STARbooks Press explores homosexuality in a Pakistani/British Islamic community with STRAIGHTENING ALI by AMJEED KABIL.
For Ali Mirza, a young British born Pakistani man, life takes a sudden dramatic turn when his family arranges for him to get married even though he has told them he is gay. How will he survive his wedding night when he's not even turned on by his new bride, whom he has only met once and for five minutes? Sajda, his wife, claims she is in love with him, but she does not even know him. For Ali, this is the tip of the iceberg as his boyfriend has moved to France and is hesitant to support Ali. What is Ali to do? Should he run away to join the love of his life, or should he stay and live the life that has been arranged for him by his family? If he does run, will they find him and force him to be straight? Will he ever reunite with his lover? Ali must decide what is best for him and does in a matter of days in STRAIGHTENING ALI.
STRAIGHTENING ALI is a must read for anyone who has lived in or is curious about a society where arranged marriages are the norm and gays are brutalized for who they are. A riveting story about family ties, conflicting cultures and the basic dynamics of human relationships, STRAIGHTENING ALI opens one's eyes to a world we know little about.
