Pakistan, 2014: How far would you go for your
family? When a knock comes in the half-light before
dawn, the lives of 19-year-old Goha and his family
are about to change forever.
Lured by a tantalizing opportunity to work for a secret organization that will release his family from poverty, Goha leaves his Karachi slum behind for the tribal areas of the north. But as he learns about the organization's core beliefs and activities, his excitement starts to fade. His courage is tested when he is coerced into a physical relationship with his superior and faces other agonizing moral dilemmas and violence-all while falling in love with the local imam's stunning ex-wife.
Rife with suspense and memorable characters, Tiny Glimmers of Light explores themes of identity, sexuality, religious nuances, education, class hierarchies, extremism, and institutional corruption. It will keep
readers on the edge of their seats as they seek to find out if Goha can overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges that threaten his survival and his family's prosperous new future.
Hundreds of Urdu words in Tiny Glimmers of Light bring the sights, sounds, and scents of a tumultuous Pakistan alive on the pages and immerse readers fully into the country's diverse geography, languages, and gender roles. The story will especially appeal to South
Asian readers and anyone craving a deeper understanding of Pakistani culture and the temptations faced by a hard-working, lower-class family to improve the circumstances of their lives.
Aqueel "Al" Athar grew up in Karachi, Pakistan. He received his PhD in clinical microbiology from the University of London and previously worked as the Head of Microbiology Labs and Director of Infection Control at the Calgary District Hospital Group in Calgary, Canada. Aqueel has penned several books in both English and Urdu. Aqueel has two grown married daughters (Yasmin Ahmed and Tanya Athar-Jogee) and four grandchildren, and currently lives in Bolingbrook, IL with his wife, Ansa.
Tanya Athar-Jogee is a journalism major from Concordia University in Montreal, where she received the award for most outstanding graduate. She also holds an MS degree from Northwestern University. Her op-eds on social issues, culture, faith and identity have appeared in national publications, and she has also written for Dawn, the oldest and largest English newspaper in Pakistan. Tanya lives in Austin, TX with her husband, two children and cat. Tiny Glimmers of Light is her first novel co-authored with her father.
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