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What Remains After a Fire: Stories
A haunting, powerful collection of stories spanning modern-day Pakistan and the diaspora in the US, from a sparkling new literary talent.
In eight unflinching and stunningly crafted stories, Kanza Javed unspools the lives of characters desperately trying to forge a path for themselves on the margins of society. An addict teaches his young son to shoot feral dogs on the streets of Lahore. A Christian nurse gets drawn into a plan to trap the ghost of her patient’s former lover. A Pakistani student in a small Appalachian town grapples with a startling act of violence that shatters her illusions of safety and freedom. A lonely wife becomes increasingly obsessed with a cloth worry doll left behind by a previous tenant.
Written with sharp insight and remarkable empathy, these stories reach across divides of class, gender, and religion as Javed deftly examines questions of identity and agency, belonging and loss. What Remains After a Fire is a moving portrayal of fiercely resilient characters who desire more than what their circumstances can offer them—and what these desires ultimately cost them.
In eight unflinching and stunningly crafted stories, Kanza Javed unspools the lives of characters desperately trying to forge a path for themselves on the margins of society. An addict teaches his young son to shoot feral dogs on the streets of Lahore. A Christian nurse gets drawn into a plan to trap the ghost of her patient’s former lover. A Pakistani student in a small Appalachian town grapples with a startling act of violence that shatters her illusions of safety and freedom. A lonely wife becomes increasingly obsessed with a cloth worry doll left behind by a previous tenant.
Written with sharp insight and remarkable empathy, these stories reach across divides of class, gender, and religion as Javed deftly examines questions of identity and agency, belonging and loss. What Remains After a Fire is a moving portrayal of fiercely resilient characters who desire more than what their circumstances can offer them—and what these desires ultimately cost them.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published September 23, 2025
13 people are currently reading
5262 people want to read
About the author
Kanza Javed
4 books158 followersKanza Javed holds an MFA in Fiction from West Virginia University, where she was awarded the prestigious Rebecca Mason Perry Award. She has also received two U.S. State Department research scholarships, studying at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Arizona State University.
Her debut novel, Ashes, Wine and Dust, was shortlisted for the Tibor Jones South Asia Prize and became a national bestseller in South Asia. Her short stories have appeared in esteemed literary journals, including American Literary Review, The Punch Magazine, Salamander, Greensboro Review, and The Malahat Review. She is the recipient of the Reynolds Price Prize for Fiction (Center for Women Writers, Salem College) and has been a finalist for the 51st New Millennium Writing Award, the Salamander Short Fiction Award, and the Robert Watson Literary Prize.
Javed’s work has been highlighted in The Commonwealth Journal and included in Narrating Pakistan (Pakistan's first literary anthology), as well as Oxford University Press's In the New Century: An Anthology of Pakistani Literature, along with several other publications
Her debut novel, Ashes, Wine and Dust, was shortlisted for the Tibor Jones South Asia Prize and became a national bestseller in South Asia. Her short stories have appeared in esteemed literary journals, including American Literary Review, The Punch Magazine, Salamander, Greensboro Review, and The Malahat Review. She is the recipient of the Reynolds Price Prize for Fiction (Center for Women Writers, Salem College) and has been a finalist for the 51st New Millennium Writing Award, the Salamander Short Fiction Award, and the Robert Watson Literary Prize.
Javed’s work has been highlighted in The Commonwealth Journal and included in Narrating Pakistan (Pakistan's first literary anthology), as well as Oxford University Press's In the New Century: An Anthology of Pakistani Literature, along with several other publications
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
October 1, 2025
In a Nutshell: An exceptional OwnVoices short story collection covering contemporary experiences of Pakistanis in their country and of the diaspora in the USA. Brilliant writing and memorable characters. A haunting kind of melancholic tone to every story. I don’t remember the last time I was so enraptured by a story collection. Much, much recommended!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This collection of eight stories is an OwnVoices work by Pakistani-American author Kanza Javed. The stories are set either in Pakistan or in the USA, and represent contemporary experiences of the citizens and/or the diaspora.
There is no introductory note specifying the unifying theme across these stories. But the blurb indicates that the stories focus on “fiercely resilient characters who desire more than what their circumstances can offer them—and what these desires ultimately cost them.” I cannot put it better! (For once, the blurb is not just accurate but also brilliant!)
When I read short story collections or anthologies, I usually read a story or two every day. But even with this spaced-out reading, I often find my attention dipping in the second half. Not this time, though. For the first time in ages, every single story of a collection kept me captivated to more or less the same measure. I never felt that the stories were dragging or that the mood was becoming monotonous or that the plots were getting repetitive.
These eight stories are written either in first person or third person, with one stellar entry using the second-person POV as well. The narrators of the stories are also not standardised. We have male as well as female narrators, senior citizens as well as young adults and children. The stories feature a variety of characters coming from different social backgrounds. Unlike what you would assume, not all of the stories are about Pakistani-Muslim experiences; a couple of the tales are from Pakistani-Christian characters.
Usually, with short fiction, we get a glimpse of the character’s present. Due to the constraint in word count, character development and world building is sometimes compromised in this genre. So I was pleasantly surprised to see the author excel at both. She is simply amazing at character detailing! While the tales focus on women and their forced submissiveness under the patriarchal society, many of the plots also highlight their inherent strength, their courage, and their will to surmount the odds. Not a single central character left me unaffected.
At 240 pages, this is quite a short book, but it packs volumes inside! The writing is so beautiful that I never felt like rushing through any story. (Heck, even the acknowledgement section is lyrical!) I just savoured the picturesque descriptions, the realistic character sketching, and the brooding atmosphere. The stories are melancholic without being melodramatic - that's quite an achievement! Even the setting feels visceral. Whether based in Pakistan or the USA, every story captures the ethos of both the countries accurately.
When I don’t find anything to complain about in short story collections, I usually look at the endings to see if I can do any nitpicking there. Even that didn’t work! Almost all the stories end at just the right point. I love that there are no forced HEAs here; they wouldn’t have suited the tone of the work anyway. Rather, every story culminates at a point where you can sit back and ponder on what you read and on what fate might have in store next for the character.
There are a couple of Urdu words here and there, but no glossary. This didn’t bother me much as Urdu is quite similar to Hindi. But perhaps a glossary might benefit international readers.
