The Runaways
Pakistan

The Runaways

by Fatima Bhutto

Identity & Belonging Literary Fiction 2018

Summary

Three young people from vastly different backgrounds find themselves drawn toward radicalism in a world where the promise of belonging can become a dangerous obsession.

Anita Rose grows up in one of Karachi’s poorest neighbourhoods, dreaming of escaping poverty and discovering a world beyond the limits of her circumstances. When an elderly neighbour introduces her to literature and political ideas, she begins imagining a different future for herself. Monty Ahmed, the privileged son of a wealthy Pakistani businessman, has everything money can buy but struggles to find meaning in his comfortable existence. Meanwhile, Sunny Jamil grows up in Portsmouth, England, feeling alienated from both British society and his family’s expectations. When his charismatic cousin Oz returns from Syria, Sunny discovers a sense of purpose that he has long been missing.

As their lives converge, each protagonist is drawn into the orbit of an extremist movement operating across national borders. Their individual searches for identity, love, and belonging lead them toward choices with devastating consequences. Moving between Karachi, London, Portsmouth, and the deserts of Iraq, The Runaways explores youth radicalization, social inequality, cultural alienation, and the powerful human desire to feel part of something larger than oneself.

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Country
Pakistan
Asia
About the author
Fatima Bhutto
Fatima Bhutto

Fatima Bhutto is a Pakistani writer, journalist, and novelist born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1982. She grew up between Afghanistan, Syria, and Pakistan in the prominent Bhutto political family. Her childhood was shaped by political upheaval and personal loss, particularly the 1996 assassination of her father, Mir Murtaza Bhutto, a Pakistani politician. These experiences have informed much of her writing about political violence, family history, exile, and identity. Bhutto studied Middle Eastern languages and cultures at Columbia University before earning a master’s degree in South Asian studies from SOAS University of London. Her books include Songs of Blood and Sword (2010), a memoir examining her family’s political history and her father’s death; The Shadow of the Crescent Moon (2013), a novel set in a conflict-ridden Pakistani town that was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction; and The Runaways (2018), which explores radicalization, migration, and the search for belonging. Her nonfiction book New Kings of the World (2019) examines the global influence of popular culture from countries including Turkey, India, and South Korea. Her memoir The Hour of the Wolf (2026) turns inward, examining a deeply damaging romantic relationship and the role her dog Coco played in helping her recover a sense of freedom and self-worth. Across her work, Bhutto combines political awareness with intimate storytelling, exploring how personal lives are shaped by history, power, and the search for connection.

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Details
Published
2018
Author
Fatima Bhutto