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The Sufi Storyteller
In this contemporary murder mystery, an estranged mother and daughter urgently need to reconnect and navigate a world of Sufi story traditions to catch a killer, and to save each other.
There is a dead woman in the library. Layla is a scholar of women’s histories and stories. Her life is a carefully constructed set of routines in her small American liberal arts college, but all of that is about to change...
Mira is a renowned Sufi storyteller who is running from a terrible past. When she learns that the murdered woman in the library was carrying a note from the killer addressed to her, she is presented with an opportunity to break a cycle of trauma and hurt. To confront her past, she must disclose the truth to Layla.
Together they enter the realm of Story, but can Layla find the forgiveness in her heart necessary to lead them to the answers they are looking for?
There is a dead woman in the library. Layla is a scholar of women’s histories and stories. Her life is a carefully constructed set of routines in her small American liberal arts college, but all of that is about to change...
Mira is a renowned Sufi storyteller who is running from a terrible past. When she learns that the murdered woman in the library was carrying a note from the killer addressed to her, she is presented with an opportunity to break a cycle of trauma and hurt. To confront her past, she must disclose the truth to Layla.
Together they enter the realm of Story, but can Layla find the forgiveness in her heart necessary to lead them to the answers they are looking for?
343 pages, Paperback
Published August 20, 2025
15 people are currently reading
233 people want to read
About the author
Faiqa Mansab
4 books157 followersFaiqa Mansab is a Pakistani author. Her first novel This House of Clay and Water was published by Penguin India in 2017. It was longlisted for the Getz Pharma Literary Award and the German Consulate Peace Prize in 2018. The novel was Amazon Editor’s Pick Januwary 2018, Amazon International Women’s Fiction Pick 2018, and appeared in many must read lists in India and Pakistan. The novel has been translated into Turkish, is available as audiobook by Blackstone Publishing USA and has been optioned for screen adaptation.
Faiqa has an MFA in creative writing with a distinction and Best MFA Thesis Award from Kingston University London. She has an MA in Gender Studies from Birkbeck University London. She also holds an MA in English Literature and an MPhil in English and World Literature.
Faiqa was awarded the Amjad Chaudhry Award in Literature in 1995 Kinnaird College for Women Lahore. She was awarded the British Chevening Award in 2019 and is the recipient of the Saari Fellowship for 2024.Faiqa’s new novel The Storyteller will be out with Neem Tree Press UK and Penguin India in 2024.
Faiqa has an MFA in creative writing with a distinction and Best MFA Thesis Award from Kingston University London. She has an MA in Gender Studies from Birkbeck University London. She also holds an MA in English Literature and an MPhil in English and World Literature.
Faiqa was awarded the Amjad Chaudhry Award in Literature in 1995 Kinnaird College for Women Lahore. She was awarded the British Chevening Award in 2019 and is the recipient of the Saari Fellowship for 2024.Faiqa’s new novel The Storyteller will be out with Neem Tree Press UK and Penguin India in 2024.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
December 11, 2024
Rich, evocative and immensely compelling, this is a novel that you will read and then immediately reread. The moment I started reading it, I knew it would be an immense novel, the kind that takes over your senses so that you think, feel and breathe just that book while you're reading it. Multi-layered, poignant and gripping, this will appeal to readers looking for quality literary fiction with a crime twist. With this novel, Mansab retains her reputation as one of Pakistan's finest writers.
March 31, 2025
When I discovered that Faiqa Mansab's new book 'The Sufi Storyteller' was coming out soon, I was very excited. I loved her last book, 'This House of Clay and Water', and so was looking forward to reading this one. Any new Faiqa Mansab book is an event, and this new book was coming out after eight years, and so fans were eagerly waiting for it. I got the book as soon as it came out last week, and finished reading it yesterday.
Layla is a professor at a small American university. She teaches classes on storytelling and the symbolism behind stories and the multiple layers of stories and how to unravel them to reach the truth at the core. Her focus is on Sufi stories. Layla is also on a quest. She is searching for her birth mom. While she is communicating her love for stories to her students and at the same time going on a quest, strange things start happening in her life. As one thing leads to another, the past comes tumbling out of the Pandora's Box with unexpected surprises and unpredictable consequences. What happens after that forms the rest of the story.
I've kept the description of the book suitably vague so that you can experience the pleasures of the story yourself.
'The Sufi Storyteller' is a beautiful literary mystery. It is also a book about stories, especially Sufi stories and their layers and depth and their hidden meanings. The analysis of classic fairytales and mythological stories in the book is fascinating. It is an education. It is like attending the class of your favourite professor. The book is also a beautiful love letter to food. The book also offers an insightful commentary on the contemporary world and the human condition, especially on the challenges and hardships that women navigate everyday. This part of the book was very powerful and moving.
I loved all the major characters in the story, and some of the minor characters too. Layla is, of course, a fascinating character, and her mom Hasina is a very beautiful soul. The scenes in which Hasina makes her appearance is filled with beautiful descriptions and conversations on food and they are some of my favourite parts from the book. The mysterious Mira, who gives lectures on stories and their meanings, is a fascinating character. Kamli, the storyteller, is a beautiful soul, and she was one of my favourites too. I also loved Gul, Layla's student, and Sultan, Layla's cat. There are other beautiful characters too, but I'll stop here.
There are three parts in the book. The first part happens in the current time, the second part is narrated by one of the main characters and is set in the past, and the third part continues the story from the first part. I loved all the three parts, but my favourite was the second part. It was the hardest to read, because the story it told was harrowing and heartbreaking, and I cried a lot, but it was also my favourite.
Faiqa Mansab's writing is very beautiful and my highlighting pen was working overtime highlighting my favourite passages.
I loved 'The Sufi Storyteller'. Fans like me have been waiting for a long time for Faiqa Mansab's new book, and it has been worth the wait. Glad I got to read it.
Sharing some of my favourite parts from the book.
"Mourning and grief were not the same. One could stop mourning, but grief was a hollow darkness that carved its home in the heart. Grief permeated the cells of one's skin, and bones and teeth. It ate one up, one nibble at a time. Slowly, painfully."
"At times she could recall the geography of the mountainous wastelands where she'd grown up, and yet she couldn't recall the topography of her birth mother's face."
"The desert wasn't merely a physical place. You carried it within you. Just like your past. It was who you were. It blew into your eyes and your throat and your mouth. It settled inside the cavities of your nose. It made your blood gritty and your skin rough. It never quite washed out of your pores no matter how damp the city you hid yourself in, the desert stayed with you. People often forgot the cold desert of dry mountain lands. Desert meant the ochre fine grain of hot countries to most people. She knew better."
"Some stories you walk into, unaware that they are traps. They weave their web of words paralyzing you with wonder; words that seep into your blood and become plasma in your veins. They never let you go. They make you their home.
I walked into a story one day."
"People who don't know themselves are the ones who make the best stories because they are in the process of becoming. When we are on the journey of becoming, we are in transition. That means feeding the soul with love, solitude and growth. When we feed the soul, it heals the darkness and the wounds of the hidden self, and each soul requires different ways of healing."
"My life before this imprisonment had had a veneer of freedom. A difference of opinion, an ability to walk away had implied freedom of thought. Freedom of speech had given the impression of development but had been sanctioned by state, law and normative traditions. The truth was that anything which didn't fit the already circumscribed notions of acceptability, logic, civilization, already defined by culture and history, those differences, those dissenting voices and choices, were rejected. Words themselves were prisoners. Language itself was enslaved. And although following the rules sometimes meant a sort of freedom, it was only a poor shadow of it. There was no true freedom anywhere, Not even where I had come from."
"All of life is ritual. The rituals we practice daily without thought, without attaching any value to them, influence our lives deeply and make us who we are. They have an intangible power that seeps within us so gradually we don't ever get a sense of it. We become what our rituals have prepared us to be.
