Hilarious!Even though after reading the first page, I was wary of reading the novel further as there were too many spelling errors and grammatical mistakes, I discovered on the third page that it was deliberate! I loved the protagonist's humorous take on the serious issue in Pakistan. She is endearing and sometime a little bitchy, but that makes her one of us.I immensely enjoyed reading it and always laughed heartily at her histrionics. all in all a great book for times when you are not beaming and happy, to feel good and have a lighter perspective on serious issues. 4.5 stars. While this has similarities to Jane Austen's Emma, it's really quite its own, wonderful creature, perfectly capturing a certain breed of status-obsessed but inherently resourceful and steely upper class woman (much like my mother who, if she had been born upper-class, would have likely evolved into the heroine of Duty Free.) More interestingly, it's set in a very modern day world where crime and terrorism are a close-to-home reality. It was also very refreshing for me, as an Asian Muslim, to read a portrayal of other Asian Muslims for whom religion is an incidental, not defining characteristic. Great stuff, both comic and topical.
