Fidali's Way

If you like adventure stories with a terrific mystery and romance at their core you have to read this book. I'm a armchair traveler myself, that is to say I would never have the courage to explore the kind of tough terrain and dangerous places that this book takes its hero into, but reading this gripping tale of a contemporary ex-pat who finds himself in over his head in a land of extreme beauty and extreme ironies is the next best thing. I read it in a weekend because I couldn't wait to see what happened next. The main character, a disillusioned lawyer turned backpacker in one of the world's most dangerous places, is a fresh take on the man-in-search-of-meaning. You are never sure, even up to the book's surprising conclusion, whether or not Nick Sunder is guilty of the crime he's been accused of committing; but the skillful unfolding of his character by author George Mastras whisks you along on Sunder's emotional journey as he experiences the utterly foreign culture of pre-war Kashmir, becomes immersed physically and psychologically in that society, and falls in love both with a beautiful female physician and the troubled land into which she has been born. There are descriptive passages in this book that are written with such clarity and detail that you are carried away into this fascinating place and time. The love story is compelling, exotic, and heart wrenching. It's a great read.

Be prepared to stay up late into the night, as this novel is a page-turner that you cannot put down. At the same time, however, this is no potboiler thriller you'll soon forget a few days after you're done. "Fidali's Way" is exceptional -- a story that combines a murder mystery, adventure, and romance, all interwoven into a thrilling plot that also examines some of the big questions of the human condition: redemption and forgiveness, faith versus dogma, obsession, fate, and the true meaning of freedom. Mastras not only draws the reader in with his suspenseful plot, like any best-seller would, he does so with vivid imagery of the vast mountains and glaciers of perhaps the most rugged region on earth, powerful scenes of tragic violence and emotion, and true insight into the conflicting cultures, religions, and philosophies of the diverse people of South Asia, as well as between East and West. The story follows the main character, Nick, an American lawyer who chose to give up his successful career to travel through Asia. Immediately, the reader is drawn into his story within the first chapter, as Nick is arrested in Pakistan for the murder of his lover and travel companion, a sensual and impulsive French girl named Yvette. The plot evolves as Nick escapes capture by the Pakistani police on foot through the Himalayas, and along the way we are introduced to different characters before ending up in conflict-riven Kashmir. These characters include Ghulam and Fidali, two impoverished Kashmiri smugglers who befriend Nick, and serve as Nick's guide through the treacherous Karakoram and Himalayas. As the danger of the journey escalates, they also become Nick's mentor by way of example, showing him their capacity for selflessness, the power of their humanity, and their ability to surrender their suffering to fate -- all derived from their unquestioning faith -- traits that are at first misunderstood, and very alien to Nick, a product of the egoism and secularism of the West. As Nick's dangerous journey unfolds, the author also tells the story of Aysha, a village girl who grows up to be the village healer and inspirational leader; and Kazim, Aysha's childhood lover. Kazim comes under the influence of the fiery mullah of a newly-built, radical madrassa, and becomes torn between his love for Aysha and his devotion to the ideal of Kashmiri freedom. He eventually becomes a revered leader of the regional Mujahideen rebels, pitting the two former lovers against each other. As Nick's and Aysha's two stories are organically woven together, Mastras skillfully develops the interplay among all these diverse characters, hooking the reader with scenes that range from the sensual and erotic, to the comical, to the tragically violent and horrifying. As I read the novel, I found myself frequently assuming the thoughts of Nick in my own mind, contemplating in self-introspection for an answer to the many ideological questions that are subtly posed within the dram

