Exit West

 

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Although there are magic doors, everything else about this novel seems to mirror the refugee experience in the present. Without focusing on how the refugees get to new places, Hamid can zero in on feelings and relationships: why do they leave (or not); who do they go with; the feeling of not knowing where they land or what this new place will mean for them; the reaction of the nativists that already live there; how tribalism in new lands can result; the strains that these forces have on established relationships; the list goes on. Saeed and Nadia stand in for so many refugees, and their journey both informs and evokes compassion.

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