Hidden Fires

How can you live in the present when you’re trying to bury the past? ‘A sweeping tale of resilience’ i News

'An ineffably touching novel by a talented young author' Saga Magazine

'Harrowing yet uplifting…A visceral exploration of family, identity and loss' Sunday Post

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Ramadan, 2017. Yusuf wakes in the middle of the night to pray. His routine is always the same, but something tells him that tonight is different. Yellow flames blur Yusuf’s vision, and the laughter of a small child echoes in his ears. But this time, the red, smoke-filled skies aren’t just in his memory.

Miles away, Rubi is also awake. On the television, she watches reports of a devastating fire in London. She is already anxious when her parents send her to stay with her Grandpa Yusuf, whose conservative house rules are almost as unbearable as the loneliness she feels at home. Yusuf’s lifestyle does not gel with Rubi’s. But when she finds him scared and confused one night, it becomes clear that there’s more to her grandfather than Rubi ever considered.

As Yusuf grapples with the past, Rubi is determined to save him. But the memories that are recovered and spoken of for the first time in years are more painful than she could have imagined.

From the Costa Prize-shortlisted author of The Family Tree and Women's Prize x Good Housekeeping Futures Finalist, Hidden Fires is a powerful story of grief and loss, the power of family and the long arm of history. Readers love Hidden Fires: ‘A heartbreaking, emotional rollercoaster of a read’ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

‘A must read book’ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

‘An exquisite book exploring the secrets, vulnerabilities and tremendous bonds between three generations of family’ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'What a stunning read' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'It's profound and humane and loving' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'The style of writing is beautiful, eloquent, as if you are reading Urdu prose' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'Such a powerful novel. I could not put it down' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'Moved me to tears' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Praise for Hidden Fires: 'A tale of how we can live together yet be so far apart, and of how bridges can be built' Woman's Weekly

‘Hussain captures a thousand untold stories in one’ The New Arab

‘There are not only hidden fires in this novel, but myriad hidden lives … It treats difficult, serious subjects of buried trauma with real care, combined with a lightness of touch that carries the novel with humour, surprise and love’ Ross Raisin, author of A Hunger

© 2024 HQ (Audiobook): 9780008313043

Release date

Audiobook: 18 January 2024