Showering in the morning prepares us to face what the day might bring. It is quick and hurried because the energy is reserved for the day ahead. Bathing at night is a longer, slower ritual. It is about cleansing, washing away the impurities of negativity and toxic encounters. Lighting a candle is an invocation and a luxury of fragrance and of time and overt meditation. Cooking is therapeutic and for healing, bonding. Helping someone, friend or stranger, is an offering. Denying yourself, even if it is as small and insignificant a thing as a coffee, is sacrifice and sacrifice is pure energy, pure power.
Rituals are most powerful when there is clear intention behind them. We can change our lives if we prepare with clear intention. But even without intention rituals have some power. I had to find a balance between what was outside of me and what was within me, what was overt and what covert."
Have you read 'The Sufi Storyteller'? What do you think about it?
Layla is a professor at a small American university. She teaches classes on storytelling and the symbolism behind stories and the multiple layers of stories and how to unravel them to reach the truth at the core. Her focus is on Sufi stories. Layla is also on a quest. She is searching for her birth mom. While she is communicating her love for stories to her students and at the same time going on a quest, strange things start happening in her life. As one thing leads to another, the past comes tumbling out of the Pandora's Box with unexpected surprises and unpredictable consequences. What happens after that forms the rest of the story.
I've kept the description of the book suitably vague so that you can experience the pleasures of the story yourself.
'The Sufi Storyteller' is a beautiful literary mystery. It is also a book about stories, especially Sufi stories and their layers and depth and their hidden meanings. The analysis of classic fairytales and mythological stories in the book is fascinating. It is an education. It is like attending the class of your favourite professor. The book is also a beautiful love letter to food. The book also offers an insightful commentary on the contemporary world and the human condition, especially on the challenges and hardships that women navigate everyday. This part of the book was very powerful and moving.
I loved all the major characters in the story, and some of the minor characters too. Layla is, of course, a fascinating character, and her mom Hasina is a very beautiful soul. The scenes in which Hasina makes her appearance is filled with beautiful descriptions and conversations on food and they are some of my favourite parts from the book. The mysterious Mira, who gives lectures on stories and their meanings, is a fascinating character. Kamli, the storyteller, is a beautiful soul, and she was one of my favourites too. I also loved Gul, Layla's student, and Sultan, Layla's cat. There are other beautiful characters too, but I'll stop here.
There are three parts in the book. The first part happens in the current time, the second part is narrated by one of the main characters and is set in the past, and the third part continues the story from the first part. I loved all the three parts, but my favourite was the second part. It was the hardest to read, because the story it told was harrowing and heartbreaking, and I cried a lot, but it was also my favourite.
Faiqa Mansab's writing is very beautiful and my highlighting pen was working overtime highlighting my favourite passages.
I loved 'The Sufi Storyteller'. Fans like me have been waiting for a long time for Faiqa Mansab's new book, and it has been worth the wait. Glad I got to read it.
Sharing some of my favourite parts from the book.
"Mourning and grief were not the same. One could stop mourning, but grief was a hollow darkness that carved its home in the heart. Grief permeated the cells of one's skin, and bones and teeth. It ate one up, one nibble at a time. Slowly, painfully."
"At times she could recall the geography of the mountainous wastelands where she'd grown up, and yet she couldn't recall the topography of her birth mother's face."
"The desert wasn't merely a physical place. You carried it within you. Just like your past. It was who you were. It blew into your eyes and your throat and your mouth. It settled inside the cavities of your nose. It made your blood gritty and your skin rough. It never quite washed out of your pores no matter how damp the city you hid yourself in, the desert stayed with you. People often forgot the cold desert of dry mountain lands. Desert meant the ochre fine grain of hot countries to most people. She knew better."
"Some stories you walk into, unaware that they are traps. They weave their web of words paralyzing you with wonder; words that seep into your blood and become plasma in your veins. They never let you go. They make you their home.
I walked into a story one day."
"People who don't know themselves are the ones who make the best stories because they are in the process of becoming. When we are on the journey of becoming, we are in transition. That means feeding the soul with love, solitude and growth. When we feed the soul, it heals the darkness and the wounds of the hidden self, and each soul requires different ways of healing."
"My life before this imprisonment had had a veneer of freedom. A difference of opinion, an ability to walk away had implied freedom of thought. Freedom of speech had given the impression of development but had been sanctioned by state, law and normative traditions. The truth was that anything which didn't fit the already circumscribed notions of acceptability, logic, civilization, already defined by culture and history, those differences, those dissenting voices and choices, were rejected. Words themselves were prisoners. Language itself was enslaved. And although following the rules sometimes meant a sort of freedom, it was only a poor shadow of it. There was no true freedom anywhere, Not even where I had come from."
"All of life is ritual. The rituals we practice daily without thought, without attaching any value to them, influence our lives deeply and make us who we are. They have an intangible power that seeps within us so gradually we don't ever get a sense of it. We become what our rituals have prepared us to be.
Showering in the morning prepares us to face what the day might bring. It is quick and hurried because the energy is reserved for the day ahead. Bathing at night is a longer, slower ritual. It is about cleansing, washing away the impurities of negativity and toxic encounters. Lighting a candle is an invocation and a luxury of fragrance and of time and overt meditation. Cooking is therapeutic and for healing, bonding. Helping someone, friend or stranger, is an offering. Denying yourself, even if it is as small and insignificant a thing as a coffee, is sacrifice and sacrifice is pure energy, pure power.
Rituals are most powerful when there is clear intention behind them. We can change our lives if we prepare with clear intention. But even without intention rituals have some power. I had to find a balance between what was outside of me and what was within me, what was overt and what covert."
Have you read 'The Sufi Storyteller'? What do you think about it?
January 16, 2025
This was my first exposure to Pakistani author Faiqa Mansab and I absolutely loved this. But it certainly won't be for everyone. If you go into this book expecting magical realism or Middle Eastern-inspired fantasy, you'll likely be bored. I'd classify this book as upmarket women's fiction and the magical realism in it is rooted in the cultural traditions passed down by women storytellers, but that's not the point of it. The point of it is female rage and power.
The story takes place on a college campus in rural Illinois, where scholar Layla researches the cultural impact of storytelling and begrudgingly teaches, while she tortures herself hunting down the mother who transformatively abandoned her as a child. She spends lovely days with her adoptive mother, who tells stories of her own through the art of cooking, which I could taste and smell on the page through the vivid descriptions of food and aunties lovingly chattering as Layla's slum-adopted cat winds his way among their feet.
It then alternates to Afghanistan, where Layla's mother, a bold and naive war correspondent from New York, was captured by a tribal chieftan and held for 12 years, forced into marriage and raped daily until she bore children against her will.
The legacy of that violence is passed down through their family as a trail of murders follows Layla to her new campus, where she reunites with her mother in a strained, bitter union, a practicality to help solve the mystery. Her mother is also a scholar of Sufi storytelling.
The pace was a little jagged for me; this is character-driven women's fiction and I felt there were some gaps in Layla's story; did she just have selective amnesia about her childhood in Afghanistan due to trauma? But she was at least 10 when they fled. It was dominated by academic, philosophical musings about the nature and purpose of storytelling, which I found interesting but also bogged things down.
The men in this book were kind of flat characters, caricatures of toxic masculinity, and I wished they'd had a little more dimension or complexity to add more surprise.
As a result the murder mystery appeared to be an afterthought amid the larger interpersonal themes, and was rushed through in the last 30%. I predicted who the murderer was early on and this was probably the most pedantic part of the book.
So like Professor Rezi once accused Layla, her academic study of stories also dehumanized them and took away their magic, and I found that was an issue in this book as well. But also appropriate, given the Sufi tradition of stories within the larger story.
All in all, this was a beautifully written book that made me think, a story of misogyny, generational trauma and oppression and the way stories can either save us or help us run away from our past. It all depends on the listener and what they bring into the story as they hear it as much as the storyteller's intentions and cultural framework.
