About the Author

ARIF ANWAR was born in Chittagong, Bangladesh, just miles from the Bay of Bengal. He previously worked for BRAC, one of the world's largest non-governmental organizations, on issues of poverty alleviation, and for UNICEF Myanmar on public health issues. Arif has a PhD in education from the University of Toronto. He currently lives in Toronto with his wife, Si (Sandra) Lian. The Storm is his first novel.

Reviews

"While deceit and cruelty occur, these stories are suffused with love and compassion that most often motivate action. A remarkable debut, in which fiction vividly portrays specific events in history."--Booklist (starred review)

"Much of the charm and power of The Storm lies in negotiating this push and pull between the hero and the trickster, the magical and the mundane -- and Anwar has handled it beautifully."--New York Times

"This first novel will touch and astound readers."--Publishers Weekly

"Arif Anwar's masterful storytelling crosses continents and generations, illuminating how personal choices can have sweeping repercussions. The Storm is an elegant, stunning novel, which captured my imagination and my heart until the end." --Shilpi Somaya Gowda, #1 bestselling author of Secret Daughter and The Golden Son

"Arif Anwar's The Storm is a brilliantly textured tapestry exploring the natural and man-made disasters that define a human story. And like a true storm, it is by turns devastating, humbling and cathartic."--Nadia Hashimi, bestselling author of The Pearl That Broke Its Shell

"Complex, elegantly-composed, and page-turning at once, The Storm is a novel both grand and intimate in its scope. Arif Anwar's ability to inhabit a variety of characters across continents and generations is nothing short of astounding. I adored this book."--Armando Lucas Correa, author of The German Girl

"Lovers whisper, immigration papers rustle, gunfire explodes as this novel sweeps backwards and forwards across continents and decades. . . . The interconnected stories come alive with sensual detail. . . . This is Bangladeshi history--all our history--as we enter a new world--our world--through the absorbing stories of The Storm."--Kim Echlin, author of Under the Visible Life

"This book is a marvel, combining the sweep of a saga with the precision of a page-turner. Arif Anwar moves us deftly through time and across borders, beautifully illustrating the strange intersections we call fate, and reminding us how the past shapes the present."--Rumaan Alam, author of Rich and Pretty

"This riveting novel weaves the interlocking tales of compelling characters finding their way through turbulent times, crisscrossing nations and continents, finding redemption in the gift of love and the magical power of words. The Storm is lyrical, lovely and captivating."--Mary Janigan, author of Let the Eastern Bastards Freeze in the Dark