A love story played out against a backdrop of political and religious upheaval. At the end of the Second World War, 38 year-old career soldier Gian Singh resigns his commission with the British Indian Army and returns to his childhood village, near the border with Pakistan. Haunted by the memories of war, he seeks a quiet life of farming, solitude and prayer. His peace is shattered in August 1947, however, when India is granted independence. A new border is drawn between Hindu-dominated India and Muslim-dominated Pakistan, and the region is torn apart by massacres fueled by ancient animosities. In the midst of one such massacre, Gian finds Naseem, a 17-year-old Muslim girl, and takes her under his protection. They gradually find themselves drawn to each other but, as their remarkable story plays out, the obstacles to their happiness prove all but insurmountable.

拉合爾巿集的一間茶館裡，
巴基斯坦男子跟美國陌生人叨叨述說自己的故事。
當夜越來越深，男子的故事漸漸透露出，兩人的相遇或許並非偶然……
生命中會有那麼些時候，一些比金錢、地位，甚至愛情更重要的東西，從心底蠢蠢湧出……
來自巴基斯坦沒落家族的成吉思，曾經努力編織美國夢，而他也的確過上了許多移民夢寐以求的生活：從普林斯頓大學畢業，被曼哈頓的頂尖財務顧問公司招攬，跟氣質高雅的富家女談戀愛，擠身紐約上流社會。沒落貴族出身的他悄悄以為，命中注定他就是要過這樣的生活。然而，九一一恐怖攻擊之後，什麼都變了。成吉思周遭的世界、自己深愛的女人、內心的自我認同，所有的一切開始分崩離析，而一些過去從沒注意過、潛藏在心底最深處的東西，開始慢慢湧出。
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來自巴基斯坦的成吉思在美國過著許多移民夢寐以求的生活：從普林斯頓大學畢業後，?身曼哈頓財務管理菁英的行列，還跟家境富裕、氣質高雅的女同學談戀愛，擠身紐約上流社會。但九一一恐怖攻擊之後，一切都變了，成吉思的自我認同陷入劇烈的掙扎。
全書由成吉思在拉合爾茶館裡跟一個美國陌生人的「對話」寫成，雖說是對話，讀者卻只能聽到成吉思單方面的聲音，美國人則始終神祕地躲在陰影裡。成吉思向美國人叨叨述說自己的故事，說到最後他決定放棄大好前程與富足人生，回到家鄉拉合爾，變成一個仇恨美國的激進分子，也就是眼前這個蓄鬍子、有點陰沉的敘事者。故事接近尾聲，夜也很深了，成吉思陪美國人走回他的飯店，兩人身後似乎還跟了一些人，美國人愈來愈不安，伸手進口袋裡彷彿要掏出什麼，全書結尾在控制得恰到好處的懸疑氣氛中達到高潮。

An immigrant's memoir recounting the life of a young Pakistani man who came to the U.S. with only a driving ambition to make a difference in his chosen industry, aviation. Through challenges and successes, he soared to the very heights of the airline business. Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, he unleashed his passion, ultimately building a successful airline, Atlas Air Cargo.