As a lover of books and stories and the magic they hold over my own life, I certainly appreciated that message. I will be thinking about this important and challenging book for a very long time. This is the kind of book for people who like to think critically about the literature they consume, and it is not for those who prefer to consume story to escape the horrors of the world.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The story takes place on a college campus in rural Illinois, where scholar Layla researches the cultural impact of storytelling and begrudgingly teaches, while she tortures herself hunting down the mother who transformatively abandoned her as a child. She spends lovely days with her adoptive mother, who tells stories of her own through the art of cooking, which I could taste and smell on the page through the vivid descriptions of food and aunties lovingly chattering as Layla's slum-adopted cat winds his way among their feet.
It then alternates to Afghanistan, where Layla's mother, a bold and naive war correspondent from New York, was captured by a tribal chieftan and held for 12 years, forced into marriage and raped daily until she bore children against her will.
The legacy of that violence is passed down through their family as a trail of murders follows Layla to her new campus, where she reunites with her mother in a strained, bitter union, a practicality to help solve the mystery. Her mother is also a scholar of Sufi storytelling.
The pace was a little jagged for me; this is character-driven women's fiction and I felt there were some gaps in Layla's story; did she just have selective amnesia about her childhood in Afghanistan due to trauma? But she was at least 10 when they fled. It was dominated by academic, philosophical musings about the nature and purpose of storytelling, which I found interesting but also bogged things down.
The men in this book were kind of flat characters, caricatures of toxic masculinity, and I wished they'd had a little more dimension or complexity to add more surprise.
As a result the murder mystery appeared to be an afterthought amid the larger interpersonal themes, and was rushed through in the last 30%. I predicted who the murderer was early on and this was probably the most pedantic part of the book.
So like Professor Rezi once accused Layla, her academic study of stories also dehumanized them and took away their magic, and I found that was an issue in this book as well. But also appropriate, given the Sufi tradition of stories within the larger story.
All in all, this was a beautifully written book that made me think, a story of misogyny, generational trauma and oppression and the way stories can either save us or help us run away from our past. It all depends on the listener and what they bring into the story as they hear it as much as the storyteller's intentions and cultural framework.
As a lover of books and stories and the magic they hold over my own life, I certainly appreciated that message. I will be thinking about this important and challenging book for a very long time. This is the kind of book for people who like to think critically about the literature they consume, and it is not for those who prefer to consume story to escape the horrors of the world.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 30, 2025
Faiqa Mansab's book, The Sufi Storyteller, is a syncretic novel that mixes murder mystery with Sufi mysticism, feminist folklore, and spiritual contemplation. Honestly, it is less about the murder mystery; it is a single bead in the chain.
The book discusses the power stories carry (so many lines are annotation worthy), the fractured mother-daughter bond and how it grows back, and the anecdotes that stories can heal, protect, and guide those who seek.
Here's a thing: this book may resonate particularly well if you love atmospheric, lyrical writing, psychological depth and myth-infused storytelling.
On the other hand, readers expecting a tightly structured mystery with clear-cut closure might feel let down. I don't blame the author. I come from a marketing and PR background, and I wish the way this book was marketed and promoted had positioned it right.
I liked the book and will only recommend it to someone who will reciprocate with this genre.
#TheSufiStoryteller #FaiqaMansab #SouthAsianLiterature #BookstagramIndia #LiteraryFiction #SufiMysticism #MysteryReads #FeministFiction #StorytellingMagic #BooksOfInstagram #ContemporaryFiction #PakistaniAuthor #ReadersOfInstagram #WomenInLiterature #BookReviewCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookLoversClub #SpiritualReads #FictionWithDepth #BookDiscussion
The book discusses the power stories carry (so many lines are annotation worthy), the fractured mother-daughter bond and how it grows back, and the anecdotes that stories can heal, protect, and guide those who seek.
Here's a thing: this book may resonate particularly well if you love atmospheric, lyrical writing, psychological depth and myth-infused storytelling.
On the other hand, readers expecting a tightly structured mystery with clear-cut closure might feel let down. I don't blame the author. I come from a marketing and PR background, and I wish the way this book was marketed and promoted had positioned it right.
I liked the book and will only recommend it to someone who will reciprocate with this genre.
#TheSufiStoryteller #FaiqaMansab #SouthAsianLiterature #BookstagramIndia #LiteraryFiction #SufiMysticism #MysteryReads #FeministFiction #StorytellingMagic #BooksOfInstagram #ContemporaryFiction #PakistaniAuthor #ReadersOfInstagram #WomenInLiterature #BookReviewCommunity #BookRecommendations #BookLoversClub #SpiritualReads #FictionWithDepth #BookDiscussion
March 4, 2025
Faiqa Mansab is one of the best voices of Pakistan.I had high expectations from The Sufi Storyteller and I was not disappointed.
This is not just your regular murder mystery.It has a strong plot centred around women who represent the realities of the world we live in.Mansab takes us through different landscapes while exploring characters and relationships against different cultural practices.
As the name suggests, story telling is at the backdrop of this novel.Using symbols, number and concepts intrinsic to the age old practice of story telling, Mansab has revealed not only the beauty of this art but also built a plot that rests on this and comes into its own gradually, leaving the reader satisfied with the turn of events.You think, question and ponder as she takes you through the labyrinth of events and time zones that explore the themes of betrayal, loss and love.
I would give The Sufi Storyteller a 5 star since it unravels a mystery using unconventional ways and sets a framework that is unparalleled in the world of crime and murder mysteries.Overall, a top notch read.
This is not just your regular murder mystery.It has a strong plot centred around women who represent the realities of the world we live in.Mansab takes us through different landscapes while exploring characters and relationships against different cultural practices.
As the name suggests, story telling is at the backdrop of this novel.Using symbols, number and concepts intrinsic to the age old practice of story telling, Mansab has revealed not only the beauty of this art but also built a plot that rests on this and comes into its own gradually, leaving the reader satisfied with the turn of events.You think, question and ponder as she takes you through the labyrinth of events and time zones that explore the themes of betrayal, loss and love.
I would give The Sufi Storyteller a 5 star since it unravels a mystery using unconventional ways and sets a framework that is unparalleled in the world of crime and murder mysteries.Overall, a top notch read.
November 25, 2025
-There Shall Be Blood-
Review of 'The Sufi Storyteller' by Faiqa Mansab
Quote Alert
"𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. 𝐎𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 ���𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐲𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧. 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧, ��𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐞𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦. 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐭? 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫@𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲? 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫? 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞. 𝐒𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬. 𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬. 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫."
(Something terrible had happened now. She had ignored it the first time and another woman had been murdered because she had not paid attention.)
At 32 a professor in Ohio, Layla has already written five books, all revolving around sufi storytelling. In spite of a liberal sprinkling of grey in her hair, she is considered too young to deserve deference by the academics. She believes in odd numbers but not in coincidences. And she believes that a murder that desecrated a library is a lid off a cauldron of festering secrets that is going to break all hell loose sooner rather than later.
A library, a cafe, a cat from Lahore and a woman who left New York: The Sufi Storyteller is packed with stuff notorious to warm the cockles of reading hearts. And oh, did I forget to mention a murder? There are two here. At least in the beginning. And a pattern, as suspected by our pathos-soaked heroine. Because: "Coincidence was a concept Layla did not subscribe to, because coincidence was a marker in stories urging the protagonist and the reader to scrutinize the situation more closely...In stories, coincidence was never truly a fluke. If something happened twice, there was a pattern."
The author masterfully builds a tight sense of dread peeking between the lines, leaving little packets of apprehension at reader's doorstep. A hint of past connection, not just one but a series of murders, all this leads to a gradual cranking of suspense. Have a look:
"Stories might emerge from reality, but reality emerged from stories too. She did not remember much of her past, but she remembered enough to know that if it ever caught up with her, she would be in trouble. The kind of trouble that was staring her in the face. The cold, acrid stench of the room made her gag. The woman was naked and spread-eagled in an obscene, vulnerable fashion. The smell in Layla's nostrils was her own rancid fear, not just the heavy curdling of dead blood."
