I’ve also used dialogues and lyrics from the movie Mughal-E-Azam; President Obama’s public speeches, including excerpts from the Cairo speech (Coda, Section 12); lines from William Wordsworth’s “Solitary Reaper” and “My Heart Leaps Up”; Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s “Muhjse Pehli Si Muhabbat”; and Momin Khan Momin’s “Wo Jo Hum Mein Tum Mein Qaraar Tha.”

I owe a debt of gratitude to my agent, Anjali Singh, and my editor, Dan Smetanka. I couldn’t have asked for better guides and champions. Many thanks, too, to all the teams at Counterpoint Press for their amazing work in bringing this book to life. I started the novel more than ten years ago, at the Helen Zell Writers’ Program, University of Michigan; the faculty and my cohort there are still among the first I turn to for counsel and support. I’m also grateful to the residencies—MacDowell, VCCA, Yaddo, Djerassi—and the organizations—Kundiman, Lambda Literary—that have provided much-needed encouragement and community along the way.

Many friends have read various drafts and given valuable feedback. Many more have sustained me with their companionship. My family has always cheered me on; my partner has never failed to cheer me up. To you all, my abounding love. This book wouldn’t have been possible without you.

About the Author

NAWAAZ AHMED was born in Tamil Nadu, India. Before turning to writing, he was a computer scientist, researching search algorithms for Yahoo. He holds an MFA from University of Michigan–Ann Arbor and is the winner of several Hopwood Awards. He is the recipient of residencies at MacDowell, Yaddo, Djerassi, and VCCA. He’s also a Kundiman and Lambda Literary Fellow. He currently lives in Brooklyn. Find out more at nawaazahmed.com.