01 May / A Case of Exploding Mangoes: A Novel by Mohammed Hanif [in Bloomsbury Review]
Pakistani dictator General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq’s sudden death in a mysterious 1988 plane crash remains unsolved. Hanif, once part of the Pakistani air force and now a British expat, cleverly presents a riotous fictional version of how it all might have happened.
Air Force Junior Officer Ali Shigri is still grieving the suicide of his hero father, who was one of Zia’s top commanders. Arrested for possibly helping his roommate go AWOL, Shigri proves to be a wily, unreliable narrator, but his charm is addictive as he unfolds a plot that is tragic and wicked, entertaining and shocking.
Readers: Adult
Published: 2008 (United States)