"Jine lahore nai vekhya o jamya e ni": Lahore flits twice in first dozen pages. And more than the mention of New York, it thrills me, putting me on the edge of anticipation, trying to guess if the story has its bones buried in that town. There is a promise of lost love: a certain Khayyam. ("Or maybe she looked for clues of Lahore wherever she found herself, to keep the memory of Khayyam close. So close, she could smell him.") And maybe we will know the backstory of Sultan the cat. These little bread crumbs of anticipation are what makes this story electric, thrumming it with an electricity to counter the blues we find our heroine drowning in.
There is a smattering of interesting conversations and facts in the story. The bits about odd numbers, Don Quixote being inspired from Mullah Nasiruddin are quite engaging. There are books that talk about books and this one does that (The Arabian Nights, The Conference of Birds) and how wonderful it is! And it talks about stories and their ever changing nature. Have a look:
"When I first began to study stories," Layla said, "I wondered how they were preserved and how they migrated across borders and boundaries, and who were these people making sure they were passed on? Stories change their face but the bones remain."
Apart from this, the book also talks about Sufi mythology which is mysterious and heartening simultaneously. Have a look:
"There's an old Sufi legend about there being a Pole, the Universal Man, or Perfect Man, the world's spiritual leader.There are four pillars who support him and together they serve the world. And often save it too. They don't seek attention and always remain secret. Knowledge is passed to them and through them. They are the Axis Mundi. There are five such people in every era and they serve humanity and their spiritual well-being."
Faiqa Mansab is the author of bestselling 'This House of Clay and Water'. Her prose is superlative. The writing, in many passages and pages, flickers like a flame, words burning themselves upon my reader's palate while I try and not let my wings singe like a common moth.
The story moves slowly but definitively: like that machine you can see in small South Indian food joints, mixing thick slurry of dosa batter round and round. The ingredients are all there and just you wait to dig into the final product of the recipe the author has concocted: extremely satisfying!
A loud reader's burp recorded!
Review of 'The Sufi Storyteller' by Faiqa Mansab
Quote Alert
"𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. 𝐎𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 ���𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐲𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧. 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧, ��𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐞𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦. 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐭? 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫@𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲? 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫? 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞. 𝐒𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬. 𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬. 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫."
(Something terrible had happened now. She had ignored it the first time and another woman had been murdered because she had not paid attention.)
At 32 a professor in Ohio, Layla has already written five books, all revolving around sufi storytelling. In spite of a liberal sprinkling of grey in her hair, she is considered too young to deserve deference by the academics. She believes in odd numbers but not in coincidences. And she believes that a murder that desecrated a library is a lid off a cauldron of festering secrets that is going to break all hell loose sooner rather than later.
A library, a cafe, a cat from Lahore and a woman who left New York: The Sufi Storyteller is packed with stuff notorious to warm the cockles of reading hearts. And oh, did I forget to mention a murder? There are two here. At least in the beginning. And a pattern, as suspected by our pathos-soaked heroine. Because: "Coincidence was a concept Layla did not subscribe to, because coincidence was a marker in stories urging the protagonist and the reader to scrutinize the situation more closely...In stories, coincidence was never truly a fluke. If something happened twice, there was a pattern."
The author masterfully builds a tight sense of dread peeking between the lines, leaving little packets of apprehension at reader's doorstep. A hint of past connection, not just one but a series of murders, all this leads to a gradual cranking of suspense. Have a look:
"Stories might emerge from reality, but reality emerged from stories too. She did not remember much of her past, but she remembered enough to know that if it ever caught up with her, she would be in trouble. The kind of trouble that was staring her in the face. The cold, acrid stench of the room made her gag. The woman was naked and spread-eagled in an obscene, vulnerable fashion. The smell in Layla's nostrils was her own rancid fear, not just the heavy curdling of dead blood."
"Jine lahore nai vekhya o jamya e ni": Lahore flits twice in first dozen pages. And more than the mention of New York, it thrills me, putting me on the edge of anticipation, trying to guess if the story has its bones buried in that town. There is a promise of lost love: a certain Khayyam. ("Or maybe she looked for clues of Lahore wherever she found herself, to keep the memory of Khayyam close. So close, she could smell him.") And maybe we will know the backstory of Sultan the cat. These little bread crumbs of anticipation are what makes this story electric, thrumming it with an electricity to counter the blues we find our heroine drowning in.
There is a smattering of interesting conversations and facts in the story. The bits about odd numbers, Don Quixote being inspired from Mullah Nasiruddin are quite engaging. There are books that talk about books and this one does that (The Arabian Nights, The Conference of Birds) and how wonderful it is! And it talks about stories and their ever changing nature. Have a look:
"When I first began to study stories," Layla said, "I wondered how they were preserved and how they migrated across borders and boundaries, and who were these people making sure they were passed on? Stories change their face but the bones remain."
Apart from this, the book also talks about Sufi mythology which is mysterious and heartening simultaneously. Have a look:
"There's an old Sufi legend about there being a Pole, the Universal Man, or Perfect Man, the world's spiritual leader.There are four pillars who support him and together they serve the world. And often save it too. They don't seek attention and always remain secret. Knowledge is passed to them and through them. They are the Axis Mundi. There are five such people in every era and they serve humanity and their spiritual well-being."
Faiqa Mansab is the author of bestselling 'This House of Clay and Water'. Her prose is superlative. The writing, in many passages and pages, flickers like a flame, words burning themselves upon my reader's palate while I try and not let my wings singe like a common moth.
The story moves slowly but definitively: like that machine you can see in small South Indian food joints, mixing thick slurry of dosa batter round and round. The ingredients are all there and just you wait to dig into the final product of the recipe the author has concocted: extremely satisfying!
A loud reader's burp recorded!
December 10, 2024
Faiqa Mansab’s The Sufi Storyteller is an evocative tapestry of language and atmosphere, masterfully blending lyrical prose with vivid descriptions that transport readers across continents and into the realm of Story itself. Mansab’s writing is rich, immersive, and poetic, weaving a hypnotic rhythm that mirrors the traditions of Sufi storytelling. Each page resonates with a sensory depth—whether she is describing the intricate details of a small American college town or the rugged beauty of the Afghan mountains.
What truly sets this book apart is Mansab's command of language; her sentences flow with a fluidity that feels almost musical, drawing readers into a world where words hold both beauty and power. The layers of meaning embedded in the descriptions invite reflection and linger long after the final page. If you appreciate stories where the prose feels like art, The Sufi Storyteller is a must-read.
What truly sets this book apart is Mansab's command of language; her sentences flow with a fluidity that feels almost musical, drawing readers into a world where words hold both beauty and power. The layers of meaning embedded in the descriptions invite reflection and linger long after the final page. If you appreciate stories where the prose feels like art, The Sufi Storyteller is a must-read.
March 27, 2025
In this fascinating murder mystery, readers follow Layla, a women's history and stories scholar, and Mira, a renowned Sufi storyteller running from her past. When a murdered woman in the library at a small American liberal arts college has a note from the killer addressed to Mira, Mira must confront her past, tell Layla the truth, and break the cycle of trauma she is trapped in. Entering the realm of Story together will give them a chance to catch the killer, but Layla must find the forgiveness to lead the two women to the answers they need. A fascinating multiple-perspective and nonlinear murder mystery, the novel is unique, intriguing, and totally immersive, and readers will love the complicated path ahead of Layla and Mina. The two women are complex and realistic characters whose separate and shared narratives really draw readers into the story because the complexity and intrigue really need their two minds to close out this case. The story and cultural elements woven into the story really bring it to life, and the setting is perfect for this small yet deeply personal murder mystery, and readers will love solving this case and exploring this fascinating new setting in this brilliant new release.
