Beyond the Cayenne Wall: Collection of short stories

by Shaila Abdullah

Overview

Beyond the Cayenne Wall captures the cultural chasm�and sometimes the collision between the East and the West�as the characters struggle to find their individualities despite the barriers imposed by society. Tannu refuses to give up her firstborn to the caretakers of the shrine of Shah Daullah as tradition dictates. Dhool is a defiant, spirited woman who confronts the five mistakes in her life and ventures out among the wolves in human clothing to make ends meet. In a striking account of alienation and the clash of two worlds, Mansi faces some tough choices when she brings her widowed mother back with her to live in the United States.

In these and several other stories, Abdullah weaves together a collection of events that spin around betrayals, confessions, acceptance, and denial, shaken in with exotic spices and flavor, a potpourri for the senses.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940012573995
Publisher:	iUniverse, Incorporated
Publication date:	05/25/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	114
File size:	223 KB

About the Author

Noted as "Word Artist" by critics, Shaila Abdullah is a Pakistani-American author based in Austin, Texas. Her award-winning novel Saffron Dreams explores the tragedy of 9/11 from the perspective of a Muslim widow. Abdullah's debut book, Beyond the Cayenne Wall is a collection of stories about Pakistani women struggling to find their individualities despite the barriers imposed by society. The author has received several awards for her work including the Golden Quill Award, Norumbega Jury Prize for Outstanding Fiction, DIY Award, Reader Views Award, Written Art Award, and a grant from Hobson Foundation.

Editorial Reviews

Through Abdullah's rich tapestry of stories, we get the sense of the shifting landscape for Pakistani women who are coming into their own. While trying to honor and hold onto the traditons of their rich culutre and breathtakingly beautiful land, we see the inner conflicts and the slowly bubbling voices that threaten to burst from within.

Surewoman - Dawn Prince

The female protagonists maybe rich and educated or illiterate and impoverished but one thing they all share is the courage to overcome their hardship. Like so many real Pakistani women they are not just victims, but also fighters � and perhaps more importantly, survivors.

Dawn newspaper, Books & Authors magazine - Saima Hussain

It's an exotic series of stories that depict the lives of women in South Asia. Abduullah reveals women trapped in bad marriages or working out familial issues we well as deformed and mutilated children, nicknamed "rat children," and a mother's effort to keep her child from their ranks. Gripping.

Writers Notes Book Award - Writers Notes