Muhammad has always tried to be the praise-worthy son. In the close-knit Muslim community in Cape Town where he was raised by his fiercely religious mother, Zaynab, he  performs his prayers on time and he lives by the rules of his faith. But beneath the surface, Muhammad feels trapped between who he is expected to be and who he truly is.

When Muhammad meets Riyaaz at a braai one evening, his world suddenly shifts in drastic  and unexpected ways.

Set against the vivid backdrop of Cape Malay culture and the complexities of Coloured  identity, Haram is both tender and unflinching. The novel captures the rhythms of prayer as  well as the secrets that families hide – in a bustling city alive with unspoken desires.