Do I recommend Fidali's Way? Absolutely! If you put this book down before finishing it, you will obsess until the time you are again able to pick it up. It is rare that a novel engages so deeply through thoughtful and multi-dimensional character development set in the context of a story that is both eerily current as well as timeless in its relation to the long ebb and flow of history. And oh, by the way, it also provides plenty of intrigue, excitement of every nature (both pleasing and horrific) and a compelling storyline. The characters in this story are extremely well-developed; even when there are obvious "good" and "bad" people, why they are who they are is always given shape and human dimension. I was particularly aware during my experience with this story of the way that people are fundamentally the same, while being shaped by their backgrounds and the history the envelops them. Human nature has developed in so many myriad ways, each of which has pluses and minuses, and by engaging in an exploration of these issues in the context of richly evolved characters, the reader is given the type of compassion, understanding and empathy for divergent cultures that normally only is experienced by direct experience and travel in foreign lands. I was also struck by the way that the actions of the few (generally extreme people who are formed by fear into hate) can have such profound impact on the many. The story is of American expat and former attorney Nick Sunder, on a spiritual quest/running from himself-journey through Central Asia. He hooks up with a beautiful, hedonistic, strong yet vulnerable woman named Yvette and travels with her and her companion Simon, a similarly searching soul. The three of them belong to nowhere yet cannot escape themselves in the attempt to do so, and their emotional and sexual triangle defines the confusion with which they are all desperately grappling, if not entirely knowingly. After Yvette's murder under circumstances that gradually unfold through flashback, Nick and Simon are pitted against one another by the Pakistani police looking to pin her murder on one of them. Without giving away too much plot, Nick is able to flee and eventually kills a Pakistani police officer while on the run. It is after this that the story takes us more deeply into the examination of human redemption. There is still plenty of action (some of it would seem torn from today's headlines in graphic and wrenching style), intrigue and momentum to drive the story, but somehow the journey has now taken a decidedly spiritual turn. Nick is aided in his flight by Ghulan and Fidali who, having met them briefly earlier in the story, reappear and become his willing and knowing guides while they themselves try to carefully cross the "Line of Control" with their smugglers' booty back into India from Pakistan. These two seemingly simple yet knowing beings serve as the candle with which Nick is gradually, and then violently, forced to exami

George Mastras' debut novel, Fidali's Way, is a wonderful depiction of the crucible of modern day Kashmir. The story develops the various conflicts in a rich tapestry that makes them approachable to any reader interested in learning more about the region than what they will ever see on CNN or read in the New York Times. In a concise and approachable manner, Mr. Mastras tackles various diametrically opposed issues: Muslim v. Hindu; Pakistani v. Indian; mujahideen rebels v. security forces; male roles v. female roles; believers v. infidels; Westerners, way out of their depth v. Locals, filled with vitriol towards them; educated v. subsistence workers. The story follows American Nick Sunder's journey for redemption from the guilt associated with his materialistic past in the States. We meet him as his life hits a flashpoint in Kashmir, with the murder of his current lover, and follows him as he loses his passport and identity while trying to escape capture for the deed. Along his route he meets, and is indeed saved by, a pair of peaceful Kashmiri Muslims who are on their own journey and take an inexplicable interest in saving him. Over time, it is these characters, Ghulam and Fidali who bring Islam to light for Nick, and the reader begins to see them as the hand of Fate which carries Nick along. While Nick's story is clearly the baseline, we are independently introduced to two other characters, Aysha and Kazim, in the village of Gilkamosh. Their early love is shredded by influences that are largely out of their control and they pursue different paths. While most of the novel will slug the reader over the head with its rawness, the subtlety of Aysha's character is lovingly portrayed. While she is a headstrong, driven woman, she possesses a peaceful, wiry femininity that sucks in her fellow villagers, the men closest to her, and the reader. She is the most rational and confident character, adroitly used by Mr. Mastras to bridge the realities of a mujahideen rebel and a soul-searching Westerner. Eventually, it is inevitable that all three protagonists' paths will cross, but Mr. Mastras develops the characters so clearly that when that intersection does come, it is easy for the reader to understand the tensions, but unsure how to react. This feeling of unease uncommonly plunges the reader into self-examination. The true strength of Mr. Mastras' writing is that he has so confidently and accurately portrayed the crisis in the area, as well as the underlying layer of common life, that for the Western reader, we must question our intuitive reactions to each situation. Mr. Mastras' ability to portray everyday life in the area is due to his having spent much time in the region, as an acute observer and active traveler. Yet, it is his command of so many other issues that reveal how much research he must have done to understand issues as disparate as: law, emergency surgery, munitions, bombing techniques, even fly fishing! He interweaves all

A terrific, taut, and timely tale. While the novel approaches the pace of a thriller and solves all its mysteries, it is much more than a mere whodunit, defying easy categorization. While it is thoroughly entertaining as an adventure story, you will take away from it and carry with you a new lens through which to view the ideological conflicts of our times and perhaps your own struggles as well. With awesome descriptive and emotive power--and nary a wasted word--Mastras takes us to the top of the world for an explosive culture clash and journey of self-discovery largely devoid of cliché. Tragedy and atrocity abound, yet the protagonist (and reader) emerges from the carnage renewed, and sensing the basic capacity for kindness within even the most flawed individuals. Mastras clearly knows the region and its peoples, evoking the landscape with vivid detail, and presenting sensitive and unbiased renderings of the local cultures and beliefs--including many nuances--without slouching in a stance of moral equivalence. This is a tremendous debut. I hope there is more to come from this author.