"There was nothing I could do for him, so I did what I could for you, for us."
Home Fire, is exactly what the title says it is a fire within a home just not as literal as you may think. This book is a roller coaster, and I definitely wasn’t as secure in my seat as I thought I was. Shamsie told the story of the Pasha family through different perspectives: Isma, Eamonn, Paravaiz, Aneeka, and Karamat with each perspective leading into the next one giving more insight from a different perspective of not only that character but other characters that way may not see in someone else’s perspective. Another theme that was present throughout this novel is family. How far would you go to protect your family? Would you protect them at all?
Those were the main questions I was asking myself as I continued my reading for this novel, I would have to say that in some way all the characters were protecting their family while I don’t agree with the way each of them went about it, it was still in their best interest to protect their family as best as they believed they could. We’re introduced to the Pasha family and the Lone family, their interaction with each other between their children but also interactions they had in the past that reflects onto their present relationship.
Isma is the first character we’re introduced to as she is being interrogated because she’s a British Pakistani at an airport trying to go into America, which we then are told she figured she would be stopped because of her ethnicity and where she was going after post-9/11. After reading Isma’s section I believe she held the best interest of both her sister and brother, outside of Aneeka who only was concerned about her brother, I would have loved to see more of Isma throughout the book. She was a character that was underrated and was really painted out to the bad guy between her brother and sister.
Eamonn, is the home security’s son who is on vacation in America when he meets Isma. I really believed that Isma and Eamonn were going to end up being together, I had hoped that they would. They seemed to have a lot more in common than Eamonn and Aneeka – who I don’t think even loved Eamonn as she claims she does. The development of their relationship was interesting and very sudden, while I do believe in love at first sight I don’t think love at first can occur through a picture. Yes, you heard me right. Eamonn basically first laid eyes on Aneeka through a picture, first off Aneeka is 19 and Eamonn is 24 what can they possibly have in common? Then when they met in person Aneeka was very stand off-ish of Eamonn but follows him to his home anyway AND THEN have sex with him. Something just didn’t feel right between their relationship at all, especially in regards to Aneeka’s religion/faith which we then see she isn’t as religious as Isma.
Paravaiz held the most interesting and important section in the book which is why I figured he was placed in the middle of the novel. When reading this section is when the theme of ‘justice vs. law’ comes into play. He’s basically tricked into joining ISIS in their media outlet that he had no idea he was joining, and when he realizes what exactly it is that he’s gotten himself into he’s trying his hardest to get home even though he knows the consequences he will face of a) being in ISIS b) and also being of a Pakistan descendant. So now it’s if Paravaiz makes it home should he be convicted of a crime even though he had no idea what he was getting himself into? In the novel there’s a term ‘ISIS brides’ where women are also ‘brainwashed’ to joining ISIS and becoming the brides of the men in the terrorist group. Should those women be punished as well if they weren’t fully aware of what they were getting into? It’s always easier to be the one on the outside looking in then actual being in the situation. Here you can read an article describing more about ‘ISIS brides.’ Like The Incendiaries, we’re torn in between whether to feel sympathy for a character due to joining a terrorist group or cult, or do we just say they knew what they were doing and any consequence they get is well deserved?
The various aspects of the different characters, I think helped the novel a lot with the different images and opinions that the reader is allowed to cast. There would be things you could agree or disagree based on character; for example, at the end when Aneeka is having her standoff with being able to bring Paravaiz body home to be buried with their mother, Terry requests that Karamat fix. Although we aren’t given a final ending, which I think Shamsie did on purpose giving the reader their own interpretation of what may or may not have happened. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in dual citizenships, British Pakistanis and their issues, but also the brainwashing of innocent people into joining terrorists groups.