Tiny Glimmers of Light

Aqueel "Al" Athar & Tanya Athar-Jogee

Pakistan, 2014: How far would you go for your family? When a knock comes in the half-light before dawn, the lives of 19-year-old Goha and his family are about to change forever.

Lured by a tantalizing opportunity to work for a secret organization that will release his family from poverty, Goha leaves his Karachi slum behind for the tribal areas of the North. But as he learns about the organization’s core beliefs and activities, his excitement starts to fade. His courage is tested when he is coerced into a physical relationship with his superior and faces other agonizing moral dilemmas and violence—all while falling in love with the local imam’s stunning ex-wife.

Rife with suspense and memorable characters, Tiny Glimmers of Light explores themes of identity, sexuality, religious nuances, education, class hierarchies, extremism, and institutional corruption. It will keep readers on the edge of their seats while they follow Goha as he faces threats to his survival and his family's fortune.

Hundreds of Urdu words in Tiny Glimmers of Light bring the sights, sounds, and scents of a tumultuous Pakistan alive on the pages and immerse readers fully into the country’s diverse geography, languages, and gender roles. The story will especially appeal to South Asian readers and anyone craving a deeper understanding of Pakistani culture and the temptations faced by a hard-working, lower-class family to improve the circumstances of their lives.

Aqueel “Al” Athar grew up in Karachi, Pakistan. He received his PhD in clinical microbiology from the University of London and previously worked as the Head of Microbiology Labs and Director of Infection Control at the Calgary District Hospital Group in Calgary, Canada. His teaching positions included adjunct professor at the University of Calgary and faculty member at Benedictine University in Lisle, IL. Aqueel is an active Rotarian who has served as president of Rotary Clubs in Canada and the US. He has penned several books in both English and Urdu. Aqueel has two grown married daughters (Yasmin Ahmed and Tanya Athar-Jogee) and four grandchildren. He currently lives in Bolingbrook, IL with his wife, Ansa.

Tanya Athar-Jogee was born in Calgary, Canada, and currently resides in Austin, TX. She is a journalism graduate of Concordia University in Montreal, and holds a MS in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University in Chicago. Her op-eds on social issues, culture, faith and identity have appeared in Newsweek, Common Dreams, Truthout and other national publications. She has also written features for Dawn, the oldest and largest English newspaper in Pakistan. Tanya has served on several local nonprofit boards and is an active member of her community. She is married with two children and a cat. Tiny Glimmers of Light is her debut novel co-authored with her father.