Quote by Ayad Akhtar: “We all want to belong. It’s a fundamental human need.”

This quote directly states a universal human desire for connection and acceptance within a group or community. It underscores that the need to belong is a deep-seated part of what it means to be human, driving many of our actions.

Published during a period of intense political polarization and social fragmentation, this novel explores national identity, belonging, and economic inequality in contemporary America.

American playwright and novelist of Pakistani origin whose play Disgraced won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2013. His 2020 novel Homeland Elegies examines money, Islam, and American identity through autobiographical fiction.