Home FireHome Fire
Score Modern
What it's about
Kamila Shamsie's novel follows a British Muslim family torn between love and loyalty: three siblings whose father was a jihadist, and the son of a powerful politician who becomes entangled in their lives, with devastating consequences. It's a modern retelling of Sophocles' Antigone.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Women's Prize for Fiction and was longlisted for the Booker Prize. It's suspenseful, timely and heartbreaking.
You'll love it if you liked
Exit West
Americanah
The Kite RunnerGood to know
Each section is told by a different character. Its ending is famously shocking.
By the numbers
- Readers48 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics63 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller21 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz7 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #83 of the 233 romances we rank
- #563 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1078 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
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Quick answers
Is Home Fire worth reading?
Yes. It won the Women's Prize for Fiction and was longlisted for the Booker Prize. It ranks #1,078 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 72.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Home Fire about?
Kamila Shamsie's novel follows a British Muslim family torn between love and loyalty: three siblings whose father was a jihadist, and the son of a powerful politician who becomes entangled in their lives, with devastating consequences. It's a modern retelling of Sophocles' Antigone.
How long does it take to read Home Fire?
About 7 hours (288 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Home Fire won?
Women's Prize for Fiction winner (2018).
What should I read after Home Fire?
If you liked it, try Exit West by Mohsin Hamid, Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie or The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.