Attar of Roses and Other Stories of Pakistan

"Not sure if he were imagining it or if it were indeed real, he inhaled a familiar scent, rose attar, the fragrance that had consumed him in his sleeping and waking hours.... she was there! He spotted and recognized the black sandals, saw the hands, pale and lovely, the black glass bangles catching the light of the sun like flames leaping out in the darkness."—Excerpt from "Attar of Roses"

These everyday tales told with verve and passion provide a glimpse into Pakistani society, from family relationships, marriage, and rites of passage, to societal roles and the impact of political change. But the backdrop of Pakistan does not limit their scope. In "Attar of Roses," a schoolmaster's obsession with a woman whose face he never sees, although rooted in the custom of veiling, also exemplifies the universal yearning for the unattainable. Similarly, the young wife in "The Notebook" symbolizes the plight of all women who experience an intellectual awakening while struggling against oppression.

Naqvi weaves together imagery and tone in a way that enables the reader to feel an affinity for a culture that may, at first glance, seem distant and impenetrable. Romantic, humorous, acerbic, and vibrant, her stories both inform and entertain.