THE PLACE OF SHINING LIGHT

The Place of Shining Light by Nazneen Sheikh tells the story of three Pakistani men - an ex-military man (Adeel), an art dealer (Khalid), and an art collector (Ghalib) - who are involved in the theft of a 5,000-year-old Buddhist statue from Afghanistan.

The novel explores the lives of the men as they each struggle with personal issues of faith, greed, and desire: Ghalib yearns for a political position with a cultural portfolio in the government; Khalid longs to create a private museum on his estate; while Adeel hopes to leave his high-risk position as a covert operative for the military. For each of the men, the statue represents, if only symbolically, the fulfillment of these personal dreams. The longer the statue eludes their grasp, the more the men are forced to alter their expectations of the future.

The Place of Shining Light is a timely novel. Before the rise of Islam, the region was home to a variety of religions, including Buddhism, Sufiism, and Hinduism. Years of instability in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq have resulted in the looting and destruction of national objects by individuals and groups for financial or ideological gain. While the theft and destruction of artifacts is a crime, there appears to be no way to halt the continuing historical and cultural annihilation.

Part adventure story, part thriller, and part love story, The Place of Shining Light illuminates the complex world of modern central and southern Asia. Ultimately, however, this is a novel about people and their quest for hope, love, and peace in a region that has been in a state of conflict - both religious and political - for decades.