himself expelled from the little kingdom he has come to call home. Aided by Karim, he manages to rebuild a life for himself - behind the desk of a faded hotel on the coast of Zanzibar. Here, Badar watches as the realities of this newly independent nation collide with the presumptions of Western tourists; and is thrown into crisis as he witnesses Karim succumb to temptation. Vivid, intimate, wise and profound, The Long Road sees Abdulrazak Gurnah at the height of his powers: a captivating story of the coming-of-age of young people in a young nation, and the personal acts of self-determination that help us to write our stories.