Night of the Golden Butterfly
A Novel
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
The Islam Quintet concludes with a powerful portrait of life and loveTariq Ali’s epic quintet, which began on the streets of medieval Granada, culminates in present day with Night of the Golden Butterfly. The story darts between the past and present of Dara, a Lahore-born writer who now lives in London. Dara is called back to his homeland by an old friend, the hot-tempered and mysterious Plato, who, at seventy-five, has finally fallen in love. Dara is to help Plato’s newfound inamorata to write a book about his friend’s life. Dara retraces not only Plato’s steps but also his own, meeting old friends across the world as they retread the paths of their lives. Night of the Golden Butterfly is a gorgeous and lyrical capstone that finds heart and humor in the passage of time, the practice of reconciliation, and the irresistible draw of home.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Completing his Islam Quintet, which began in 15th century Moorish Spain, British-Pakistani writer, filmmaker and activist Ali (A Sultan in Palermo) lands readers in the turbulent political landscape of recent decades. The central characters start as philosophical student activists in Lahore, moving to London, Paris and the U.S. as adults; their story begins some 45 years after their student days, when Pakistani artist-scholar Mohammed Aflatun, nicknamed Plato, calls in a debt of honor to Dara, the novel's narrator, requiring his old friend to write a novel based on Plato's life. Agreeing against his best judgement, Dara sets out to understand and account for his mysterious older friend's life and art, leading him to rediscover old friends-including Zahid, now a distinguished cardiologist in Washington, D.C., and Zahid's wife, Jindie, an old flame of Dara's-as well as new art-world connections in London and Paris. Though Ali frequently digresses from Plato's story, including episodes of Chinese history and lengthy background stories involving characters new to the series, Plato's life gradually unfolds against a backdrop of contemporary politics and terrorism. Epic in scope, this novel explores affairs political and romantic while bristling with fervor and ribald humor.
Customer Reviews
Night of the Golden Butterfly
Though I love listening to Tariq Ali this is my first book by him and I loved every part of it. The history and culture of the area he describes is education on the history and culture. I greatly recommend this reading.