Good Intentions

Kasim Ali works at Penguin Random House and has previously been shortlisted for Hachette's Mo Siewcherran Prize, longlisted for the 4th Estate BAME Short Story Prize, and has contributed to The Good Journal. He comes from Birmingham and now lives in London.

‘Expect to be heartbroken’ Elle

‘One of the most eagerly awaited debuts of 2022’ Sunday Times

‘Its ending brought me close to tears’ Beth O’Leary, author of The Flatshare

‘Ever fallen in love with messy, confusing consequences for everyone involved? Then Good Intentions is for you’ Stylist

An unforgettable debut novel about first love, family obligation and finding your way.

As Nur’s family counts down to midnight on New Year’s Eve, Nur is watching the clock more closely than most: he has made a pact with himself, and with his girlfriend, Yasmina, that at midnight he will finally tell his Pakistani parents the truth. That he has built a life with a woman he loves and she is Black.

Nur wants to be the good son his parents ask him to be, and the good boyfriend Yasmina needs him to be. But as everything he holds dear is challenged, he is forced to ask, is love really a choice for a second-generation immigrant son like him?

‘This powerful story will stay with me for a very long time’ Louise O’Neill, author of Idol

‘Addictive in every sense’ Irenosen Okojie, author of Nudibranch

‘An emotional ride through the highs, lows, and inescapable truths of modern love’ Justin Myers, author of The Fake-Up

‘Sensitive . . . Absorbingly honest’ Diana Evans, author of Ordinary People

'A magnificent and messy love story that broke my heart’ Huma Qureshi, author of How We Met