Drinking the Ocean

May 6, 2025
288 pages | ISBN 978-1-998408-17-7

The day after his thirty-third birthday, Murad spots a familiar face at a crowded intersection in downtown Toronto. Shocked, he stands silently as Sofi, a woman he’d fallen in love with almost a decade ago, walks by holding the hand of a small child. Murad turns and descends the subway steps to return home to his wife as the past washes over him and he is taken back to the first time they met. Moving between Lahore, London and Toronto, Drinking the Ocean is a story of connections lost and found and of the many kinds of love that shape a life, whether familial, romantic or spiritual. As Murad’s and Sofi’s lives touch and separate, we see them encounter challenges with relationships, family and God, and struggle with the complexities facing Muslims in the West. With compassion and elegance, Saad Omar Khan delicately illuminates the arcs of these two haunted lives, moved by fate and by love, as they absorb the impact of their personal spiritual journeys.

Advance Praise

“A beautiful and evocative debut, Drinking the Ocean takes readers on a mesmerizing, multilayered exploration of love rooted in duty, passion and spirituality. The narrative begins with Murad, then shifts to Sofi, gradually weaving their stories together into an intimate, nuanced and provocative journey. Through their intertwining paths, the novel delves deeply into what it means to connect, to love, to hurt and ultimately, to heal.” – Ann Y. K. Choi, author of Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety

“Drinking the Ocean is a profound and thought-provoking book. Set against the rich backdrops of Lahore, Toronto and London, this quietly powerful story meditates on themes of grief, mental illness, faith, family and love. At its heart are Murad and Sofi, two characters whose deep love for one another persists in a complex and uncertain world. With emotional insight and introspective storytelling, Saad Omar Khan has written a captivating debut novel that invites readers to reflect on their own lives and search their own souls.” – Michelle Berry, author Everything Turns Away and Satellite Image

Interviews

Saad Omar Khan: Emotionally deep writing through evolution, great skill, and reading across genres (Sheelagh Caygill, On Creative Writing, 13/03/2025)
"Undergirding all those themes is a broader and, from my perspective, a more universal one: how our emotional and spiritual ideals often rub uncomfortably against reality."

Articles

Most Anticipated: Our 2025 Spring Fiction Preview (49th Shelf, 01/02/2025)
We're delighted to see Saad Omar Khan's Drinking the Ocean on this fabulous list of Most Anticipated Spring Fiction from the 49th Shelf!

About the Author