As always, I rated the stories individually. Of the eight stories, not a single one dipped below 3.5 stars! Not just that, half of the stories won all the stars from me. These are my favourites, with 4.5+ stars each.
Basically, this has been the best-performing story collection I have read in a long time. Be it the characters, the culture, the storylines, the writing, the vocabulary, the locations, the endings,… I can’t think of anything I could have changed. The whole collection is gritty, grounded, and simply brilliant! If this author pens anything else (and I sure hope she does for she is so talented!), I am going to read it for sure.
Much, much recommended to all short story fans looking for a genuine and well-written OwnVoices work from an underrepresented nation in the literary genre.
4.4 stars, based on the average of my ratings. (If you are familiar with my ratings, you know that an average that goes beyond 4 stars is outstanding for an anthology!) I will be rounding up my rating for the fabulous reading experience this has been from start to end.
My thanks to W. W. Norton & Company for providing the DRC of “What Remains After a Fire” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This collection of eight stories is an OwnVoices work by Pakistani-American author Kanza Javed. The stories are set either in Pakistan or in the USA, and represent contemporary experiences of the citizens and/or the diaspora.
There is no introductory note specifying the unifying theme across these stories. But the blurb indicates that the stories focus on “fiercely resilient characters who desire more than what their circumstances can offer them—and what these desires ultimately cost them.” I cannot put it better! (For once, the blurb is not just accurate but also brilliant!)
When I read short story collections or anthologies, I usually read a story or two every day. But even with this spaced-out reading, I often find my attention dipping in the second half. Not this time, though. For the first time in ages, every single story of a collection kept me captivated to more or less the same measure. I never felt that the stories were dragging or that the mood was becoming monotonous or that the plots were getting repetitive.
These eight stories are written either in first person or third person, with one stellar entry using the second-person POV as well. The narrators of the stories are also not standardised. We have male as well as female narrators, senior citizens as well as young adults and children. The stories feature a variety of characters coming from different social backgrounds. Unlike what you would assume, not all of the stories are about Pakistani-Muslim experiences; a couple of the tales are from Pakistani-Christian characters.
Usually, with short fiction, we get a glimpse of the character’s present. Due to the constraint in word count, character development and world building is sometimes compromised in this genre. So I was pleasantly surprised to see the author excel at both. She is simply amazing at character detailing! While the tales focus on women and their forced submissiveness under the patriarchal society, many of the plots also highlight their inherent strength, their courage, and their will to surmount the odds. Not a single central character left me unaffected.
At 240 pages, this is quite a short book, but it packs volumes inside! The writing is so beautiful that I never felt like rushing through any story. (Heck, even the acknowledgement section is lyrical!) I just savoured the picturesque descriptions, the realistic character sketching, and the brooding atmosphere. The stories are melancholic without being melodramatic - that's quite an achievement! Even the setting feels visceral. Whether based in Pakistan or the USA, every story captures the ethos of both the countries accurately.
When I don’t find anything to complain about in short story collections, I usually look at the endings to see if I can do any nitpicking there. Even that didn’t work! Almost all the stories end at just the right point. I love that there are no forced HEAs here; they wouldn’t have suited the tone of the work anyway. Rather, every story culminates at a point where you can sit back and ponder on what you read and on what fate might have in store next for the character.
There are a couple of Urdu words here and there, but no glossary. This didn’t bother me much as Urdu is quite similar to Hindi. But perhaps a glossary might benefit international readers.
As always, I rated the stories individually. Of the eight stories, not a single one dipped below 3.5 stars! Not just that, half of the stories won all the stars from me. These are my favourites, with 4.5+ stars each.
🔥 Rani: With such a title (Rani means "queen" or "princess"), I thought this would be a happy story. But the title turned out to be ironic. What a beautiful portrayal of life choices and end-of-life regrets! Loved the writing as well as the character development. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🔥 It Will Follow You Home: This is beautiful, depressing, haunting. The use of the second person enhances the immersive experience. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟✨
🔥 Stray Things Do Not Carry a Soul: Oh, the irony of the title! I absolutely hated what happened in this story, but I absolutely love how the story was written. Rarely have I seen a first-person narrator creating dread and fury in me at the direction taken. Rarely have I felt so many emotions within so few pages. One of the best short stories I've ever read! (Trigger warning for animal assault. But it is not gratuitous and works for the plot.) - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🔥 The Last Days of Bilquees Begum: Poignant. So much emotion and impact from a single story! - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🔥 Ruby: There are so many things I want to say about this story, and yet, I don’t know how or where to begin. What a story to end the book with! Left me shell-shocked. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Basically, this has been the best-performing story collection I have read in a long time. Be it the characters, the culture, the storylines, the writing, the vocabulary, the locations, the endings,… I can’t think of anything I could have changed. The whole collection is gritty, grounded, and simply brilliant! If this author pens anything else (and I sure hope she does for she is so talented!), I am going to read it for sure.
Much, much recommended to all short story fans looking for a genuine and well-written OwnVoices work from an underrepresented nation in the literary genre.
4.4 stars, based on the average of my ratings. (If you are familiar with my ratings, you know that an average that goes beyond 4 stars is outstanding for an anthology!) I will be rounding up my rating for the fabulous reading experience this has been from start to end.
My thanks to W. W. Norton & Company for providing the DRC of “What Remains After a Fire” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||
May 15, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc. All opinions are my own.
Wow. What an exquisitely powerful and moving collection of stories revolving around the themes of death and grief. What Remains After a Fire is a collection of stories about grieving and loss. I was immediately captivated by Kanza’s powerful messages and sense of imagery. I absolutely adored every story. Each character and story provided a window into central themes of what it means to belong to yourself and be true to your own life. I found this book to be incredibly moving and inspiring. This book was an incredible experience from start to finish.
I would caution readers only to make sure they read the summary as some of the themes in the book are quite heavy, so it is ideal to know that these will be addressed when going into the novel. There are themes of suicide and depression so please take this recommendation accordingly.
I am extremely excited to visit her other work and hope for more in the future!
Wow. What an exquisitely powerful and moving collection of stories revolving around the themes of death and grief. What Remains After a Fire is a collection of stories about grieving and loss. I was immediately captivated by Kanza’s powerful messages and sense of imagery. I absolutely adored every story. Each character and story provided a window into central themes of what it means to belong to yourself and be true to your own life. I found this book to be incredibly moving and inspiring. This book was an incredible experience from start to finish.
