Endorsements

Smart and searing... a deeply felt depiction of morally fraught choices that result in devastating outcomes' - Publishers Weekly 'Toropov writes an utterly fantastic tale, which does so many different things so well. The author captures the very essence of the 'war on terror' and its psychological and moral complexities. It is a book of our time' - Edward Wilson 'Jihadi is a gripping tale of a clash of cultures and individuals told with panache, dazzling wit and remorseless intelligence. More please' - William Ryan 'If it was Yusuf Toropov's intention to leave us pondering good and evil, right and wrong, love and loss, wondering who the good guys were, he certainly succeeded. I know one thing for sure, he's a wonderful writer and a born storyteller' - Mari Hannah 'An exquisitely drawn debut, that twists and turns to its stunning conclusion. With echoes of Bellow, Pynchon and Kafka, Toporov's tale is a modern classic that challenges our perceptions at every turn' - Cal Moriarty 'Intelligently written and multi-layered... with its gorgeous language, rich detail and gentle wit, Jihadi is simply enchanting' - Qaisra Shahraz 'A bold and skilfully executed novel that bravely tackles a complex and timely subject in accomplished and precise prose' - Frankie Gaffney 'Timely and spookily prescient, Yusuf Toropov's Jihadi: A Love Story is a magical mystery tour through a labyrinth of competing ambitions and motivations, wherein truth and justice are matters for interpretation' - Texas Booklover It is not an easy story. It is, at times, complex and demanding. Some parts are harrowing. But two things grabbed me at that early stage: the quality of the writing, which is quite outstanding, and the intriguing setup. A US intelligence agent, accused of terrorism, is held in a secret prison. The decoding of his memoir is the starting point for a novel that has as its theme the very nature of truth and how it is perceived' --Safie Maken Finlay