Best of friends

Best of Friends is a thoughtful, sharply observed novel by Kamila Shamsie, tracing the decades-long friendship between Zahra and Maryam — from their teenage years in 1980s Karachi to their adult lives in London. As their worlds grow more complicated, so does their bond, challenged by politics, ambition, and buried truths. It’s a story about loyalty, growing apart, and the fine line between who we are and who we pretend to be. Quietly intense and deeply human, this is Shamsie at her most nuanced.