I would caution readers only to make sure they read the summary as some of the themes in the book are quite heavy, so it is ideal to know that these will be addressed when going into the novel. There are themes of suicide and depression so please take this recommendation accordingly.
I am extremely excited to visit her other work and hope for more in the future!
August 15, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and W.W. Norton & Company for providing me with an eARC.
This is definitely one of the best short story collections I've read in a while. Every story hit its mark accurately -- haunting and heartbreaking. Somehow the stories manage to be both dark and uplifting in a way that's difficult to describe. The stories were primarily about handling grief and a lot of self- introspection and were executed very well. The writing and structure of the stories heavily reminded me of Khaled Hosseini's books, especially A Thousand Splendid Suns. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for an anthology that will evoke strong emotions while reading that is set in South Asian countries and cultures.
This is definitely one of the best short story collections I've read in a while. Every story hit its mark accurately -- haunting and heartbreaking. Somehow the stories manage to be both dark and uplifting in a way that's difficult to describe. The stories were primarily about handling grief and a lot of self- introspection and were executed very well. The writing and structure of the stories heavily reminded me of Khaled Hosseini's books, especially A Thousand Splendid Suns. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for an anthology that will evoke strong emotions while reading that is set in South Asian countries and cultures.
May 25, 2025
This is an incredible collection of stories that delve into the darkest and truest parts of life on the margins of society as an immigrant, woman, child, as well as broader commentary of life in both modern day Pakistan and the Pakistani diaspora. I could not recommend this more!
September 7, 2025
I really enjoyed the writing, which was immersive, and explored heavy topics. death in a story is a litmus test for good writers to be able to elicit emotion from the reader- and she does it well, eight different times, which are unique and death wasn't always the final point of the emotion. I am not as familiar with Pakistani culture, so that was an interesting aspect for me that I really enjoyed exploring among her stories, and although some may hit home more with a different audience, she still hit societal core problems from many other cultures that injure and portrayed resilience.
October 26, 2025
In What Remains After a Fire, Kanza Javed returns to fiction with a collection that burns softly but steadily — a series of stories that linger long after the final page, like the smell of smoke after a blaze. Across eight stories, Javed examines what is left behind when ordinary lives are scorched by loss, displacement, and desire.
The collection moves between Lahore’s narrow lanes, rural Pakistan, and the fragmented landscapes of immigrant life in America. What ties these worlds together is not geography but a shared ache — a sense of standing at the edge of something once whole. Javed’s characters, many of them women, are haunted not by grand tragedies but by the intimate wreckage of daily existence: a dying grandmother’s fading memories, a marriage unraveling in silence, a boy’s initiation into cruelty.
In “Rani,” a divorced woman returns home to care for her ailing grandmother, only to confront an old betrayal that resurfaces with unnerving force. In “Stray Things Do Not Carry a Soul,” Javed dares to look at violence from a child’s uncomprehending eyes — a story that chills precisely because it is so unsentimental. Elsewhere, in “Worry Doll,” a Pakistani woman in Maryland struggles to reconcile the person she has become abroad with the one she left behind. Each story feels distinct, yet together they form a coherent meditation on resilience and reinvention.
Javed’s prose is remarkable for its restraint. She writes with an economy that allows silence to speak louder than words. Her images — a mud-red henna stain, a flicker of firelight, the slow drift of dust through a room — do not decorate; they deepen. There is music in her simplicity, and an honesty in her refusal to sensationalize pain.
Thematically, fire becomes both literal and metaphorical: a destroyer, a purifier, and a measure of endurance. What remains, Javed seems to suggest, are not ashes but the quiet persistence of those who continue — who find meaning not in redemption, but in survival.
What distinguishes this collection is Javed’s ability to locate universality in the particular. Deeply rooted in Pakistani realities — social hierarchies, family expectations, the politics of gender — her stories nonetheless speak across borders. They remind us that displacement, whether physical or emotional, is a condition of being human.
What Remains After a Fire is not an easy read, nor does it seek to comfort. Its power lies in its emotional precision, its quiet moral courage, and its refusal to look away. Kanza Javed has crafted a collection that asks us to sit with discomfort — to witness the aftermath, the residue, and, above all, the endurance that defines what it means to live.
The collection moves between Lahore’s narrow lanes, rural Pakistan, and the fragmented landscapes of immigrant life in America. What ties these worlds together is not geography but a shared ache — a sense of standing at the edge of something once whole. Javed’s characters, many of them women, are haunted not by grand tragedies but by the intimate wreckage of daily existence: a dying grandmother’s fading memories, a marriage unraveling in silence, a boy’s initiation into cruelty.
In “Rani,” a divorced woman returns home to care for her ailing grandmother, only to confront an old betrayal that resurfaces with unnerving force. In “Stray Things Do Not Carry a Soul,” Javed dares to look at violence from a child’s uncomprehending eyes — a story that chills precisely because it is so unsentimental. Elsewhere, in “Worry Doll,” a Pakistani woman in Maryland struggles to reconcile the person she has become abroad with the one she left behind. Each story feels distinct, yet together they form a coherent meditation on resilience and reinvention.
Javed’s prose is remarkable for its restraint. She writes with an economy that allows silence to speak louder than words. Her images — a mud-red henna stain, a flicker of firelight, the slow drift of dust through a room — do not decorate; they deepen. There is music in her simplicity, and an honesty in her refusal to sensationalize pain.
Thematically, fire becomes both literal and metaphorical: a destroyer, a purifier, and a measure of endurance. What remains, Javed seems to suggest, are not ashes but the quiet persistence of those who continue — who find meaning not in redemption, but in survival.
What distinguishes this collection is Javed’s ability to locate universality in the particular. Deeply rooted in Pakistani realities — social hierarchies, family expectations, the politics of gender — her stories nonetheless speak across borders. They remind us that displacement, whether physical or emotional, is a condition of being human.
What Remains After a Fire is not an easy read, nor does it seek to comfort. Its power lies in its emotional precision, its quiet moral courage, and its refusal to look away. Kanza Javed has crafted a collection that asks us to sit with discomfort — to witness the aftermath, the residue, and, above all, the endurance that defines what it means to live.
