A child’s eye view of history

‘City of Spies’ depicts a coming-of-age story about politics, identity

KARACHI:

City of Spies by Sorayya Khan is a politically delicate novel which throws new light on Pakistan’s history. Set in Islamabad – and, briefly, in Lahore – the book is a coming-of-age novel that pivots on the 1977 coup d’etat in Pakistan. The novel explores the events of former prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s execution and General Ziaul Haq’s consequent rise to power.

However, the author narrates these events through the eyes of a pre-teen, Aliya Shah. As a result, she successfully manages to weave these historical facts into a gripping political novel.

She has continually maintained a relationship between the political turmoil in the country and Aliya’s domestic life which is, without an iota of doubt, commendable.



Born to a Pakistani father, Javid, and a Dutch mother, Irene, Aliya is the youngest of the three half-and-half siblings – the older brother and sister are depicted as marginal figures throughout the 240-page story.

A few months after Aliya turns eleven, Bhutto is overthrown by General Zia – referred to as ‘the general’ (much like Western fiction refers to Hitler as ‘The Reich’).

Sooner or later, events take an uncompromising turn. The death of the much-loved Hanif, son of a loyal family retainer Sadiq, in a hit-and-run accident gravely impacts Aliya and her ongoing search for her identity.



In the days that follow, a series of tragic incidents take place in the especially tumultuous period of two and a half years. Iran becomes an Islamic republic, American hostages are held in Iran and the US Embassy in Islamabad is burnt to the ground.

The pre-teen protagonist eventually finds herself questioning the privilege and the sense of entitlement that has come with being a student of the American School of Islamabad, having a paler skin than most and an accent that has provided her some luxuries.

Khan also presents the young girl’s determination and enthusiasm to learn Urdu after she is struck by the realisation that English makes her superior to most speakers of Urdu. This runs parallel to the shame she feels on donning the national dress of Pakistan in front of her American friends - especially Lizzy Simon and her family. These conflicting identities form the alpha and omega for the plot.

However, the author’s portrayal of Irene - a motherly figure in the novel - must not be left unnoticed under the spell of Aliya’s struggle to make sense of the world.

Irene is a strong and sensible woman. She converts to Islam, leaves behind a quiet life in Europe and adjusts her Dutch origins to Pakistan for the patriotic Javid. She ensures that Aliya does not sever the bond with Lizzy on finding out the truth behind Hanif’s murder and Sadiq spends time with his wife and children. Overall Irene’s constant support and care towards not just her family but the loyal servants leaves readers admiring her fortitude long after the book ends.

Khan leaves readers with positive and private images by evoking strong emotion. Through this novel, Aliya - and, to a large extent, the reader - discovers what had really happened in the past and that what she had narrated amounts to just a tiny percentage of the entire truth. As the novel suggests, “truth is as wide and all-encompassing as you let it be, and there is always more of it”.

City of Spies is not a book of ‘spies’ as the title suggests. It is a novel brimming with secrets and mysteries. Among these elements, Aliya finds herself being somewhere between a child and a grown-up. The journey to self-discovery coupled with the author’s impeccable writing style makes this book an engrossing read.

The writer is an undergraduate student with a keen interest in clinical psychology

Title: City of Spies

Author: Sorayya Khan

Pages: 240

Publisher: Aleph, India

ISBN: 978-9383064786

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2016.

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