Whether it be the
seductiveness of a beautiful woman, or the prowling heart of a generative male,
when the two come together the result is overwhelmingly unavoidable. This
is the provenance of the story in The Matters of Heart & Cultures by
Siddiq Khawaja.
Some may define it as
fate, others as instinct, however regardless of what it is called, the
cognitive acceptance of sexual attraction over the objections of culture,
fidelity and logic result in circumstances perhaps unique to the individuals,
but commonplace in society. In the case of The Matters of
Heart & Cultures, the story is told in third person however it actually
is a firsthand account of past instances of the author.
A Pakistani man, Ismael
is introduced to the reader as his family convenes to select a bride for his
planned marriage. Sara, a woman coming of age, is drawn into the
cultural wedding and eventual intimacy, and becomes the loyal, abiding wife of
this fine young man. As fortune has it, university schooling enables
the couple to move to Sweden, where Ismael continues his studies as Sara is
allowed a working visa to help support the couple, and she finds a labor job in
a Coca-Cola plant. During this time a feminine beauty, blonde, light
complexioned, the antithetical female to Ismael’s wife, Maud is
introduced. Siddiq Khawaja moves quickly through describing Ismael’s
significant events, the birth of his children with Sara, the flowering romance
with Maud, and the eventual breaking up of love and family. It is
not the predictable circumstances that are the important issues but the
underlying cultural differences which are uniquely articulated which make this
book a surprise to read.
Written by an author who
has mastered English as a second language (or third, counting Swedish), an
English born reader can easily criticize some of the grammar or phraseology
used within the book, or even the fact the entire galley text is all one
chapter. The point isn’t criticism but compliment, to the skill and use of
English and the boldness in bringing to the reader’s attention such personal
and honest moments of his past – many carnal thoughts of sexual arousal and
satisfaction. All exposed with the foreboding overshadowing of the
family, culture, society and “times” of the world’s changing lifestyles.
Even the cover art of the flags of two nations over a rose symbolizes the
matrix of forces tearing at Ismael's heart.
In a way I feel the
author wrote this book as a monument to his own life, perhaps a confession of
how his personal desires justified the disunion of his immediate
family. Siddiq Khawaja uses Ismael’s heart as the rational force, or
justification for going against his cultural upbringing and doing what; to him
are his fate by instinct yet fault by action. Which should a person truly
listen to? The Matters of Heart & Cultures debates this
issue, and reveals to the reader a kind and loving man’s consequences, and lets
you decide if it is a tragedy or victory.
Buy this book at Amazon.com
