The Runaways by Fatima Bhutto

I heard Fatima Bhutto speaking at the Sydney Writers Festival this year, about both the problems that beset Pakistan and specifically about this book. She attempts to open people’s eyes to the phenomenon of young people leaving their homes to fight with militant Islamist groups through the medium of fiction. The book deals with three young people who leave their homes running from problematic lives, where they feel they have no place. You get both the back story and the story of their journey, in all its horrifying detail as they become ever more deeply embroiled in their situation. I didn’t enjoy this book particularly. I found it a very depressing read, not surprising when the real life situation is exactly that.