June 12, 2025
"What Remains After A Fire" is a captivating collection of stories from told from eight different perspectives from people from both Pakistan and the diaspora in the US. It is very stylistically unique and presents the truth of living life as a minority in a place that does not welcome you with the only alternative being living in a place that accepts you only within strict guidelines. This truth is presented without sweetener, but each story is also a tale of resilience. These characters are powerfully written and diverse in personality.
I think that fans of "The Gangster We Are All Looking Fo" by Lê Thị Diễm Thúy would like this; there are definitely similar themes. Both would be good picks to compare the stories of minorities in the US and to broaden horizons. I cannot express how important it is to diversity your reading, and this is a perfect book for it.
Thank you to NetGalley, W. W. Norton & Company, and Kanza Javed for allowing me to read "What Remains After A Fire" in exchange for an honest review.
I think that fans of "The Gangster We Are All Looking Fo" by Lê Thị Diễm Thúy would like this; there are definitely similar themes. Both would be good picks to compare the stories of minorities in the US and to broaden horizons. I cannot express how important it is to diversity your reading, and this is a perfect book for it.
Thank you to NetGalley, W. W. Norton & Company, and Kanza Javed for allowing me to read "What Remains After A Fire" in exchange for an honest review.
June 8, 2025
I struggle with short stories a lot. There wasn’t a story in this collection that had that effect on me. Fantastic writing. Not the happiest stories I’ve ever read but so compelling.
October 9, 2025
this book just put into words the feelings that live in my throat. i have always felt that we don't have enough books that truly, truly capture the soul-crushing weight of just existing as a woman in desi society. the quiet, daily erosion of the self. and this one does exactly that. it felt like it was written about women and for women.
it's just such a brilliantly, devastatingly moving collection. every single story felt familiar. these characters, so painfully real and deeply human, felt like ppl i have passed on the street, relatives i have sat with in quiet rooms. she writes about loss, the grief that feels like home, the desperate search for belonging, and the ingrained misogyny that is the very air we breathe. she has given voice to the thoughts i believe every brown woman has carried at least once. the ones we swallow down bec to speak them aloud would mark us as the oddball. the difficult one. she shows how, for a woman in our world, the simple act of being true to yourself, of refusing to let go of your own sense of self, is a revolutionary act. an act of defiance. and she writes it all so hauntingly. so beautifully.
all the stories wrecked me, but 'My Bones Hold a Stillness' will stay with me for a long, long time. it immediately reminded me of the girl who died in a school shooting a few years ago. it was only after she was gone that i found out she lived so close to my house. right near the park where i spent so many childhood evenings. and i still pass her house. you would never know that a family inside is living with a grief that has probably seeped into the walls. there was a banner, held so high for a week after the funeral. and now there's nothing. just an ordinary street. and everyone passes it, every day, rushing to their lives. but every time i do, my heart just... pauses. and i grieve for her. for the girl who lost her life in a moment of senseless violence. for the girl who lost all her dreams.
i remember her debut novel from years ago, and what pulled me in then was how she wrote lahore as if it were a character itself. breathing and sighing and alive. you can always tell when an author truly loves a city, and that deep affection is here in these pages too.
the only reason i couldn't give it five stars is bec i have always struggled with short stories. they always leave me wanting more. it's not my favourite genre. but for someone who loves the form, this would easily, without a doubt, be a five-star read !
it's just such a brilliantly, devastatingly moving collection. every single story felt familiar. these characters, so painfully real and deeply human, felt like ppl i have passed on the street, relatives i have sat with in quiet rooms. she writes about loss, the grief that feels like home, the desperate search for belonging, and the ingrained misogyny that is the very air we breathe. she has given voice to the thoughts i believe every brown woman has carried at least once. the ones we swallow down bec to speak them aloud would mark us as the oddball. the difficult one. she shows how, for a woman in our world, the simple act of being true to yourself, of refusing to let go of your own sense of self, is a revolutionary act. an act of defiance. and she writes it all so hauntingly. so beautifully.
all the stories wrecked me, but 'My Bones Hold a Stillness' will stay with me for a long, long time. it immediately reminded me of the girl who died in a school shooting a few years ago. it was only after she was gone that i found out she lived so close to my house. right near the park where i spent so many childhood evenings. and i still pass her house. you would never know that a family inside is living with a grief that has probably seeped into the walls. there was a banner, held so high for a week after the funeral. and now there's nothing. just an ordinary street. and everyone passes it, every day, rushing to their lives. but every time i do, my heart just... pauses. and i grieve for her. for the girl who lost her life in a moment of senseless violence. for the girl who lost all her dreams.
i remember her debut novel from years ago, and what pulled me in then was how she wrote lahore as if it were a character itself. breathing and sighing and alive. you can always tell when an author truly loves a city, and that deep affection is here in these pages too.
the only reason i couldn't give it five stars is bec i have always struggled with short stories. they always leave me wanting more. it's not my favourite genre. but for someone who loves the form, this would easily, without a doubt, be a five-star read !
January 6, 2026
A book that felt like finding my parents’ untold memories in someone else’s stories.
Reading What Remains After a Fire didn’t feel like reading fiction. It felt like overhearing family history that was never fully spoken.
As a Pakistani American, this book gave me language for a kind of inherited sadness I’ve always felt but never quite understood. These stories quietly illuminate the pressures, expectations, and emotional silences that shape everyday life especially for women, in ways that are rarely discussed with honesty or tenderness.
The women in these pages live inside invisible cages: marriages that drain them, social rules that suffocate them, and quiet violences that are never called violence. The stories of betrayal, illness, death, and endurance will stay with me long after finishing. Not because they are shocking, but because they are heartbreakingly familiar in spirit.
This book didn’t just move me. It gave me a new compassion for my parents’ generation, and a deeper understanding of how survival often required silence, adaptation, and emotional invisibility.
Reading What Remains After a Fire didn’t feel like reading fiction. It felt like overhearing family history that was never fully spoken.
As a Pakistani American, this book gave me language for a kind of inherited sadness I’ve always felt but never quite understood. These stories quietly illuminate the pressures, expectations, and emotional silences that shape everyday life especially for women, in ways that are rarely discussed with honesty or tenderness.
