Karachi Vice

Karachi is an underreported city in the West. I have to confess I had no idea it was a big as it is - 20 million people! This book takes a look at several intertwined lives there, from . It focuses on the poorer and undeveloped parts of the city - the author alludes to the richer districts of Clifton and Defence, but we don't spend any real time there - so it's not a complete picture of the megalopolis, but it is an eye opener. Running gun battles in the streets, entire districts under the control of gangs, the complete entanglement of politics and crime, these aren't things this Bristolian is used to. Shackle makes the streets come alive, with a vivd and evocative sense of place. The people she follows are drawn in well rounded and sympathetic prose. They may be living in a very different world to mine, but the common humanity is clear, and the book is best when it focuses on these small moments of decency and courage. Safdar the ambulance driver in particular is a real hero. The saddest story is Jannat's, a bright young woman whose schooling is cut short by circumstance and tradition (although I should make it clear that she doesn't seem to be unhappy or regretful). A very interesting book that opened a window onto a society previously largely unknown to me past cliche, well worth a read.