The Dog Meows, the Cat Barks

In this sweet novella from Kurniawan (Beauty Is a Wound), Sato Reang’s devout father guides him to become a pious Muslim boy, a direction he chafes at as he grows older. At seven, his father decides to get him circumcised. Though Sato feels anxious about the procedure, he’s excited to be like his friends (“Finally!”). He begins learning to recite the Quran without understanding the Arabic, and going to the mosque every day. After a grand prayer recitation, Sato meets Jamal, the grandson of a local Muslim scholar, with whom he is forced to become friends. Sato becomes increasingly frustrated and sad as he sees his old friends going to the movies and getting girlfriends, and grows to despise Jamal. After his father suddenly dies, Sato worries he’ll turn into his dad, and is gripped by the impulse to urinate on a truckload of fruit (“an idea... begging to be brought to life, begging to bring me even farther astray”). Kurniawan flips effortlessly from first to third person, creating a fun and textured style, which blends a clear-eyed perspective with moments of visceral emotion. This brims with humor and heart. Agent: Carla Briner, Pontas Agency. (Mar.)