The Name of Red - Beena Khan

The Name of Red
Beena Khan
Publication date: May 15th 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Romance

Two strangers on the same path.
Survivors. Companions.
They will be each other’s salvation.

On a rainy, winter night, a mysterious woman in a red dress seeking shelter comes inside the restaurant Kabir was busy working in —primarily the bar— and night after night, drink after drink, she comes back to the same spot. That is where he sees her for the first time.

Hundreds of patrons around her try to speak with her daily, but she dismisses them. It appears she wants to remain in a blissful peace alone with her booze and books. After seeing the mysterious woman reading a book, and because of his shy nature, Kabir gains entrance into her life by anonymously leaving books with notes for her.

The Name of Red is the story of two strangers, two different personalities who meet on a winter, rainy night who challenge each other. They have a connection which blossoms into a friendship due to their fondness of books. But they both have secrets that can bind them together or threaten their newfound relationship forever.

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Author Bio:

Beena Khan lives in a suburb in Queens, New York in her apartment. She's's a Literary Fiction Novelist and Poetess. She is 27 years old and from Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. She's an immigrant who moved to New York when she was five years old. She currently holds a Masters Degree in Developmental Psychology from Cuny School of Professional Sciences. She enjoys reading, writing, and netflixing.

The Name of Red is her debut novel.

Her website is www.beenakhan.com.

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My Review

First things first, it should be mentioned that this is the first book in a duet of books. That said, this one doesn't end in a cliffhanger. Instead, it's clear that there is more to be told about some of the characters that appear and that the story will continue. 

The book tells the story of 'Red' a mystery woman who turns up at Kabir's bar and restaurant on a rainy night, dripping wet and on her own. She sits reading and drinking, not paying attention to anyone around her and Kabir is captivated by her. Over time, they become friends and slowly something else develops, despite the fact that they are both battling loss and pain in their past. The book deals with many difficult topics from death and loss, to alcoholism. 

I did find the book a little hard going, to begin with. It doesn't flow as easily as you might hope and the pace is a little slow and drawn out in places. That said, the more that I learnt of the characters and their backstory, the more that I was drawn into their world. 

The Name of Red is a great read that deals with some tricky topics. It isn't your usual romance story and it's perhaps not quite right to classify it as one. It is an interesting read though and one that's well worth your time sticking with. 

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