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The Reluctant Fundamentalist  by Moshin Hammed

Bound by Stephen Conway

The book, a love story between the two central characters, Erica and Changez, tells of the shift in attitudes in America after the devastation of 9/11. Changez, a young Pakistani, graduates from Princeton and becomes part of Manhattan’s business world. Here he meets Erica, a troubled young socialite with whom he falls in love. His relationship with both Erica and his business associates is pushed to the limit in the weeks following the attack on the World Trade Centre. In a journey of self-discovery he feels the need to leave America, a land he once held in great esteem, and returns to his homeland.
The binding tries to give two distinct feels – the upper board that of the East, and the lower board the West. Primarily a tale of two very distinct cultures, two large arrows appear on the book (made from reconstituted leather parings). The upper board is covered in Vellum with underlays of Urdu text taken randomly from the Pakistan Constitution. Set behind the arrow are small images of Janissary soldiers, something the author likens his character to in the book. In sharp contrast, on the lower board the arrow is set against the red, white and blue of the American flag, inlaid with images of the dollar. The spine of the book is covered in black goatskin and the endpapers are handpainted by the binder.