"A story that is wrenched from the headlines - of an underground newspaper. Nemat Sadat weaves the political and the personal into a brutal story of love and betrayal in the time of war." (Jerry Pinto, editor of The Greatest Show on Earth: Writings on Bollywood)

"Gripping . . . Accomplished . . . Captivating . . . A novel about how beautiful life can be, and how ugly we often make it. The bravery of its narrator is not just the bravery of being gay or turning an atheist; it is also the bravery of retaining hope in the midst of despair, quoting poetry in the face of persecution." (The Hindu)

"[A] powerful story . . . From war-torn Afghanistan to a refugee camp in Pakistan to the US, the plot covers a wide geographical arc . . . [Filled with] erotically charged vignettes [that offer] glimpses into [Kanishka's] inner life [and] painstaking descriptions of customs and rituals that are germane to Afghan life . . . Moments of ironic reversal are many [and the] moments of reckoning remain complex, the emotions behind them are not fully knowable. The ending [...] isn't without its redemptive grace." (Mint)

"A compelling story of love, hatred, homosexuality, fanaticism and political clashes in Afghanistan . . . A richly rewarding read!" (Financial Express)

"Nemat Sadat's prose is lucid and his turns of phrase hold the reader . . . This is a brave and beautiful debut." (Hindustan Times)