A Most Anticipated Read: Autostraddle, Goodreads, Southern Review of Books, The Millions, them, SheReads, Daily Kos, Debutiful, Mizna, and LGBTQ Reads
A Publishers Weekly Writer to Watch
“Stunning.”—The Atlantic, "The Summer Reading Guide"
“An exhilarating debut from a writer whose work I’ll always want to read.” —R.O. KWON
In this wry, provocative debut, two gay Afghan men—cast out of their respective countries of birth by circumstances beyond their control—collide in Istanbul, a city that will test their willingness to sacrifice everything for the ones they love.
When Delbar—a hapless twenty-something with dreams of becoming a drag queen—is spectacularly outed, he flees the insular immigrant-dense suburbs of Washington, DC to seek refuge with his sympathetic aunt in Istanbul. There, he discovers a vibrant community of dissidents, sex workers, activists, poets, and heretics. Among them are Leif and his boyfriend, Mansur, with whom Delbar quickly develops a blazing fascination.
But Mansur also nurses a wounded heart, having left his own family, and his first love, behind in Iran. This time, Mansur’s learned not to dream bigger than his own survival. He’ll keep a low profile, work hard to send money back, and remain faithful to Leif—at least until his refugee status is granted.
When riot police descend on attendees of the annual Istanbul Pride march, Mansur and Delbar are thrust into dangerous proximity. With the country surging into authoritarianism, each person must ask themselves: what constitutes a life well-lived, and how high is the price of freedom?
Told through the alternating viewpoints of Delbar and Mansur, Bobuq Sayed’s debut is a story of borders and boundaries transgressed, and a seductive exploration of what it means to make a home at the margins of society. At once an immigrant family saga, a thwarted love story, and a searing portrait of politics made intimately personal, No God but Us is an ambitious introduction to a bold new voice.
“A new kind of novel, with vast geographies of nation and heart.” —SARAH SCHULMAN
"This is a story alive to contradiction—ferocious in its longing, unsparing in its honesty, and deeply attuned to the ways love and belief survive their own undoing.” —GARRARD CONLEY
"I feel lucky to count this story among my literary kin." —ARIA ABER
“[An] impressive debut . . . Sayed skillfully balances the personal with the political." —Publishers Weekly
“In a powerful debut, Bobuq Sayed reveals how forces of rejection from state and family meet the alchemy of attraction, desire, and belonging. No God but Us not only expands American literature, but also Muslim, gay male, and migration writing. A new kind of novel, with vast geographies of nation and heart.” —Sarah Schulman, author of The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity
“A sprawling, tender debut about queer refugees finding each other across continents. . . . Sayed weaves together geopolitics, queer history, Persian poetry, and the textures of daily life in exile, but those expecting Delbar and Mansur to ride off into the sunset together will be disappointed. The novel is too wise for such easy comforts. Their connection is real but provisional, like everything else in exile. At its core, this is that rare thing: a political novel that remembers to be a human one.” –Kirkus
“Audacious, propulsive, and tender-hearted, No God but Us explores the bonds we create and destroy around love, desire, country, and community with startling honesty. Pulsing with hope, desire, and fury, Bobuq Sayed boldly interrogates the sacrifices one must make to live according to the truth of the human heart. A simply dazzling and unforgettable debut.” —Patricia Engel, author of Infinite Country and The Faraway World
“I can’t remember the last time I was so moved by a book. Bobuq Sayed’s No God but Us asks what might happen to one's consciousness when it's mangled by the forces of empire. The deeply felt and irreverent story traces two Quixotic journeys through personal pain, faith, exile, and queer self-discovery, all the way from the Afghan refugee community in Tehran to the suburbs of Northern Virginia. At its heart, this is a novel about family—chosen and not—and I am lucky to count this story among my literary kin. This book is simply necessary, and very gorgeous.” —Aria Aber, author of Good Girl
“…[an exploration of] freedom and authoritarianism from a new voice in fiction.” —She Reads, “Traci Thomas’ Most Anticipated Books of 2026”