Thanks to NetGalley, Unbound, and Neem Tree Press for the advance copy.
Thanks to NetGalley, Unbound, and Neem Tree Press for the advance copy.
June 3, 2025
Faiqa Mansab doesn’t just write a novel, she weaves a spiritual experience through storytelling. Her characters carry grief, longing, love, and the ache of disconnection from tradition. But they also carry light, the kind that glows slowly but surely in the dark. There were pages where I paused, just to breathe and feel what she’d said.
What moved me most was how the novel doesn’t preach Sufism, it lives it. The silence between verses, the dargahs, the stories passed down by women it all felt real, lived, sacred. As a woman who’s seen these elements dismissed or forgotten, I felt both seen and held.
What moved me most was how the novel doesn’t preach Sufism, it lives it. The silence between verses, the dargahs, the stories passed down by women it all felt real, lived, sacred. As a woman who’s seen these elements dismissed or forgotten, I felt both seen and held.
June 30, 2025
The Sufi Storyteller tells a Story, Which You Must Know. The Storyteller Sails the Story Boat on the Water of Sufism, having one Paddle of Mysticism n another Paddle is of interwoven layers of Human Relations. And, while Navigating the twists n turns, this Boat Will Reach at the Port of Your Heart in Such a Way, that You’ll Always Remember...
June 24, 2025
Drawing on ancient narratives from fairy tales to Sufi stories the book weaves tales that echo the shared human longing for love and spiritual connection. Furthermore the book not only revives ancient wisdom but reimagines it as a tool of resistance, healing, and empowerment for contemporary women.
All the while telling its own page turning, heart rending story. I couldn’t put it down.
All the while telling its own page turning, heart rending story. I couldn’t put it down.
April 20, 2025
Currently Reading - and talking about it with everyone... and not being able to truly explain how its an interesting story within sentences that make me appreciate the English language :)
update - completed.
This was a terrific read. in places verbose & a middle section (Mira's captivity & escape) which was a tad disturbing but a murder mystery that kept me guessing till 83% of the story.
Where this book really shines for me, is her prose - the way she uses language and sentences is beautiful and the storytelling within this story, with the sufi stories & their meanings & deeper symbology at play & women as the ultimate keeper & teller of stories...uff, what a treat for a reader!!
could there have been fewer sentences and a few less repetitions, yes, but since it also is a way for the author to layer more meaning to the story, it was okay. here i'd say the editor could have cut back/tightened it up a bit, as being a writer myself, i can see how the author may have found it difficult to cut lines.
Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC.
update - completed.
This was a terrific read. in places verbose & a middle section (Mira's captivity & escape) which was a tad disturbing but a murder mystery that kept me guessing till 83% of the story.
Where this book really shines for me, is her prose - the way she uses language and sentences is beautiful and the storytelling within this story, with the sufi stories & their meanings & deeper symbology at play & women as the ultimate keeper & teller of stories...uff, what a treat for a reader!!
could there have been fewer sentences and a few less repetitions, yes, but since it also is a way for the author to layer more meaning to the story, it was okay. here i'd say the editor could have cut back/tightened it up a bit, as being a writer myself, i can see how the author may have found it difficult to cut lines.
Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC.
May 4, 2025
When I came to know that a new book by @faiqamansab will be releasing in 2025, I was eager to request its ARC on @netgalley & I was genuinely over the moon when my request for #thesufistoryteller got approved. But as fate would have it, reading slump was just around the corner & I only finished it in April. But what an epic journey it was! A highly recommended book, for sure.
Now, it has been a month since I finished it but I couldn't find the right words to review it. Idk if it is good enough, but I am going to share my thoughts today.
Book Review:
The Sufi Storyteller takes the reader on a journey of USA, Afghanistan & Lahore. It is an immensely well-researched book that is not only about a murder mystery but talks explicitly about the art of storytelling with a special emphasis on Sufi storytelling & its power through centuries. There are numerous references of historical incidents & how women play a very significant role in storytelling and finding a way out for themselves amidst the cruelty, betrayal, wrongdoings & human rights violations inflicted upon them. It is a also a story of revenge, of finding a way out for escaping the prison of local captors (afghani talibs/ village commanders in this case), carving a whole new life for yourself but can a person really escape?
It is also a search of a daughter for her long-lost mother & of dealing with the abandonment despite it being years ago. The trauma that never leaves you.
It is amazing how the first book is written with the perspective of the daughter who keeps finding dead bodies in her vicinity, the second book deals with the backstory of the mother & the dots are connected in a third book with so many twists and turns.
I think, this book should be read at least twice, because the metaphors, the references to storytelling, the various clues hidden in ordinary items, the importance of Sufi symbols are very complicated. It is an absolutely delightful experience, nonetheless.
About the end, I really wanted an additional chapter, an epilogue, perhaps.
I really appreciate the author for all the hardwork that she put in this book! ✨️
Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and the author for this eARC.
Now, it has been a month since I finished it but I couldn't find the right words to review it. Idk if it is good enough, but I am going to share my thoughts today.
Book Review:
The Sufi Storyteller takes the reader on a journey of USA, Afghanistan & Lahore. It is an immensely well-researched book that is not only about a murder mystery but talks explicitly about the art of storytelling with a special emphasis on Sufi storytelling & its power through centuries. There are numerous references of historical incidents & how women play a very significant role in storytelling and finding a way out for themselves amidst the cruelty, betrayal, wrongdoings & human rights violations inflicted upon them. It is a also a story of revenge, of finding a way out for escaping the prison of local captors (afghani talibs/ village commanders in this case), carving a whole new life for yourself but can a person really escape?
It is also a search of a daughter for her long-lost mother & of dealing with the abandonment despite it being years ago. The trauma that never leaves you.
It is amazing how the first book is written with the perspective of the daughter who keeps finding dead bodies in her vicinity, the second book deals with the backstory of the mother & the dots are connected in a third book with so many twists and turns.
I think, this book should be read at least twice, because the metaphors, the references to storytelling, the various clues hidden in ordinary items, the importance of Sufi symbols are very complicated. It is an absolutely delightful experience, nonetheless.
About the end, I really wanted an additional chapter, an epilogue, perhaps.
I really appreciate the author for all the hardwork that she put in this book! ✨️
Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and the author for this eARC.
February 17, 2025
The Sufi Storyteller follows our protagonist Layla, a university professor and author on Sufi storytelling. All of her life has been determined by the search for her biological mother, who abandoned her when she was only 9 years old.
"Stories are evidence that words are magic. Words have power. They invoke change and action, even in others. Words are the real magic, extant magic."
This novel opens with a murder on campus. Can this be connected to Layla's search for her mother? Storytelling convention tells her to pay attention. While The Sufi Storyteller opens with murder, and the blurb even calls it a murder mystery, I found this to be more of a backdrop to the reflections on storytelling, family relationships and feminism. Not in the least because of how easy it is to spot the murderer early on.
"Coincidence was a concept Layla did not subscribe to, because coincidence was a marker in stories urging the protagonist and the reader to scrutinize the situation more closely. Coincidence hinted at parallel truths, inter-conmectivity, histories and clues that may have been forgotten by the protagonist, but were vital to the story, and their own survival. In stories, coincidence was never truly a fluke. If something happened twice, there was a pattern."
Looking at this novel in that light I really enjoyed my time with it. Mansab uses gorgeous prose to tell us how storytelling both captures and shapes our lives. The stories we tell ourselves and each other, the themes in those stories that pop up in every culture, what these stories mean to each of us when we encounter them at just the right time and are able to decipher their meaning. I loved learning more about the origins of Sufi Storytelling and how it parallels and contrasts with the Western storytelling I am personally more familiar with. This story reads a lot like a historical fiction book without the historical setting.
