There is an ancient saying that when lovers fall out a plane goes down This is the story of one such plane Why did a Hercules C130 the world's sturdiest plane carrying Pakistan's military dictator General Zia ul Haq go down on 17 August 1988? Was it because of 1 Mechanical failure 2 Human error 3 The CIA's impatience 4A blind woman's curse 5 Generals not happy with their pension plans 6 The mango season Or could it be your narrator Ali Shigri? Teasing provocative & very very funny Mohammed Hanif's debut novel takes one of the subcontinent's enduring mysteries & out if it spins a tale as rich & colourful as a beggar's dream Winner of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Novel & shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2008