I always used to have my nose in a book, often staying up until the early hours as I was so engrossed in reading that I didn’t realise how late it had gotten.
Motherhood changed that as I would be too exhausted by the end of the day to keep my eyes open. I have only recently started reading again so I was pleased to get the chance to review Brick Walls: Tales of Hope & Courage from Pakistan by Saadia Faruqi.
I started reading the book with an open mind. There is so much negativity towards Pakistan and Pakistani’s so wondered if all the stereotypes would be in this collection of short stories. I also find that with short stories they often lack in substance, that there is not enough information regarding the characters so you feel no real interest or empathy with them. However there was no reason for me to be concerned. I was left wishing that some of the stories were longer so I could learn even more about the characters and what happened next to them. And the stories were written to get away from the stereotypes…to show a different side to Pakistan and the people that live there.
The collection of short stories shows the ‘ordinariness’ of people in Pakistan, showing their hopes and dreams and even their courage in times of adversity, and shows their humanity and compassion. There are a wide range of characters, each story showing a different aspect of Pakistan with some stories challenging the norm.
Characters include, Asma a struggling seamstress, Javed Gul, a pushto rock star who performs even though the Taliban don’t like it, Faisal a potential terrorist and many more. My ultimate favourite story had to be that of Nida, a 10 year old girl, fighting against traditional stereotypes due to her cricket obsession.
What I love about the stories is that the author, Saadia Faruqi, is not afraid to write about controversial subjects. She touches upon someone being recruited as a terrorist, showing how vulnerable people can be prayed upon, and then also writes about a music performer who is at risk of being attacked because he is a performer. These stories show the stuggles that simple, ordinary people in Pakistan face.
What is also brilliant about the stories is that they show the reader different parts to Pakistan, from the eyes of the characters themselves. There is a divide between the rich and the poor, and this is also clear in some of the stories:
‘……In fact, the journey to Malir was a revelation in more ways than one. Rabia had never had occasion to visit this part of the city before, and she was amazed at the sights and sounds – and smells. The contrast with both he current home and her ancestral village in the Punjab was striking. When had the city erupted with colour and noise? Perhaps the signs were already there, but she had never really opened her eyes and looked outside her tinted car window to truly see the humanity outside.’
The stories, although short, are brilliant at evoking a range of emotions in the reader. They show some of the injustices that happen and the adversities people in Pakistan face, such as religious extremisim, poverty, war, political corruptness. But then shows how these people will fight against these injustices, and they often show such strength and faith in the face of adversity.
I look forward to seeing what else Saadia Faruqi publishes. She has brought these short stories to life and I would happily have read more if these were not short stories but full novels.
Marshallah. I’ve been looking for a good read recently, and I want to change it up from the usual books I read. Inshallah may give this a shot.
This book looks really interesting! I’ll add it to my reading list inshaAllah
Being pakistani, I too have reservations when reading about Pakistan … I have pleasant memories of it whenever I visit ( every decade or so) and remain in the pleasant guest bubble.
Good to hear it’s such a good book!
Like you, motherhood takes up all my reading time.. Short stories seems like a good place to start !
Real life stories make me bawl my eyes out, I love real, honest, truthful insights… so this sounds like a perfect read!
Seems like a really interesting read! I guess as Pakistanis we are all a bit sensitive towards the unfortuanate happenings, but truth be told these are all issues that need to be highlighted in every way in order to be resolved. I’ll try to get hold of this book inshaAllah.
After reading your review I feel like buying myself this book for Eid! I have several friends from Pakistan whom I cherish, and especially after HONY’s visit I believe the world now sees the country and it’s inhabitants in a positive light.
You made me think I need to start reading again!
This sounds like my kind of book. I love reading stories with Muslim characters. Thanks for sharing!
This sounds like an interesting read…
I used to read a lot of books before, but somehow these past months I’ve been really lazy. This book sounds really good, I’ve really read books with different stories that show how people really are living, but it sounds like a book I’d love to look into.
xo
Zeinab
Oh yes motherhood changes so much! This book sounds like an interesting read. I love learning about different cultures!
Reading is important activity. Because we can open the windows for looking the world
MashaAllah, very well written!
This is quite an interesting read with real to life characters, I am also on the way of reading the same book these days and am really liking it.
Mashaa Allah, it seems like it is a great book. I read short stories about pakistan and pakistanis and they really are inspiring. I’m following some blogs owned by Pakistanis who blog about pakistan and its people. I find the culture and situation in Pakistan similar to what my hometown has so reading about Pakistan always interests me.
Thanks for this review. I am in need to get more informed about Pakistani culture and Pakistani people as it is part of my life now. It is not easy to find good sources and all I can see from a glimpse now is from the to series “Zindagi gulzar hai”. And even though I like this drama due to it’s subtlety and social portrait, you cannot find many Pakistani drama with English subtitles. So this book is good news. Let me check if it’s on Kindle š
Looks like a great book Foz, an eye-opening one.
Love to read stories about other countries. It helps us see things differently.
Thanks for the review.
xx
Masha’Allah. I also had an interview with her at HayatiMagazine. She’s awesome.