Year of the Tiger

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New York in the 1990s is rich, unmolested, full of hubris and joy. Zara Hussain—young, successful Wall Street trader—lives in the East Village with her twin Kabir, a free spirit and musician, and their older sister Salma, a scientist who is looking for an acceptable husband. Their best friend Sam helps them chase their extraordinary dreams when he’s not indulging his own passion for tigers.The story begins with a crisis in Immigration at JFK Airport, which results in Zara vowing to stay in the US and Kabir deciding to return to India. As the year draws to a close, the siblings’ lives have turned upside down. Zara is involved in a snowballing financial scandal on Wall Street; Kabir is faced with the unfamiliar joys of responsibility; and Salma has found a possible and dangerous love. Along the way we meet a motley bunch— Benny, a mentally ill man desperately searching for beauty; Mildred, one of Kabir’s many lovers; Rick, the Hussains’ neighbour who wants to sail the seven seas; and the moon as it makes sudden appearances. In elegant prose and vivid imagery, Sohaila Abdulali brings to life the rich, vibrant landscape of New York before 9/11.