Kahani: Short Stories by Pakistani Women

I read Kahani for a book club activity, and I came to it with no preconceived notions of what to expect. I'll be the first to admit that my knowledge of Pakistani history and culture is limited, and I think that this lack of knowledge can greatly impact the reader's understanding of many of the references within the individual works. I found myself having to research different historical events and cultural references just to understand what I was reading. I also feel that there is probably a wealth of additional information that I have missed because I am not the intended audience. While I enjoy learning, and am not averse to new information, this kind of requirement definitely defines this book as more of a literature and history lesson.Many of the stories that appear in this collection are extremely moving, but they seem to have an overall tone of bleakness, frustration, and despair. I can certainly understand how a woman in Pakistan can come to feel these things, but after reading for a while, I kept hoping for one light-hearted addition. Many of the stories are extremely descriptive and symbolic, which can make the heaviness seem even more oppressive. It's not a book that I would read in one sitting.The term "short stories" is a bit of a misnomer for some of the entries, which read more like poetry. I also noticed that some of the stories have a flow that is difficult to read in English, and I have a feeling that this may be more of a disconnect between languages and translation than any particular issue with the stories themselves. I had to read some of the stories two or three times to finally understand what exactly was being conveyed (especially When the Walls Weep, which is told from at least four different narrative points of view with confusing transitions).Overall, I found the book a difficult read, but very meaningful and enlightening. Definitely not a book for leisure reading, but I can see how it would be an important addition to a course on the literature of South Asia.

I enjoyed this collection of short stories by Pakistani women. I didn't know the work of any of them before so it was good to discover new (to me) writers. Another reviewer has described this book as boring, which I think is an unfair description. The stories are not all easy to read, both in terms of language and subject matter. I admit to not much appreciating the dream sequence Voyages of Sleep but am glad I read on to find other stories, often thought provoking, introduced interesting characters and provided glimpses into different cultures. Descent is a dark little story which highlights how poverty robs people of dignity and life. The Awakening by Mumtaz Shirin I thought a well crafted coming of age story and although I found the Godfather a strange tale I enjoyed it. Reviewed by Mary Smith author of  No More MulberriesNo More Mulberries

Bought as a gift for a friend's mother. She absolutely loves it!