Description
An unforgettable debut novel about first love, family obligation and finding your way.
As Nur's family counts down to midnight on New Year's Eve, Nur is watching the clock more closely than most: he has made a pact with himself, and with his girlfriend, Yasmina, that at midnight he will finally tell his Pakistani parents the truth. That he has built a life with a woman he loves and she is Black.
Nur wants to be the good son his parents ask him to be, and the good boyfriend Yasmina needs him to be. But as everything he holds dear is challenged, he is forced to ask, is love really a choice for a second-generation immigrant son like him?
'This powerful story will stay with me for a very long time' Louise O'Neill, author of Idol
'Addictive in every sense' Irenosen Okojie, author of Nudibranch
'An emotional ride through the highs, lows, and inescapable truths of modern love' Justin Myers, author of The Fake-Up
'Sensitive . . . Absorbingly honest' Diana Evans, author of Ordinary People
'A magnificent and messy love story that broke my heart' Huma Qureshi, author of How We Met
'Captivating and heartbreaking' Stylist
About the Author
Kasim Ali works at Penguin Random House and has previously been shortlisted for Hachette's Mo Siewcherran Prize, longlisted for the 4th Estate BAME Short Story Prize, and has contributed to The Good Journal. He comes from Birmingham and now lives in London.
Reviews
'Family obligation and racial prejudice sit alongside the flush of first love. Expect to be heartbroken' Elle
'[A] clever novel about vulnerability and victimhood that subtly subverts the reader's expectations' Sunday Times
'Ever fallen in love with messy, confusing consequences for everyone involved? Then Good Intentions is for you' Stylist
'Kasim Ali boldly grasps the nettle of South Asian prejudice ... what a tonic' The Times
'Good Intentions is so absorbing, compelling and beautifully written. Its ending brought me close to tears - what an incredibly assured debut. I can't wait to see what Kasim Ali writes next' Beth O'Leary, author of The Flatshare
'A beautiful and honest story... from a fantastic new talent' Sareeta Domingo, author of If I Don't Have You
'[A] compelling debut reminiscent of The Big Sick in storyline and Ordinary People in feel' Living Magazine
'Moving, modern and utterly engaging. What a talent' Rhik Samadder, author of I Never Said I Love You
'A love story full of hard choices and tensions, family obligations and racial prejudices. Not to be missed by fans of Modern Love' Vogue India
'A gorgeous, unbelievable debut' Angie Kim, author of Miracle Creek
'[A] clever debut... Ali explores racism, the difficulty of navigating cultural heritage and the travails of early adulthood [with] a climactic sucker punch' Metro
Book Information
ISBN 9780008450656
Author Kasim Ali
Format Hardback
Page Count 352
Imprint Fourth Estate Ltd
Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
Weight(grams) 460g
Dimensions(mm) 222mm * 141mm * 33mm
