The Shadow Of The Crescent Moon

[Explores] the divisive split between those suffering from the direct consequences of war and a generation of unaware, complacent young Pakistanis

Evening Standard

Stunning . . . Few debut novels can adequately explore such colossal themes as betrayal and allegiance, or persuasively render fear, doubt and determination

The National

Stunningly worded

Company Magazine

A first novel of uncommon poise and acuity, The Shadow of the Crescent Moon is set in an old and protracted war for land and dignity. But its swift and suspenseful narrative describes a fiercely contemporary battle in the human heart: between the seductive fantasy of personal freedom and the tenacious claims of family, community and history

Pankaj Mishra

An extraordinary first novel which reads like a politico-religious thriller. Compelling.

Hector Abads

Bhutto writes of an extraordinary place where beauty lives alongside brutality, with superb poise and a kind of defiant lyricism

The Times

Concise, elegant. Bhutto is a gifted and compelling writer, economically and poetically summoning up this beautiful mountainous backwater

Mail on Sunday

Incredibly ambitious, extremely powerful and moving

Radio 4

It's a heart-stopping thriller, as well as an important political commentary about oppression, occupation and war. Most strikingly, though, it's a devastating love story

Jemima Khan, New Statesman 'Books of the Year'

Powerful, compelling, moving inexorably to a devastating conclusion

Sunday Express

The novel is set over the course of one morning in a small town in Pakistan's tribal regions (and) follows the story of three brothers who are forced to make difficult choices. But the heart of the novel, for Bhutto, lies in the female characters

Observer

This is (...) a human story, with love as well as ideology - Bhutto blends the two adroitly (and) writes with great poignancy, keeping the emotional pitch high

Financial Times

Thought-provoking. Above all, what The Shadow of the Crescent Moon captures so well is not just the trauma of war, but also the conflicts of contemporary Pakistanis, torn between remaining faithful to the legacy of previous generations, and their own dreams of choosing their own destiny

Sunday Telegraph