"The story is the catalyst but not for all readers. It is a catalyst only if allowed to be by the reader's state of mind and self-awareness."
What I also enjoyed very much were the themes of womanhood, motherhood and feminism. There were interesting reflections on the oppression of women throughout history and their resistance. In the larger sense when it comes to Sufi Storytelling, in the women who were traditionally the storytellers and were often portrayed as Mother, Maiden and Crone. But in Western stories plots were often changed to make them appear weaker compared to men, needing saving by them. And also on a smaller scale in the resistance of women, like in Layla's birth mother's story we learn more about over the course of the story.
"Power is not female in the tales written by men."
Mansab excels in spinning an interesting tale which leaves us to ponder not only the story itself, but our lives in turn. It all feels very philosophical. She invites us to reflect on what stories mean in our lives, and what we can glean from them and thus apply to our existence. The combination of prose and overarching story make for a unique and memorable read. While I had a great time with the story overall, I would have liked a bit more from the ending. One or two more chapters, an epilogue, just to wrap things up nicely.
"Story develops fully and has most impact when it is shared, when it is discussed and mined for meaning, symbolism and subtext, as when you write papers, reviews, discuss them in book clubs, have class discussions, and even if just two people talk about it, though they may not be like-minded."
The Sufi Storyteller is a great read for people who love feminist themes and reflections on womanhood and motherhood. I would recommend this novel to readers who enjoy beautiful prose, and literary or historical fiction (without the historical setting).
TW: murder, child abandonment, kidnapping, rape, physical abuse, forced pregnancy, miscarriage, infertility, suicide attempt, stalking, sexism, misogyny, ageism, gun violence, classism
Thank you Faiqa Mansab and Unbound for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
"Stories are evidence that words are magic. Words have power. They invoke change and action, even in others. Words are the real magic, extant magic."
This novel opens with a murder on campus. Can this be connected to Layla's search for her mother? Storytelling convention tells her to pay attention. While The Sufi Storyteller opens with murder, and the blurb even calls it a murder mystery, I found this to be more of a backdrop to the reflections on storytelling, family relationships and feminism. Not in the least because of how easy it is to spot the murderer early on.
"Coincidence was a concept Layla did not subscribe to, because coincidence was a marker in stories urging the protagonist and the reader to scrutinize the situation more closely. Coincidence hinted at parallel truths, inter-conmectivity, histories and clues that may have been forgotten by the protagonist, but were vital to the story, and their own survival. In stories, coincidence was never truly a fluke. If something happened twice, there was a pattern."
Looking at this novel in that light I really enjoyed my time with it. Mansab uses gorgeous prose to tell us how storytelling both captures and shapes our lives. The stories we tell ourselves and each other, the themes in those stories that pop up in every culture, what these stories mean to each of us when we encounter them at just the right time and are able to decipher their meaning. I loved learning more about the origins of Sufi Storytelling and how it parallels and contrasts with the Western storytelling I am personally more familiar with. This story reads a lot like a historical fiction book without the historical setting.
"The story is the catalyst but not for all readers. It is a catalyst only if allowed to be by the reader's state of mind and self-awareness."
What I also enjoyed very much were the themes of womanhood, motherhood and feminism. There were interesting reflections on the oppression of women throughout history and their resistance. In the larger sense when it comes to Sufi Storytelling, in the women who were traditionally the storytellers and were often portrayed as Mother, Maiden and Crone. But in Western stories plots were often changed to make them appear weaker compared to men, needing saving by them. And also on a smaller scale in the resistance of women, like in Layla's birth mother's story we learn more about over the course of the story.
"Power is not female in the tales written by men."
Mansab excels in spinning an interesting tale which leaves us to ponder not only the story itself, but our lives in turn. It all feels very philosophical. She invites us to reflect on what stories mean in our lives, and what we can glean from them and thus apply to our existence. The combination of prose and overarching story make for a unique and memorable read. While I had a great time with the story overall, I would have liked a bit more from the ending. One or two more chapters, an epilogue, just to wrap things up nicely.
"Story develops fully and has most impact when it is shared, when it is discussed and mined for meaning, symbolism and subtext, as when you write papers, reviews, discuss them in book clubs, have class discussions, and even if just two people talk about it, though they may not be like-minded."
The Sufi Storyteller is a great read for people who love feminist themes and reflections on womanhood and motherhood. I would recommend this novel to readers who enjoy beautiful prose, and literary or historical fiction (without the historical setting).
TW: murder, child abandonment, kidnapping, rape, physical abuse, forced pregnancy, miscarriage, infertility, suicide attempt, stalking, sexism, misogyny, ageism, gun violence, classism
Thank you Faiqa Mansab and Unbound for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
July 26, 2025
I must say, this book is not everybody's cup of tea. Without a willingness to engage deeply, a reader might miss its layered meanings. As an avid reader, I usually finish books in under 5 days, but this one took me 2 weeks, not because it was slow, but because it demanded engagement and understanding.
I was initially drawn by the book's title and my long-time following of Faiqa Mansab on Instagram. After watching several of her interviews on YT, I finally picked up the book, and I'm so glad I did. I expected a spiritual narrative, something rooted in Sufi mysticism, or a divine connection between Khuda aur banda. What I found instead was a beautifully esoteric and deeply researched novel that exceeded those expectations.
One of the most memorable sections for me was her reflection on cooking. The way she described each ingredient, spice, and step as a metaphor for life was brilliant, showing how our thoughts and actions, like carefully chosen ingredients, come together to shape the lives we live.
I also loved how she intertwined food with language and culture:
The story itself is powerful; a daughter's search for her mother takes a dark and emotional turn when she also encounters her long-lost brother, who returns full of rage and vengeance. One of the most striking themes in the book is how stories have the power to either shape or destroy us, depending on who receives them and when.
The novel masterfully weaves themes of womanhood, motherhood, feminism, culture, and modern-day struggles into a mysterious and compelling narrative. Above all, I fell in love with Faiqa Mansab's writing style. She has a rare ability to articulate profound ideas with elegance. While the prose felt a bit verbose at first, I quickly got used to its rhythm and ended up highlighting numerous lines!
This book enlightened me more than I anticipated. Throughout my reading, I relied on various tools and platforms like Google to deepen my understanding, a testament to how this book is intellectually rich and layered. I rarely reread books, but as a young woman, I know this is one I'll return to later in life with new eyes and a unique perspective!
I was initially drawn by the book's title and my long-time following of Faiqa Mansab on Instagram. After watching several of her interviews on YT, I finally picked up the book, and I'm so glad I did. I expected a spiritual narrative, something rooted in Sufi mysticism, or a divine connection between Khuda aur banda. What I found instead was a beautifully esoteric and deeply researched novel that exceeded those expectations.
One of the most memorable sections for me was her reflection on cooking. The way she described each ingredient, spice, and step as a metaphor for life was brilliant, showing how our thoughts and actions, like carefully chosen ingredients, come together to shape the lives we live.
The art of storytelling is the same as the art of cooking. ...Word by word, spice by spice, you add and layer until you create a piece of beauty.
I also loved how she intertwined food with language and culture:
For me, food is a kind of language, and it implies knowledge, culture, wisdom, beauty, and love. ... Cook to nourish and nurture.
The story itself is powerful; a daughter's search for her mother takes a dark and emotional turn when she also encounters her long-lost brother, who returns full of rage and vengeance. One of the most striking themes in the book is how stories have the power to either shape or destroy us, depending on who receives them and when.
The storyteller must pass on the story so that it does not die with them. That is the debt. Shared with the wrong person, or at the wrong time, even with the right person, it is useless. It is a dead thing then. That is the responsibility-to share the story at the right time, with the right person.
The novel masterfully weaves themes of womanhood, motherhood, feminism, culture, and modern-day struggles into a mysterious and compelling narrative. Above all, I fell in love with Faiqa Mansab's writing style. She has a rare ability to articulate profound ideas with elegance. While the prose felt a bit verbose at first, I quickly got used to its rhythm and ended up highlighting numerous lines!
