A Dutiful Boy

The moving personal story of a gay Muslim’s tribulations and triumphs at the interface of family, faith and freedom, told with great candour and eloquence. – Peter Tatchell

An incredibly hopeful, urgent and well told coming of age story about religion, class, and LGBTQ+ acceptance - no doubt reading it will save someone’s life.

– Amelia Abraham
A beautifully written, heartrending story of a young gay man’s journey, liberation and love. A real page turner that sparks with humanity and hope. – Lord Michael Cashman
His engaging memoir of his long road to happiness and acceptance by his family is moving and inspiring. * Bookseller *
I can’t recommend A Dutiful Boy enough, I couldn’t put it down. A journey of self discovery, longing, triumph and hope. I fell in love with Mohsin, I imagine you will too. * Suzi Ruffell *
A powerful read. In fact, searing in places… vivid and told me a lot about my country… ultimately uplifting. * Lionel Barber *
A wonderful book. I really do think that everyone should read it. * Mark Haddon *
A deeply-moving account…a must-read. * Tatler *
A remarkable memoir…an incredibly moving read. I had to put the book down several times to cry…it’s a book that will save lives. * Sathnam Sanghera *
The best memoirs take the reader on two journeys: one journey is to a greater understanding of the author; the other is to a greater understanding of yourself and the society around you. A Dutiful Boy is one such book. It is the story of a young boy growing up in a devout Muslim family in east London who knew he was gay but who also knew such an admission was inconceivable in a religious culture where homosexuality was still taboo. This is the story of a family’s love, a battle with shame and a long journey to acceptance. It is deeply moving and profoundly important and it made me cry. Mohsin is such an impressive person: the first from his comprehensive school to go to Oxbridge, he is now a highly regarded barrister but DAMMIT the man can write too. If you liked The Boy with the Topknot by Sathnam Sanghera or Educated by Tara Westover, you will also love this book. Thank you Mohsin, for having the courage to tell this story. – Elizabeth Day