American Dervish - Tapa dura

A terrific first novel, warm and wise. (Kate Saunders THE TIMES)

this book is prescient and timely in both recognising and dramatically exploring this increasingly unbreachable social divide. (ENTERTAINMENT FOCUS)

his dialogue is free-flowing and natural, and he has a good eye for small visual details within a scene that colour the mood of the action around them. (Alan Morrison THE HERALD)

Both extremists and the ambivalent are accorded even-handed coverage and the characterisation is strong (Catherine Taylor THE GUARDIAN)

American Dervish is an extraordinary novel and one you certainly won't regret reading (Roddy Ashworth SUNDAY EXPRESS)

Akhtar proves the capacity of the great American stories to be endlessly renewed by each generation of writers (Claire Allfree METRO)

There are themes here reminiscent of The Go-Between by L.P.Hartley and Ian McEwan's more recent Atonement, of a life scarred by chame at a childish act that has catastrophic consequences in adult life. (TLS)