This book enlightened me more than I anticipated. Throughout my reading, I relied on various tools and platforms like Google to deepen my understanding, a testament to how this book is intellectually rich and layered. I rarely reread books, but as a young woman, I know this is one I'll return to later in life with new eyes and a unique perspective!
October 8, 2025
My favorite part of The Sufi Storyteller was how elements of Sufi stories, like imagery, secret knowledge, layered meaning, archetypes, symbolism, and numerology, formed a paradigm that the characters used to solve murder. That creativity intrigued me to try another work by the author in the future, because I struggled with the remaining aspects of the book. Once the text revealed the villain(s) and their framing, I knew the book would fall short for me. Many readers will enjoy this story for its content, and I urge them to try it. However, the particular forms of gendered violence, power, and retribution it explored were not my preference. I liked the overarching message of using one’s strengths and resources to one’s advantage, yet I railed against descriptions of womanhood as weakness and motherhood as some sort of balm and fuel. Misogyny was only a problem when unacknowledged and excused when mentioned aloud. I found those ideas reductive within the context of the story, even if they mirrored real-life circumstances. The narrative followed an ABA structure: setting the scene, providing past context, and returning to the present to resolve the conflict. The fast pace, non-linear timeline, fuzziness of memory, unfinished thoughts, evasive narration, and unreliable characters added to the confusion in trying to solve the mystery. I was thrown off by the characters’ decoding process, which was sometimes grounded in Sufi patterns as clues, and other times seemed to appear out of thin air without any evidence or even conjecture. I could occasionally excuse it, being unfamiliar with Sufism, but otherwise it didn’t seem like the text went far enough to prove itself to the reader. The dialogue was a little stiff, likely due to a lack of contractions, and there were so many lectures about story and food that felt overly didactic, even coming from professors and experts. As someone who loves eating and reading, I was disappointed that many of the phrases about stories and food felt clichéd rather than insightful and compelling. While I understand that the book wasn’t an intro to Sufi storytelling, I wish more tellings had been included to add more richness to the world.
December 13, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC
What draw me to this book was the cover and the title. I am more of fantasy and speculative fiction reader, and I want to expand a bit of my horizon. This book seemed like a good pick, especially since it has such a strong link with stories.
Unfortunately, it fell short for me. I don't know if it was a 'not the right moment' kind of thing, if the book is simply not for me or something else. But I quickly realised it wasn"t going to be as interesting as I hoped for.
One of the reason is that, despite the book being sold as somewhat of an mystery novel, with a need to resolve a murder, it isn't so much at the centre of the story. Similarly, the reunion between mother and daughter is there, but it felt a bit shallow, distant. I guess I didn't get into this book with the right expectations.
It is well enough written, nothing that strike me as very engaging, but still good. Stories do play a big role in the narrative, but in a more scholarly way, erasing a bit of the mysticism and wonder for me. The book is using the murders as a tool to get the main character to explore herself, her past and the hollowness where her birth mother resided. Then they reunite, and we delve into the mother's past, before getting a sort of family drama reolsution (I am not using the word drama to be negative, the events are quite dramatic). The part of the stories in the resolution of the murder is there, but too structural for me, again.
In the end, this book is too much like a a reflexion about identity, family history and constructing ourselves. I love these kind of stories, but when it is not so much obvious, using a thin plot and characters to create that reflection. I prefer the other way around. So. Not a good fit for me, but it should be really enjoyable for people who like such stories !
What draw me to this book was the cover and the title. I am more of fantasy and speculative fiction reader, and I want to expand a bit of my horizon. This book seemed like a good pick, especially since it has such a strong link with stories.
Unfortunately, it fell short for me. I don't know if it was a 'not the right moment' kind of thing, if the book is simply not for me or something else. But I quickly realised it wasn"t going to be as interesting as I hoped for.
One of the reason is that, despite the book being sold as somewhat of an mystery novel, with a need to resolve a murder, it isn't so much at the centre of the story. Similarly, the reunion between mother and daughter is there, but it felt a bit shallow, distant. I guess I didn't get into this book with the right expectations.
It is well enough written, nothing that strike me as very engaging, but still good. Stories do play a big role in the narrative, but in a more scholarly way, erasing a bit of the mysticism and wonder for me. The book is using the murders as a tool to get the main character to explore herself, her past and the hollowness where her birth mother resided. Then they reunite, and we delve into the mother's past, before getting a sort of family drama reolsution (I am not using the word drama to be negative, the events are quite dramatic). The part of the stories in the resolution of the murder is there, but too structural for me, again.
In the end, this book is too much like a a reflexion about identity, family history and constructing ourselves. I love these kind of stories, but when it is not so much obvious, using a thin plot and characters to create that reflection. I prefer the other way around. So. Not a good fit for me, but it should be really enjoyable for people who like such stories !
June 6, 2025
The story centres around Layla and the first third of the book is dedicated to her story and how she has developed herself from the point where she was abandoned by her birth mother at age 9 and then brought up by Hasina, a loving and amazing adoptive mother. Layla doesn't understand why her real mother abandoned her and is desperate to find her. The other passion she has is stories, particularly Sufi storytelling, which she learned from her mother before she was 9 and has led to her career as a professor, and writer.
It commences with her discovery of a dead body in the library where she works. The woman is naked except for a red coat which she wears. This is the second dead body Layla has found. Both have links to common fairy tales, Red Riding Hood, and the first to Cinderella.
In this first section we are also introduced to Sultan, Layla's cat, Khayyam, a past boyfriend of Layla's, Mira an old Sufi Storyteller, whom Layla suspects is her mother and to Reza, another professor at the school.
At page 115 I stopped to make some notes. At this point, I was a bit confused and astounded that after finding one dead body already (at the front of her house) that you would not tell the Police about the first one, especially given the links to her are so strong (her house, her office) and that the story links were so strong (obvious) and likely related to her profession.
This was my first frustration with the tale - that she doesn't make the obvious connections and does not take the obvious steps. Why would you not tell the Police? Why would you stalk your mother for such a long period and not talk to her? These are parts to it that just don't feel logical. Also there are a lack of characters, so it becomes pretty obvious who the killer is.
It commences with her discovery of a dead body in the library where she works. The woman is naked except for a red coat which she wears. This is the second dead body Layla has found. Both have links to common fairy tales, Red Riding Hood, and the first to Cinderella.
In this first section we are also introduced to Sultan, Layla's cat, Khayyam, a past boyfriend of Layla's, Mira an old Sufi Storyteller, whom Layla suspects is her mother and to Reza, another professor at the school.
At page 115 I stopped to make some notes. At this point, I was a bit confused and astounded that after finding one dead body already (at the front of her house) that you would not tell the Police about the first one, especially given the links to her are so strong (her house, her office) and that the story links were so strong (obvious) and likely related to her profession.
This was my first frustration with the tale - that she doesn't make the obvious connections and does not take the obvious steps. Why would you not tell the Police? Why would you stalk your mother for such a long period and not talk to her? These are parts to it that just don't feel logical. Also there are a lack of characters, so it becomes pretty obvious who the killer is.
April 18, 2025
A metaphysical murder mystery
—
As humans, we all instinctively look for patterns, for eyes and faces, for repetitions and reinforcements, for meaning and direction. When Layla, a professor of stories at an American university, discovers a dead woman dressed as Red Riding Hood lying on a library floor, Layla wonders what the story is, and what’s the pattern that tie to another dead woman she saw earlier that year. For Layla’s birth mother Mira, a famous Sufi storyteller, the story coalesces around her as the dead woman’s existence begins Mira and Layla’s combined story, and its inevitable middle and end.
