Author Hafeez Lakhani joins Book Gang to discuss Abundance, a moving novel about an Indian-American Muslim family chasing the complexities of the American dream.
I’m delighted to welcome Hafeez Lakhani to Book Gang for a heartfelt conversation about his debut novel, Abundance. Hafeez brings generosity and deep personal insight as he shares the family stories, cultural touchstones, and creative leaps behind this moving portrait of an Indian-American Muslim family. Together, we explore how the concept of naseeb—destiny—shapes both his own life and the emotional heart of the novel.
Abundance follows Sakeena, a Miami Dunkin’ owner facing a life-or-death decision, and her family as they navigate her agency and the messy realities of chasing the American dream. Through richly drawn characters and intimate moments, Hafeez invites us to consider what we control, what we inherit, and how generations care for one another.
In this week’s warm episode, we discuss:
📚 Breaking the Rules on the Page: Hafeez reflects on the twelve-year journey of writing Abundance, and how his decision to forgo quotation marks and italics was both a deeply considered artistic risk and a way to honor the story’s voice. He shares why he wanted readers to feel swept up in the flow of family conversation and culture, and how this choice invites us into the heart of his characters’ lives.
📚 A Mother’s Illness, a Family’s Story: Hafeez Lakhani opens up about how his own mother’s health crisis—and her powerful belief in naseeb (destiny)—became the spark for Abundance. He shares the emotional journey of witnessing his family’s spectrum of reactions, the year spent caring for his mother, and how those experiences shaped the novel’s heart.
📚 Caregiving’s Tender Full Circle: The conversation turns deeply personal as Hafeez discusses the bittersweet privilege of caring for aging parents. We discuss the novel’s more intimate scenes of bathing, feeding, and comforting mothers, the vulnerability and privilege of these moments, and what it means to return the love that once shaped you.
BONUS BOOK LIST: We are celebrating diverse voices this week with my new FREE 2026 Fall Reading Guide. Dig into this book list with 32 Brilliant Books by Diverse Voices: Your Fall 2026 Reading Guide.Patrons can download a printable checklist for their library and access a bonus episode with Hafeez Lakhani.
Meet Hafeez Lakhani
Hafeez Lakhani was born in Hyderabad, India and raised in suburban South Florida. His fiction and essays have appeared in Crazyhorse, Exposition Review, Salt Hill, Tikkun, The Cortland Review, and The Southern Review, and have garnered fellowships from PEN America and The Center for Fiction. He was twice recognized with a Notable Essay in Best American Essays and twice nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Abundance is his debut novel and a People Magazine Most Anticipated Book of 2026.
Mentioned in this episode:
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ANNOUNCEMENT: MEET THE FALL SEASON GUESTS (15 NEW AUTHORS COMING TO BOOK GANG)
FREE FALL READING GUIDE: 32 Brilliant Books by Diverse Voices: Your Fall 2026 Reading Guide
Summer Wrapped : Behind-the-Scenes with the Book Gang Team
2026 MomAdvice Book Club Books (All 12 Selections)
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
Abundance by Hafeez Lakhani
Counterpoint Press
The Lilac People by Milo Todd
Panera Sip Club
Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg
Shawn K. Jain
Good People by Patmeena Sabit
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