The women in these pages live inside invisible cages: marriages that drain them, social rules that suffocate them, and quiet violences that are never called violence. The stories of betrayal, illness, death, and endurance will stay with me long after finishing. Not because they are shocking, but because they are heartbreakingly familiar in spirit.
This book didn’t just move me. It gave me a new compassion for my parents’ generation, and a deeper understanding of how survival often required silence, adaptation, and emotional invisibility.
December 11, 2025
One thing You should be doing this December is reading these stories.
Characters so real that You want to meet and console them. But then stories so painful that You needed to be consoled as well.
Beautiful writing, reading Her feels like Home.
Characters so real that You want to meet and console them. But then stories so painful that You needed to be consoled as well.
Beautiful writing, reading Her feels like Home.
December 22, 2025
Surreal, poignant, empowering and unhinged short stories about women stuck in the shackles of patriarchy. But these women are strong and independent who know their way out. They aren’t your damsels in distress but are go-getters who will fight resiliently till they get what they want.
These short stories are an absolute must read. Totally recommend!!
These short stories are an absolute must read. Totally recommend!!
November 28, 2025
This isn’t just a short story collection — it’s a gathering of bruised hearts. Each story feels like a glimpse into a life shaped by silence, sacrifice, faith, and the constant search for belonging. These are Muslim lives — stitched together by prayer, duty, culture, and the fear of losing oneself in a world that doesn’t always understand them. The author takes us across Lahore’s dusty streets, quiet American towns, and homes where dreams are nurtured with trembling hope. The stories don’t shout their pain. They whisper it, and somehow that hurts more.
The narration is simple, almost deceptively soft — but beneath that simplicity lies a sharp emotional force. The author doesn’t tell you what to feel; she lets the characters’ vulnerabilities pull emotions straight out of you. Many times I found myself pausing, absorbing a line that felt too close to my own fears. The pacing is gentle, allowing each story to unfold tenderly, like someone finally speaking a truth they’ve hidden for years.
What I loved the most was the way characters are written. They are flawed, fragile, and still fighting. There’s no dramatic heroism here — only quiet resilience. My favourite stories are 'Carry It All ' and ' The Last Days of Bilquees Begum' - They are ordinary people, but their sorrows feel extraordinary.
The writing style is lyrical but grounded — she paints with precise details and heavy silences. There’s a beauty in the rawness of her words. She doesn’t rush to conclusions or offer neat endings. Some stories leave you unsettled, questioning what remains unsaid — and that’s exactly what makes them unforgettable. She knows that real heartbreak often happens between the lines — in the spaces where faith meets fear, love meets loss, and belonging feels just out of reach.
This is not a book you move past quickly. It lingers. It asks you to sit with the discomfort of loss, displacement, and yearning — and to acknowledge the bravery of continuing to believe, to love, to pray, even when life keeps burning. When I finished the last page, I felt like I was holding not just a book, but the remnants of many Muslim lives — each one still burning softly inside me.
The narration is simple, almost deceptively soft — but beneath that simplicity lies a sharp emotional force. The author doesn’t tell you what to feel; she lets the characters’ vulnerabilities pull emotions straight out of you. Many times I found myself pausing, absorbing a line that felt too close to my own fears. The pacing is gentle, allowing each story to unfold tenderly, like someone finally speaking a truth they’ve hidden for years.
What I loved the most was the way characters are written. They are flawed, fragile, and still fighting. There’s no dramatic heroism here — only quiet resilience. My favourite stories are 'Carry It All ' and ' The Last Days of Bilquees Begum' - They are ordinary people, but their sorrows feel extraordinary.
The writing style is lyrical but grounded — she paints with precise details and heavy silences. There’s a beauty in the rawness of her words. She doesn’t rush to conclusions or offer neat endings. Some stories leave you unsettled, questioning what remains unsaid — and that’s exactly what makes them unforgettable. She knows that real heartbreak often happens between the lines — in the spaces where faith meets fear, love meets loss, and belonging feels just out of reach.
This is not a book you move past quickly. It lingers. It asks you to sit with the discomfort of loss, displacement, and yearning — and to acknowledge the bravery of continuing to believe, to love, to pray, even when life keeps burning. When I finished the last page, I felt like I was holding not just a book, but the remnants of many Muslim lives — each one still burning softly inside me.
December 13, 2025
There are certain incidents I don’t even want to talk to myself, let alone speak about aloud. No matter how old or buried they are, they still make my skin crawl. Something tightens in my stomach, the opposite of butterflies. These are the things I want locked away in a trunk, the keys lost forever and no locksmith able to make a copy.
There are manuals for everything: how to handle difficult relatives, how to crack job interviews, how to make friends. But there is no guide for dealing with old wounds, even after you believe you’ve healed, accepted them, and moved on. They are like a faint childhood nail mark on the face, barely visible, but always known. You don’t see it every day, you almost forget it’s there, but it's freaking there, like a trespasser.
This book is a collection of such moments past and present that continue to haunt women, sometimes even on their deathbeds. Quite Literally. What makes these stories bitter is not their extremity, but their familiarity. None of them feel exaggerated or imagined. They are as real and inevitable as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west.
Reading these accounts, I kept thinking of animals in circuses: traumatised, conditioned, their spirits broken so thoroughly that even a lion can be tamed! The comparison feels uncomfortable, but so does the truth behind it.
All that being said, this isn't a male bashing piece of literature, it talks about what South Asian women go through and how these are normalised.How, instead of helping the victim, society often turns on her — questioning, diminishing, and disciplining her further. If that hurts sentiment, maybe you should talk to someone (or read that book?).
Reading this book feels like reopening old memories, mostly painful ones and letting grief look back at you without flinching. It is not an easy read, but it is an honest one. Perhaps the discomfort is the point.
There are manuals for everything: how to handle difficult relatives, how to crack job interviews, how to make friends. But there is no guide for dealing with old wounds, even after you believe you’ve healed, accepted them, and moved on. They are like a faint childhood nail mark on the face, barely visible, but always known. You don’t see it every day, you almost forget it’s there, but it's freaking there, like a trespasser.
This book is a collection of such moments past and present that continue to haunt women, sometimes even on their deathbeds. Quite Literally. What makes these stories bitter is not their extremity, but their familiarity. None of them feel exaggerated or imagined. They are as real and inevitable as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west.
