Hobart and William Smith Colleges

24 September 2009 Khan 91 Publishes Third Novel

Over the years, Hobart and William Smith Colleges have fostered a significant number of writers. Recently, Uzma Aslam Khan 91 released her third novel titled The Geometry of God and the freshly-published book has received a wave of good reviews. A review in Dawn says, Khan undoubtedly breaks the mould. She carves a sublime story of new and old with contemporary panache, in which people are real and their fears are prevalent and believable.

The Geometry of God tells the story of Zahoor, a paleontologist, trying to do his research while General Zia is launching a campaign to Islamize knowledge. Zahoors granddaughter, Amal, finds proof of the dog-whale which is the oldest known primitive whale, but tragedy strikes as Mehwish, Amals sister, goes blind. Noman is a young neurotic, aspiring mathematician who is forced to search for the straight path, but every step taken on the straight path leads to the discovery of a branch to a different path.

In his struggle to find truth, Noman meets Zahoor and begins a relationship with the paleontologist and paleontologists family. The characters lives and relationships unfold despite General Zias Pakistan, where religious fundamentalism gains ground and all knowledge is converted to Islamic standards. Through these brilliant characters; the complexities of familial and love, the conflict between curiosity and duty, the barrier dividing faith and longing are all revealed.

She has taught English language and literature in the United States, Morocco and Pakistan. From 1998-2008 she lived in Lahore; she currently teaches at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Khans novel The Story of Noble Rot, was first novel published in India to great acclaim. She is also the author ofTrespassing, published in 2004. A story about a Pakistaniboy who came home from an American university forhis fathers funeral but struggles to adapt back to his old way of life, Trespassing was nominated for the 2003 Commonwealth Writers Prize and has been translated into 13 languages.

The Geometry of God, was released in India this January and will be released in several European countries later this year.Khan is distinguished as the visiting writer at the University of Hawaii Manoa for the fall of 2008.

While at HWS, Khan majored in comparative literature and minored in French. She was member of Phi Beta Kappa, earned high honors in comparative literature and was awarded the White Essay Prize.