At a cafe table in Lahore, a Pakistani man begins the tale that has led to his fateful meeting with an uneasy American stranger Changez is living an immigrant's dream of America He thrives on the energy of New York, his work at an elite firm, and his budding relationship For a time, it seems that nothing will stand in the way of his meteoric rise to success But in the wake of September 11, Changez finds his relationship crumbling and his exalted status overturned