Reading these accounts, I kept thinking of animals in circuses: traumatised, conditioned, their spirits broken so thoroughly that even a lion can be tamed! The comparison feels uncomfortable, but so does the truth behind it.
All that being said, this isn't a male bashing piece of literature, it talks about what South Asian women go through and how these are normalised.How, instead of helping the victim, society often turns on her — questioning, diminishing, and disciplining her further. If that hurts sentiment, maybe you should talk to someone (or read that book?).
Reading this book feels like reopening old memories, mostly painful ones and letting grief look back at you without flinching. It is not an easy read, but it is an honest one. Perhaps the discomfort is the point.
January 2, 2026
If you’re looking for a book that sticks with you, this collection of eight short stories is a must-read.
Kanza Javed doesn’t rely on crazy plot twists; instead, she focuses on the messy, real-life stuff like how we deal with loss, who we are when we’re far from home, and the "burn marks" that trauma leaves on our lives.
The title says it all: it’s about what’s left behind after a disaster. Sometimes that’s guilt or regret, but other times, it’s a quiet kind of hope.
The book jumps around quite a bit, which keeps it interesting.
The first story, "Rani," follows a divorced woman caring for her grandmother who has Alzheimer’s. As her grandmother loses her memory, the woman starts remembering some uncomfortable truths about how her family treated a housemaid years ago.
In "Stray Things Do Not Carry a Soul," we see the world through a young boy’s eyes as he tries to make sense of his father’s addiction and violence. It’s a heavy look at how families pass down pain without even realizing it.
The Author doesn't use fancy, over-the-top language; she’s direct and clear, making you feel like you’re right there with the characters.
Don't expect every story to end with a neat little bow. Most of them end with questions, which feels a lot more like real life.
This isn't a "light" read, but it’s a deeply human one. It’s the kind of book that asks you to sit with the characters' pain and really understand it. If you appreciate writers who can get deep into the human soul, you'll love Javed's work.
October 28, 2025
After being a fan of Javed's work for a few years now, I was excited to see my old favourites within this collection along with getting entirely new stories. However, over the years, I always wondered how could I describe these stories? Was there truly a word that could encompass everything I felt while reading?
After finishing the first story, "Rani", I realised that that word was "haunting". It was a word that crept into every story, burned the characters, and yet made them all still linger in my mind hours after reading about them. Every story, every character, every page was filled with energy that we'd rather not consciously think about. Somehow, it still ends up haunting you despite pushing it all away.
The stories about the housekeeper being abused by her employer, a grandmother who watched her love and herself die every day, of a Christian man being burned alive, they are all tragedies we hear about everyday in newspapers, the TV and social media. This book ended up giving them what the headlines never could: a story that haunts you, that tells you it lives even after it's left with ashes.
That's the experience this collection grants, and I am so, so glad to have read and cherished these stories one by one. These are the kind of stories that you remember years after you've read about them just because of how alive and haunting they were.
After finishing the first story, "Rani", I realised that that word was "haunting". It was a word that crept into every story, burned the characters, and yet made them all still linger in my mind hours after reading about them. Every story, every character, every page was filled with energy that we'd rather not consciously think about. Somehow, it still ends up haunting you despite pushing it all away.
The stories about the housekeeper being abused by her employer, a grandmother who watched her love and herself die every day, of a Christian man being burned alive, they are all tragedies we hear about everyday in newspapers, the TV and social media. This book ended up giving them what the headlines never could: a story that haunts you, that tells you it lives even after it's left with ashes.
That's the experience this collection grants, and I am so, so glad to have read and cherished these stories one by one. These are the kind of stories that you remember years after you've read about them just because of how alive and haunting they were.
October 22, 2025
Why are short stories so underrated and under-loved?
They are beautiful, providing distilled moments of truth, entire lifetimes, and heartaches compressed into a few pages. They don’t sprawl; they strike. They don��t explain; they reveal through a host of characters. And that’s exactly what "What Remains After a Fire does." This has to be the best book for me this year.
Kanza Javed doesn’t waste a single word. Her prose feels both precise and lyrical , and there’s beauty even in the pain she describes. What struck me most was how quietly devastating the stories are. Deeply haunting. Deeply real. You know the writer reads people, studies cities, and comprehension subjects like mental health, trauma, dysfunctional families.
You don’t realize how deeply this book has cut you until you close the book and suddenly feel the ache of it.
The women in these stories feel startlingly real; flawed, fierce, tired, brave. They live in Karachi, Lahore, Virginia, small towns, and empty rooms; in bad marriages and dull friendships, but they love, they soar, they shed skins.
Nothing is melodramatic like you expect in a South Asian book. Nothing is performative.
My favorite stories were “It Will Follow You Home” “My Bones Hold a Stillness," "Stray Things," and "Rani."
They are beautiful, providing distilled moments of truth, entire lifetimes, and heartaches compressed into a few pages. They don’t sprawl; they strike. They don��t explain; they reveal through a host of characters. And that’s exactly what "What Remains After a Fire does." This has to be the best book for me this year.
Kanza Javed doesn’t waste a single word. Her prose feels both precise and lyrical , and there’s beauty even in the pain she describes. What struck me most was how quietly devastating the stories are. Deeply haunting. Deeply real. You know the writer reads people, studies cities, and comprehension subjects like mental health, trauma, dysfunctional families.
You don’t realize how deeply this book has cut you until you close the book and suddenly feel the ache of it.
The women in these stories feel startlingly real; flawed, fierce, tired, brave. They live in Karachi, Lahore, Virginia, small towns, and empty rooms; in bad marriages and dull friendships, but they love, they soar, they shed skins.
Nothing is melodramatic like you expect in a South Asian book. Nothing is performative.
My favorite stories were “It Will Follow You Home” “My Bones Hold a Stillness," "Stray Things," and "Rani."
November 13, 2025
For someone who isn’t an avid reader and often finds it difficult to stay focused, when words seem to jump across the lines, this particular book broke the spell. From the first page to the last, I was completely engrossed.
Though each story is brief, it contributes beautifully to a larger picture. The curiosity it sparks, those lingering thoughts of what if, why not, how, and what next, follow the reader long after closing the book. I often found myself pausing between stories, simply to process and reflect, as each one leaves a lasting impression.
