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Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

This book is in some ways comparable to Colson Whitehead’s Underground Railroad, which uses the metaphorical device of an actual railroad, underground, to transport slaves fleeing the South. Exit West concerns refugees of war-torn and impoverished countries from which they escape through “doors” to safer lands. The beautiful writing transcends this element of fantasy, with sentences near the end of the book going on for entire pages, reflecting the constant movement of the refugees. An important message of globalization and social media for connectivity, the book’s ending is not a contrived happily-ever-after, but a clear look at our changing world.

Kathy, Breakwater Books, Guilford