The Return of Faraz Ali Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Tawaifs and our BookBrowse Review of The Return of Faraz Ali.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. By virtue of his history and lineage, Faraz Ali is a man without a secure identity or place in the world. How does his sense of contingency reflect on the society in which he lives? How does the mission with which he is charged at the outset of the book become a quest to claim, or reclaim, a more genuine sense of self?
2. At times, the book is told from the perspective of Faraz's father, Wajid, as a young man fighting in Africa during World War II. How does this history add to our understanding of who Wajid becomes, and how does it color the relationship between him and Faraz?
3. In addition to the father-son relationship, the book explores mother-daughter relationships, primarily between Firdous and Rozina, and Rozina and Mina. How does each mother wrestle with the question of how to provide for her daughter? How does each daughter attempt to assert her independence and her desire to forge her own path?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Riverhead Books. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.