There are moments of deep, sometimes dark emotions woven through the characters and their circumstances. Yet, that’s precisely what makes the book so real, life itself is not always gentle or fair. The author handles these themes with both honesty and grace, wrapping each narrative in elegance and respect.
I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who loves stories but struggles to stay engaged with reading for any reason. After years of finding it difficult to finish a book, I finally did, and I’m proud of that. Not only was it an easy and immersive read, but the way it resonates, whether through entire stories or fleeting moments, feels truly remarkable.
Though each story is brief, it contributes beautifully to a larger picture. The curiosity it sparks, those lingering thoughts of what if, why not, how, and what next, follow the reader long after closing the book. I often found myself pausing between stories, simply to process and reflect, as each one leaves a lasting impression.
There are moments of deep, sometimes dark emotions woven through the characters and their circumstances. Yet, that’s precisely what makes the book so real, life itself is not always gentle or fair. The author handles these themes with both honesty and grace, wrapping each narrative in elegance and respect.
I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who loves stories but struggles to stay engaged with reading for any reason. After years of finding it difficult to finish a book, I finally did, and I’m proud of that. Not only was it an easy and immersive read, but the way it resonates, whether through entire stories or fleeting moments, feels truly remarkable.
November 23, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Hauntingly Beautiful Exploration of Loss and Renewal
What Remains After a Fire is one of those rare books that lingers in your mind long after you’ve turned the last page. It’s not just a story; it’s an emotional journey through devastation, resilience, and the quiet strength that emerges from ashes.
The author paints vivid scenes that make you feel the heat of the flames and the chilling silence that follows. The characters are deeply human, flawed yet courageous, and their struggles resonate with anyone who has faced unexpected upheaval. What truly sets this book apart is its ability to balance heartbreak with hope, reminding us that even in the aftermath of destruction, there is beauty in rebuilding.
If you’re looking for a novel that combines lyrical prose with a gripping narrative, this is it. It’s perfect for readers who appreciate stories about survival, identity, and the transformative power of community. By the end, you’ll not only care about the characters, you’ll reflect on your own capacity to rise from life’s fires.
Highly recommended for fans of emotionally rich, character-driven fiction. Don’t hesitate; add this to your shelf and prepare to be moved.
What Remains After a Fire is one of those rare books that lingers in your mind long after you’ve turned the last page. It’s not just a story; it’s an emotional journey through devastation, resilience, and the quiet strength that emerges from ashes.
The author paints vivid scenes that make you feel the heat of the flames and the chilling silence that follows. The characters are deeply human, flawed yet courageous, and their struggles resonate with anyone who has faced unexpected upheaval. What truly sets this book apart is its ability to balance heartbreak with hope, reminding us that even in the aftermath of destruction, there is beauty in rebuilding.
If you’re looking for a novel that combines lyrical prose with a gripping narrative, this is it. It’s perfect for readers who appreciate stories about survival, identity, and the transformative power of community. By the end, you’ll not only care about the characters, you’ll reflect on your own capacity to rise from life’s fires.
Highly recommended for fans of emotionally rich, character-driven fiction. Don’t hesitate; add this to your shelf and prepare to be moved.
December 12, 2025
"But I believed the house needed to mourn, too. After the guests had departed and the residents had retreated into slumber, the house needed to wail as well."
I have no words to describe this work. Ironic, as I am here to pen a review. It's a haunting book. The heart of this book is fire, lots of fire imagery, vivid, metaphorical even if not literal in places. Kanza Javed writes in "My Bones Hold a Stillness:"
"It started as a small flame, flickering in the depths of my stomach, until it began to spread and the fire hit me like a lightning bolt. Struck me silent. Left a little ember. A fire started and swal- lowed me whole, burning every single cell in my body and every strand of hair on my head until I was nothing but ash. My body became a vessel of flames..."
The quote goes on to capture displacement and depression in immigrant students in a raw, bold, beautiful way.
"Rani" begins as:
"My grandmother kept calling her dead husband to bed. On the night of the funeral, Daddi looked for my grandfather in the folds of her velvet blanket, the hollows of her cheeks, and the flickering flames in the gas heater."
She has nailed the art of writing the perfect ending and beginning. One of my favourite reads from this year.
I have no words to describe this work. Ironic, as I am here to pen a review. It's a haunting book. The heart of this book is fire, lots of fire imagery, vivid, metaphorical even if not literal in places. Kanza Javed writes in "My Bones Hold a Stillness:"
"It started as a small flame, flickering in the depths of my stomach, until it began to spread and the fire hit me like a lightning bolt. Struck me silent. Left a little ember. A fire started and swal- lowed me whole, burning every single cell in my body and every strand of hair on my head until I was nothing but ash. My body became a vessel of flames..."
The quote goes on to capture displacement and depression in immigrant students in a raw, bold, beautiful way.
"Rani" begins as:
"My grandmother kept calling her dead husband to bed. On the night of the funeral, Daddi looked for my grandfather in the folds of her velvet blanket, the hollows of her cheeks, and the flickering flames in the gas heater."
She has nailed the art of writing the perfect ending and beginning. One of my favourite reads from this year.
June 13, 2025
Haunting. Heartbreaking. This collection broke me—and then, somehow, it also fixed something. Javed's writing confronts dark, unflinching truths about human lives with bold honesty. The prose is fearless, and the characters are achingly real—wounded, resilient, unforgettable. "Stray Things" and "The Last Days of Bilquees Begum" were especially my favorites.
I understand how some readers might find the sad endings unpalatable, but I found shadows of hope threaded between the characters. Characters leaving places and things that don't serve them. Characters gaining insight about dysfunctional dynamics. Lyrical prose and believable character arcs.
There are moments of quiet defiance, tenderness, and grace that linger long after the last page. The book stayed with me.
What Remains After a Fire: Stories
Must read!
I understand how some readers might find the sad endings unpalatable, but I found shadows of hope threaded between the characters. Characters leaving places and things that don't serve them. Characters gaining insight about dysfunctional dynamics. Lyrical prose and believable character arcs.
There are moments of quiet defiance, tenderness, and grace that linger long after the last page. The book stayed with me.
What Remains After a Fire: Stories
Must read!
September 8, 2025
What an intense and moving read this turned out to be! As someone from Pakistan, I felt such a deep connection with Kanza Javed’s writing. I am tired of South Asian writers pandering for the West, writing for the West while stereotyping society or showing only the elite aspects of society which many remain an alien to.
