrant by Sami Shah
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  • Published Apr 2015
    282 pages
    Genre: Biography/Memoir

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Book Summary

Despite nearly being killed by a kangaroo and almost lynched and run out of town after his comedy was taken far too seriously, Sami Shah is very happy to be living in Australia. He had fronted his own satirical show on TV, worked as a journalist, and been a highly regarded newspaper columnist—all dangerous occupations to be involved in—when the combination of seeing the aftermaths of a devastating bomb attack and being the target of death threats convinced him to leave Pakistan.

Under the terms of their Australian migration visa, Sami, his wife, and young daughter were obliged to settle in a rural area, and so they moved to Western Australia. Now Sami is battling a crippling addiction to meat pies, but at least is no longer constantly mistaken for an escaped asylum seeker from the nearby detention center. Called "a swaggering dynamo" by the New York Times, he has performed countless comedy shows to ever-growing and appreciative audiences. I, Migrant tells the hilarious and moving story of what it's like to leave the home you love to start a new life in another country so your child can be safe and grow up with a limitless future.

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"Starred Review. Humor at its most vigorous and unsparing." - Kirkus Reviews

This information about I, Migrant was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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Author Information

Sami Shah

Sami Shah is a Pakistani stand up comedian who has been delivering punchlines from the front lines of the War on Terror for several years. He has been profiled on Comedy Central and NPR's The World, and performed on the BBC Asian Network and for TEDx. He is also an illustrator, graphic designer, and columnist.

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