Red Birds

In Red Birds, acclaimed author Mohammed Hanif crafts a darkly satirical and deeply moving tale set in a war-ravaged desert. When American pilot Major Ellie crash lands near the very refugee camp he was meant to bomb, he’s stranded, disoriented, and desperately dehydrated—until he’s unexpectedly rescued by a teenage boy named Momo.

Momo, whose family life is unraveling, is juggling failed business ventures and searching for his missing older brother, Ali, who vanished after taking a job at a U.S. military base. With a dysfunctional home, a frustrated dog named Mutt, and an eccentric aid worker eager to write about “the teenage Muslim mind,” Momo's world teeters between chaos and comedy.

As the search for Ali intensifies, Momo and Major Ellie uncover unsettling truths about foreign intervention and the hollow promises of humanitarian aid. Blending biting humor with poignant critique, Red Birds is a brilliantly told story of survival, absurdity, and the unseen consequences of war—showcasing Mohammed Hanif’s sharp storytelling at its best.