Faiqa Mansab

Not wanting to get influenced by fellow readers' reviews and opinions, I went into this book blind save for reading the blurb. So that, along with reading the first few pages of the book, already told me it wasn't going to be a happy story. In fact, it's going to be heartbreaking and tragic, and I was okay with that.

Faiqa Mansab writes beautifully! Despite my issue with certain aspects of the book, I kept on reading (that's how good her storytelling skill is) because I wanted to know what show more happens to the characters.

Now here are some things that I didn't like in the book:

First and foremost, there was no need for the rape scene of a minor to be depicted in such a graphic manner. It's disturbing and warranted a trigger warning in the book! I knew something was going to happen to the child, but it shocked me how detailed it was. I'm not easily triggered but when it involves a minor, it makes me uncomfortable. Please feel free to skip chapter 28.

Nida and Saqib's daughter was born with Down's Syndrome and was described as "my little flawed baby", "foisting on them a damaged child", "the fruit of my diseased body was always in front of me to behold", and "I was a monster who had nurtured another monster inside herself in secret", etc. Not a single person has words of kindness for this baby?

Almost every character is dealing with heavy issues and obviously need professional help, some more than the others. But since recognising mental health issues and seeking help are still considered taboo in most part, I can understand why some of our characters didn't handle their issues well. But surely Nida is smart and educated enough to handle matters differently? Her story feels unbelievable to me.

Nida (a married woman) and Bhanggi's (an intersex) love was supposed to be spiritual, finding one's true self and whatnot. But they ended up in bed? To realise that there's "no guilt and no pleasure, no relief. I was more a rite of passage - from temptation to fall..." Is this how one finds oneself? Did I mention this happened after they both drank marijuana-spiked milk at the dargah?

Are there no sensible characters in the entire Lahore besides that old kabbadiya?

Speaking on Lahore, I feel like the author focused solely on family and society issues. Men are a problem, women are a problem, the policemen are a problem, the house help and driver are a problem, so are the dargah incharge and the mullah of the masjid.

That scene where a mullah discriminates against the hijra praying in the masjid, saying things like "Get out, Get out now, and take your temptations with you, you son of Iblis, you mount of Shaitan..." and then it was a group of boys who interfered, taking the side of and helping the hijra so that he could perform his prayers in peace. Why can't it be another religious person in the masjid who takes the side of the mullah, like another older, person with a beard, say the imam or the muazzin? This gives the message that older religious men in the masjid aren't compassionate and are extreme in their beliefs, which is inaccurate. Oh, why not throw in some questionable motives behind women wearing hijab while we're at it?

Overall, I personally feel like this book wants to talk solely about every single issue that people face in Lahore and write it in a way that appeals the western readers. show less

nice book