‘Fourth Estate's lead debut for spring is the first novel from PRH assistant editor Ali, and tells of Nur and Yasmina, a young couple who have been deeply in love for the past four years. But there is a problem: Nur, a young British-Pakistani man, has not yet told his family of Yasmina's existence. As the clock ticks down to midnight on New Year's Eve, he prepares to tell them that he has built a life with the woman he loves, and that she is Black. A contemporary exploration of relationships, family expectations and racial prejudice.’ – Alice O’Keefe, The Bookseller, ‘Fiction Previews’
‘Ali’s accolades – being shortlisted for Hachette’s Mo Siewcherran Prize and shortlisted for the 4th Estate BAME Short Story Prize – precede his arrival onto the literary landscape this March. Nur and Yasmina have been in love for four years. The twist? Nur’s Pakistani parents don’t know that Yasmina exists, or that she is Black. What follows is a love story full of hard choices and tensions, family obligations and racial prejudices. Not to be missed by fans of MODERN LOVE.’ – Sana Goyal, Vogue India
‘Kasim Ali’s GOOD INTENTIONS is the compelling, captivating story of Nur, a young British-Pakistani man who has fallen in love with a woman whom he feels he cannot tell his family about – because Yasmina is Black. A fascinating insight into the expectations inherent in immigrant life, Ali takes on racial prejudice and millennial relationships without ever succumbing to cliche or easy answers to the big questions he poses.’ – Ben East, The National, ‘Books in 2022’
‘Nur and Yasmina have been together for four happy years. But Nur’s Pakistani parents don’t know that Yasmina is Black. They don’t even know that she exists. Nur is stuck between worlds – he wants to be the dutiful son and golden child that his parents expect him to be, but he also wants to be the kind of boyfriend that Yasmina needs too. As everything he holds dear is challenged, Nur is forced to question whether he can be all these things at once, and whether he really has a choice in the matter. GOOD INTENTIONS is a tender, authentic and candid love story that explores racial prejudice, modern society and the obligations that children of immigrants feel to their families. A must-read.’ – Culturefly, ‘Fiction preview: 20 books to look forward to reading in 2022’
‘Yasmina and Nur have been together for four happy years, but Nur has yet to tell his Pakistani parents his girlfriend exists. This is a promising debut about second-generation immigrants, family obligation and love.’ – Niamh Donnelly, Irish Independent, ‘The Hottest Books of the Year Ahead’
‘Look out for Kasim Ali’s GOOD INTENTIONS in March. It tells the story of a British Muslim man who must tell his parents he’s in love with a Black woman.’ – Charlotte Heathcote, Sunday Express, ‘A New Chapter for 2022: The Most Exciting Reads Coming in the Year Ahead’
‘A magnetic debut novel from an accomplished young writer about a hidden romance, which already looks ripe for a film or TV adaptation. The story revolves around a British Pakistani man torn between his family and the black woman he has fallen deeply in love with. The story combining young love with complexities of immigrant families and racial prejudice looks at themes of obligation versus following your heart.’ – Mita Mistry, Eastern Eye, ‘Bright looking books set to make a major mark in 2022’
‘This debut novel from Londoner Ali, is the story of young man torn between family and love, culture and individuality. “Honest” is a word that comes up repeatedly in blurbs and reviews (emotionally, absorbingly, heartbreakingly).’ – The Millions, ‘Most Anticipated: The Great First-Half 2022 Book Preview’
‘This beautifully written debut explores prejudice, love and family ties in the UK today.’ – Apple Books, ‘Meet the Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2022’
‘When I began to think of 2022 releases that I wanted to read, the first that came to mind was Kasim Ali’s GOOD INTENTIONS. I could say that romance books are my guilty pleasure but that would be a lie because I am always ready to shout my love of romance books from the roof. While I love a good romcom, I’m also a huge fan of romance novels that tackle reality head-on. In Good Intentions, Ali explores the role of race and family in romantic relationships through the characters Nur and Yasmina. After four years of being in a relationship Nur has decided at midnight on New Years Eve he will finally tell his Pakistani parents that he is in love with Yasmina, a Black woman. Addressing issues that are both moving and engaging, how could I possibly resist this “magnificent and messy love story”? (Huma Qureshi). I’m sure you’ll catch me crying about this book on Instagram this year.’ – Billi Jones, Bad Form, ‘6 Books For The First 6 Months of 2022’
‘This. Book. The writing, the characters, the humour, the talent. We fell for Nur and Yasmina within a few chapters. The complex topic of prejudice and colourism within our communities is often disregarded in the face of more overt racism from elsewhere *gestures at everything*, and Kasim Ali has done such a brilliant job exploring this in this heart-wrenching debut. Definitely one to watch. (Edit: Kasim has since been dubbed the male equivalent of Sally Rooney and we gotta agree.)’ – Muslim Voices in Publishing, ‘Most Anticipated Books’
Published 3rd March 2022. Pre-order here.
THE MILK TART MURDERS by Sally Andrew
‘Sally Andrew is baaaack! This time with THE MILK TART MURDERS (Umuzi). Tannie Maria and Henk are at the movies when Oom Frik dies, and it might be murder because the Oom had many sought-after treasures. A second death occurs and there is a clue — a letter addressed to Tannie Maria asking for advice and a milk-tart recipe.’ – Jennifer Platt, Sunday Times, ‘Books To Look Out For This Year’
Published 1st March 2022. Pre-order here.
