Maryam & Son By Mirza Waheed

A HAUNTING EXPLORATION OF MOTHERHOOD, GRIEF, AND THE LIMITS OF KNOWING THOSE WE LOVE.

Maryam Ali, a widow and school chef living in East London, wakes up one morning to find her son, Dilawar ("Dil"), missing from his bedroom. What begins as a search for a beloved child quickly spirals into a nightmare when government officials suggest that Dil may have traveled to Iraq and joined ISIS, potentially identified as a masked operative in an online propaganda video.

As the state’s machinery of surveillance descends upon her life, Maryam is forced to navigate the agonizing space between hope and horror. Caught in the limbo of not knowing whether her son is a victim or a perpetrator, she must reconcile the quiet, tech-savvy boy she raised with the "monster" the world accuses him of being. Amidst this upheaval, she forms a complicated, unexpected bond with Julian, the family liaison officer assigned to her case—a relationship that tests her loyalties and her own sense of self. Maryam & Son is a deeply humane and provocative novel that moves beyond the geopolitical headlines to focus on the intimate, suffocating atmosphere of a home under suspicion.

Why this novel is a profound literary achievement:

• A Masterful Study of Grief: Captures the "peculiar psychology of waiting" and the way grief becomes a living, breathing presence for a mother left in uncertainty.

• Complex Themes: Explores the intersection of motherhood, immigrant experience, Islamophobia, and the invasive reach of state surveillance in the domestic sphere.

• Compelling Characterization: Maryam is portrayed as a multifaceted woman—steadfast, fragile, and defiant—rather than just a victim of circumstance.

• A "Slow-Burn" Narrative: Expertly balances the quiet, everyday rituals of suburban life with the high-stakes tension of an unfolding international tragedy.

A deeply moving and provocative portrait of a family caught in extraordinary circumstances. Add Maryam & Son to your collection at Beetle Bookshop today!