A Small Fortune [Hardcover]

Rosie Dastgir (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 24, 2012

An entertaining debut novel reminiscent of Zadie Smith’s White Teeth that explores the lives of an extended Pakistani family of immigrants in London—all with a gently humorous touch and fond but wry eye

Harris, the presumed patriarch of his large extended family in both England and Pakistan, has unexpectedly received a “small fortune” from his divorce settlement with an English woman: £53,000. As a devout Muslim, Harris views this sum as a “burden of riches” that he must unload on someone else as quickly as possible. But deciding which relative to give it to proves to be a burden of its own, and soon he has promised it both to his extremely poor cousins in Pakistan and to his Westernized, college-student daughter. Then, in a rash bout of guilt and misunderstanding, Harris signs the entire sum away to the least deserving, most prosperous cousin of all. This solves none of his problems and creates many more, exacerbating a tricky web of familial debt and obligation on two sides of the world, until the younger generation steps in to help.

With insight, affection, and a great gift for character and story, Dastgir immerses us in a rich, beautifully drawn immigrant community and complex extended family. She considers the challenges between relatives of different cultural backgrounds, generations, and experiences—and the things they have to teach one another. A Small Fortune offers an affectionate and affecting look at class, culture, and the heartbreak of misinterpretation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“In her debut novel, Rosie Dastgir weaves a vivid and delightful saga about an extended family of Pakistani immigrants. . . . [A Small Fortune] is funny, poignant, true and sad, and I was enthralled.”—The Minneapolis Star Tribune

"But the beauty in Dastgir's novel, and the reason you won't be able to put it down, is her ability to get to the heart of the immigrant struggle."—Bust

"A tweedy Pakistani divorcé and his alarmingly self-possessed daughter are tested by an unexpected windfall."—Vogue

"This charming debut offers rich insights into the complexities of immigrant life in England. . . . This charming debut offers rich insights into the complexities of immigrant life in England."—Library Journal

“In Dastgir’s delicious debut novel, a clan of Pakistani immigrants navigates the treacherous territory between two cultures in an England of curry puddles, cunning imams, and failing convenience stores. Funny, compassionate and vivid with detail.”—Nayana Currimbhoy, author of Miss Timmins’ School for Girls

“Assimilation and self-interest are the competing themes in this wickedly witty, deeply moving novel. Yet it’s humanity in all its well-intentioned ineptitude that forms the real theme here—and for which Rosie Dastgir saves her choicest prose. A whole, complex world is on display here. I couldn’t put it down.”—Lucinda Rosenfeld, author of I’m So Happy For You and (forthcoming) The Pretty One

“Beautiful, intelligent and poignant. With honesty and insight, Rosie Dastgir reveals the triumphs and tragedies—not only when East meets West—but when any of us attempt to forge our own identity beneath the weight of history, culture and that most terrifying obstacle of all—family.”— Saïd Sayrafiezadeh, author of When Skateboards Will Be Free

“Among the strengths of [her] writing are the naturalistic flow of her dialogue and her ear for the Yorkshire lilt. Her screenwriting flair also shines through in the deft jump-cuts between Lahore, Whitechapel and Yorkshire, and the arresting images of London's urban decay. . . . Particularly perceptive about first-generation immigrants’ preoccupations with minute class signifiers.”—Times Literary Supplement

About the Author

Rosie Dastgir was born in England to a Pakistani father and an English mother. She was educated at Oxford University and received an MFA in film from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. She lives in Brooklyn.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover; 1St Edition edition (May 24, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159448810X
• ISBN-13: 978-1594488108
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,003,455 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable debut novel is clearly a labor of the heart June 21, 2012

By Andy Orrock TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I was prompted to read this fine debut novel from Rosie Dastgir after reading an elegant essay of hers that appeared in the "Lives" column of the New York Times Magazine. The appearance of that article - entitled "What Do I Owe to My Father's Far-Flung Family?" - coincided with the release of the book. The essay begins: "I never knew my father had a half brother until the last year of his life, when letters from a clerk in the Pakistani Army began arriving in London, freighted with festive green and gold postage stamps. My father would sigh, slitting open the envelopes, knowing that they would be filled with gloomy news."