Kanza Javed captures our realities with honesty and nuance, making the characters feel painfully real, flawed, vulnerable, and deeply human. There is a host of characters, all social classes, myriad/range of problems, every reader will find something to connect with.
The stories are truly heart-breaking, but beautifully told. Took me a while to recover, but I loved every last word.
A small trigger warning: the book carries heavy themes. They didn’t rattle me as I believe such stories need to exist to shed light on social issues that are often overlooked, even within our own country or the world in general.
Kanza Javed captures our realities with honesty and nuance, making the characters feel painfully real, flawed, vulnerable, and deeply human. There is a host of characters, all social classes, myriad/range of problems, every reader will find something to connect with.
The stories are truly heart-breaking, but beautifully told. Took me a while to recover, but I loved every last word.
A small trigger warning: the book carries heavy themes. They didn’t rattle me as I believe such stories need to exist to shed light on social issues that are often overlooked, even within our own country or the world in general.
October 31, 2025
Each story in this collection is written with exceptional empathy. There were various female characters, daughters, mothers and wives, that stood out to me! The collection offered a glimpse into experiences I kept going back to – for example the narrator in 'My Bones Hold a Stillness' who's chosen to leave their home country only to be forced to face violence and lack of safety in their new environment. And then compared to the protagonist of 'Worry Doll' who was forced to move by circumstance but the safety of her new environment does not make up for what was lost from her life at home. What remains after a fire seemed to offer multiple perspectives, and each voice and story has stayed in my mind long after I finished the book.
November 21, 2025
I really enjoyed reading these short stories written by Kanza Javed. They feel very relatable to the current generation. They explore themes of immigration and loneliness. Also topics like how in islamic country(Pakistan) minorities are often sidelined. Their rights and basic needs treated as less important, almost as if they exist in the shadows.
The last two, exploring the above themes, were in particular my favourite.
These stories feel refreshing, yet still rooted in the past. It’s like reading something new that carries solid, familiar foundation.
Will definitely recommend reading them.✨
The last two, exploring the above themes, were in particular my favourite.
These stories feel refreshing, yet still rooted in the past. It’s like reading something new that carries solid, familiar foundation.
Will definitely recommend reading them.✨
December 9, 2025
This was a heavy read but a necessary and familiar one. I am glad to read to a Pakistani book which captures the country so well. Does not pander to a particular set of audience.
The tone of the book is quite heavy, bleak, sad, often about loss, grief, trauma, and harsh realities like crimes against women, immigrants and minorities. Kanza does not shy away from telling truth as it is.
Short stories by nature leave some things unsaid and may offer less closure than novels but somehow this book was fulfilling. We knew enough about the characters past and present. Enough about settings to immerse them.
Special appreciation for:
Rani
Stray Things
Ruby
My Bones Hold a Stillness
The tone of the book is quite heavy, bleak, sad, often about loss, grief, trauma, and harsh realities like crimes against women, immigrants and minorities. Kanza does not shy away from telling truth as it is.
Short stories by nature leave some things unsaid and may offer less closure than novels but somehow this book was fulfilling. We knew enough about the characters past and present. Enough about settings to immerse them.
Special appreciation for:
Rani
Stray Things
Ruby
My Bones Hold a Stillness
January 10, 2026
Loved this collection of stories published in 2025 by Pakistani author Kanza Javed. Eight stories: each one narrates the experience of a Pakistani woman in Pakistan or in the U.S.
The stories range from melancholic to sorrowful and heartbreaking—at times we are left with a hint of hope and other times we are faced with the claustrophobic experience of knowing there is no exit.
All stories reveal either a traumatic experience or a drastic change that has affected and defined the women's lives. What remains afterwards, further despair or the hope for a new beginning, differs for each woman.
The stories range from melancholic to sorrowful and heartbreaking—at times we are left with a hint of hope and other times we are faced with the claustrophobic experience of knowing there is no exit.
All stories reveal either a traumatic experience or a drastic change that has affected and defined the women's lives. What remains afterwards, further despair or the hope for a new beginning, differs for each woman.
July 8, 2025
This collection of short stories addresses the topic of death and loss in the 21st century by voicing the words of individuals that seek help in silence. Pakistani culture and familial obligations rarely allow Muslim women and children a chance to experience individuality. Self harm, poor choices, and the ongoing feeling of being lost in a world of chaos show us that mental health is a struggle for people of all kinds. I deeply recommend this book to any reader in search of a healthy dose of perspective.
December 5, 2025
Razor sharp prose, never stale or cold. I was recommended this book by a friend and I am so happy she did!
"What Remains After a Fire" is one of those books that quietly gets under your skin and then refuses to leave. It’s a stunning collection of standalone stories moving between Pakistan and the Pakistani diaspora in the US, focusing on people especially wome—who are trying to live, love, and stay whole in deeply unequal oppressive world. The character do not wallow in self-pity but are resilient, brutal.
I’m already looking forward to whatever Javed writes next.
"What Remains After a Fire" is one of those books that quietly gets under your skin and then refuses to leave. It’s a stunning collection of standalone stories moving between Pakistan and the Pakistani diaspora in the US, focusing on people especially wome—who are trying to live, love, and stay whole in deeply unequal oppressive world. The character do not wallow in self-pity but are resilient, brutal.
I’m already looking forward to whatever Javed writes next.
December 5, 2025
I finished this in 2 days and kind of...sat with it. Kanza Javed writes about ordinary lives: students, housewives, nurses, migrants but the emotional stakes always feel huge. There’s so much going on under the surface, peel back the layers: class, religion, gender, displacement, grief. And yet nothing feels preachy or schematic. I like that in stories when writer does not declaim, just tells their story. Her characters don’t exist to make a point; they exist the way real people do, full of contradictions and bad decisions and tiny acts of courage. Really enjoyed this one.
August 31, 2025
Incredibly powerful, haunting, and timely. Kanza Javed's lyrical prose and ability to capture the heart of loneliness, displacement, and resounding joy make this a must read. Each story carries a distinct truth folded into oscillating beautiful landscapes and compelling characters. Javed asks us as readers how to cope with a fragile and imperfect world while finding pockets of peace and connection with our deepest humanity.
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