That article makes it clear that "A Small Fortune" was a labor of the heart for the author. It has its wellsprings in her real life. It explores the binds and deep, familial sense of obligation that burdens a Pakistani immigrant even after decades ensconced in UK society. Like Dastgir's father, her protagonist Harris (née Haaris) marries an English woman. And, no doubt, the author has anchored Haaris' daughter, Alia, with more than just a little of her own experiences and thoughts in mind.

Dastgir nicely juggles and interweaves a lot of little threads: Harris' 'small fortune' and its burdens; Alia's struggle to determine her path in life; cousin Rashid's turn in life brought about by his increasing closeness to an Islamic preacher; Harris' budding romance with Farrah; the arrival of Rashid's family from Pakistan.

This feels like a real family. Rosie Dastgir writes with the authenticity and light confidence of someone who knows these people very well. I enjoyed this book a great deal and encourage others to share in the pleasure of reading it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Small Fortune; a gem of a novel. July 3, 2012

By kate hosford

Format:Hardcover

Rosie Dastgir's debut novel is utterly compelling. Once I started reading it, I was unable to do anything else until I finished. With wry wit and an eye for the smallest poignant detail, Dastgir's examines the ways in which ethnic community can be both a support and a burden. From page one, it is clear that this is an author who knows what she is talking about.

Through her omniscient narrator, Dastgir weave an intricate web of familial interdependencies that create a mind-boggling number of dilemmas for Harris, the main character, his daughter, Alia, his nephew Rashid, and everyone else associated with the family. Several of these dilemmas are rooted in the disparity between the actual lives that these characters are living in England, and the lives that their family members believe they are living. This tension propels the book forward.

The lovely and ultimately redemptive relationship between Harris and Farrah (a widowed Shakespeare scholar who is also a Pakistani immigrant), was one of my favorite parts of the book.

The book resolves in a way that feel both surprising and inevitable--not an easy feat to pull off. I can't wait to see what this author does next.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars "A Small Fortune" is a big reward!! June 18, 2012

By Previ

Format:Hardcover

The way that the author has constructed this beautiful story is not only successful on an emotional level but on a visual level as well. I am always interested in novels that deal with deep inner conflict and the sorting out of ones feeling and beliefs. I think that Harris is such a rich character, being the "father" to so many family members and absorbing all of there troubles was truly interesting to witness as the reader.The process that Harris had to go through to come to his decision was very realistic and incredibly thought provoking. To me one of the most compelling characters is Rashid the son of Harris's cousin who comes to London from Pakistan to study urban planning. After unsuccessfully working as a cab driver and then a real estate agent he finds himself caught up in a world of religious extremists. Although Rashid is more of a supporting character he shows how well the author pays attention to even the lesser characters and there inner conflicts with great insite and detail. When Alia Harris's daughter is first introduced it is from another family members point of view. He feels she is not a devote follower of Islam and perhaps has too many "English boyfriends". Her father defends her by saying she is medical student at a prestigious college. At first blush Alia's relationship with her father seems emotionally distant and very guarded. Alias inner conflicts socially and religiously greatly shape the father daughter relationship and I feel that the authors exploration of these complex issues really made me understand the weight a first generation immigrant emotionally has to bear. The character resolutions always seem genuine and sincere.
I have only once been to London it was many years ago and on a true tourist level. The landscaping throughout the story allowed me to see parts of London that I probably would otherwise never get to see. The author's use of different dialects really made the story more interesting for me and helped me connect better with the characters. I started this book with very little knowledge of islam and it's customs, this book gave me a wonderful peak into an interesting culture that is torn in so many directions (like most religions and customs). A Small Fortune also briefly brings to light the compromised conditions that so many people in Pakistan have to live with, and how they get by.
A Small Fortune is a 373 page novel that conveys a million pages worth of life, love and change. I have read much lengthier books that were not nearly as complete.