Contrary to the title and the gorgeous cover, this is not a book about fantasy worlds and magic realism. What it is about, in its own gorgeous, metaphysical way, is the power of stories and the women who tell them, wrapped in a murder mystery, with the themes of violence against women, abandoned children and family ties, as well as academic discussion on stories from both Eastern and Western traditions. It is, in sum, a lot of things to take in in one sitting, but the breath and depth of Mansab’s writing ensures that the novel comes together to an ending that you might glimpse at points but never see clearly until the last scene.
Four and a half stars.
—
As humans, we all instinctively look for patterns, for eyes and faces, for repetitions and reinforcements, for meaning and direction. When Layla, a professor of stories at an American university, discovers a dead woman dressed as Red Riding Hood lying on a library floor, Layla wonders what the story is, and what’s the pattern that tie to another dead woman she saw earlier that year. For Layla’s birth mother Mira, a famous Sufi storyteller, the story coalesces around her as the dead woman’s existence begins Mira and Layla’s combined story, and its inevitable middle and end.
Contrary to the title and the gorgeous cover, this is not a book about fantasy worlds and magic realism. What it is about, in its own gorgeous, metaphysical way, is the power of stories and the women who tell them, wrapped in a murder mystery, with the themes of violence against women, abandoned children and family ties, as well as academic discussion on stories from both Eastern and Western traditions. It is, in sum, a lot of things to take in in one sitting, but the breath and depth of Mansab’s writing ensures that the novel comes together to an ending that you might glimpse at points but never see clearly until the last scene.
Four and a half stars.
January 11, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.75/5)
In "The Sufi Storyteller," Faiqa Mansab weaves a beautiful tale exploring the power of storytelling and the profound wisdom of Sufism. The story follows a young woman, Shabnam, who embarks on a journey to connect with her roots and understand her past through the narratives passed down by a wise Sufi master. As she delves into the tales of her ancestors and the lessons they carry, Shabnam discovers not just her heritage but also the importance of compassion, love, and the spiritual quest.
Mansab's prose is rich and evocative, transporting readers to the heart of the cultural and spiritual landscape of the characters. While the pacing can be a bit slow at times, the heartfelt messages and the intricate storytelling make it a worthwhile read. The way the author intertwines folklore with contemporary issues adds depth to the narrative. Overall, it’s a moving exploration of identity and the healing power of stories, earning it a solid 3.75 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Unbound for an eArc of this book in exchange for a honest, unbiased review!
In "The Sufi Storyteller," Faiqa Mansab weaves a beautiful tale exploring the power of storytelling and the profound wisdom of Sufism. The story follows a young woman, Shabnam, who embarks on a journey to connect with her roots and understand her past through the narratives passed down by a wise Sufi master. As she delves into the tales of her ancestors and the lessons they carry, Shabnam discovers not just her heritage but also the importance of compassion, love, and the spiritual quest.
Mansab's prose is rich and evocative, transporting readers to the heart of the cultural and spiritual landscape of the characters. While the pacing can be a bit slow at times, the heartfelt messages and the intricate storytelling make it a worthwhile read. The way the author intertwines folklore with contemporary issues adds depth to the narrative. Overall, it’s a moving exploration of identity and the healing power of stories, earning it a solid 3.75 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Unbound for an eArc of this book in exchange for a honest, unbiased review!
February 19, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley for a free copy of this ARC. All views and opinions in this review are my own.
I really wanted to like this book, because the description had some elements that I usually find appealing in other books. It was supposed to explore a mother-daughter relationship, solve a murder mystery and discover some lore about Sufi storytelling.
Instead, I found it difficult to find some connection with the characters. The dialogues were too lengthy, and some of the words used were too complex. I also wanted to really get into the folklore and mythology surrounding Sufi storytelling and discovery their connections with the murder mystery, but I found the comparisons too forced, with all these sentences that say “Sufi storytelling is this”. In the end, I felt like I barely gained any knowledge about Sufi storytelling and the murder mystery wasn’t really all that mysterious. The ending felt rushed as well.
The only strong and interesting part of the book was Part 2, which described the flashback to one of the main character’s time in Afghanistan.
I really wanted to like this book, because the description had some elements that I usually find appealing in other books. It was supposed to explore a mother-daughter relationship, solve a murder mystery and discover some lore about Sufi storytelling.
Instead, I found it difficult to find some connection with the characters. The dialogues were too lengthy, and some of the words used were too complex. I also wanted to really get into the folklore and mythology surrounding Sufi storytelling and discovery their connections with the murder mystery, but I found the comparisons too forced, with all these sentences that say “Sufi storytelling is this”. In the end, I felt like I barely gained any knowledge about Sufi storytelling and the murder mystery wasn’t really all that mysterious. The ending felt rushed as well.
The only strong and interesting part of the book was Part 2, which described the flashback to one of the main character’s time in Afghanistan.
April 23, 2025
I really wanted to like the sufi storyteller and went into it with high expectations. The premise was inspiring—a blend of personal contributions, institutional narratives, and cultural insight, especially around women’s emancipation and the Sufi tradition. The book started strong, with a clear intention to paint a larger picture of sacrifice, identity, and progress.
However, as it progressed, the narrative became meandering and overly explanatory. It often felt like a lecture rather than a story, with too much repetition and not enough narrative drive. Characters like Meera and Laila felt underdeveloped, more like placeholders than fully fleshed-out people. The Sufi elements, while potentially rich in symbolism, felt more like a crutch than an integrated part of the story.
The pacing dragged, and the book could easily have been half its length without losing impact—in fact, it might have gained some. In the end, I couldn’t fully appreciate either the story or its characters, which is where my disappointment lies.
February 1, 2025
Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.
I want to start off saying that there were many sentences without any spacing? Making it difficult to read? I don’t know if that’s because it got reformatted to a kindle if not, needs more editing.
This is a book full of prose and lyrical writing. That’s just not my jam but it was beautiful. The mystery aspect is what pulled me in to request a copy, but it is more of a subplot compared to the rest of the book. I would say this is more of a women’s literary fiction. About the journey of finding yourself and seeing how others view you. It’s also about mother daughter relationships.
I felt like the motherly demeanor of Ma was accurate. I’m not Bengali but I’m Indian so it reverberated with me.
I’d recommend it if you like following people on their life journeys as they discover themselves.
I want to start off saying that there were many sentences without any spacing? Making it difficult to read? I don’t know if that’s because it got reformatted to a kindle if not, needs more editing.
This is a book full of prose and lyrical writing. That’s just not my jam but it was beautiful. The mystery aspect is what pulled me in to request a copy, but it is more of a subplot compared to the rest of the book. I would say this is more of a women’s literary fiction. About the journey of finding yourself and seeing how others view you. It’s also about mother daughter relationships.
I felt like the motherly demeanor of Ma was accurate. I’m not Bengali but I’m Indian so it reverberated with me.
I’d recommend it if you like following people on their life journeys as they discover themselves.
May 8, 2025
This story felt like it had two different purposes that did not always sync up. On the one hand, I really enjoyed everything this book had to say about storytelling and the roles that stories play in culture. There were some very insightful comments and beautiful quotes regarding the power of stories and the position of the storyteller. The narrative plot of Layla finding her birth mother and the murder mystery were much weaker. I had a hard time connecting to her personal journey and relationships. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the writing but it felt very unbalanced and the plot was unsatisfying. I would be interested to read more of Faiqa Mansab and see how her storytelling develops in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and Unbound for providing an eARC in return for my honest thoughts.
Thank you to NetGalley and Unbound for providing an eARC in return for my honest thoughts.
November 7, 2025
I found The Sufi Storyteller at a bookshop in Hyderabad. As its author, Faiqa Mansab tells us, stories have a way of traveling across boundaries and crossing oceans. The book begins in small-town America, where young professor Layla discovers a dead body in her library. Layla is trying to escape her past and track down her birth mother. The Sufi Storyteller weaves many stories within its story and examines literary themes through the aperture of Sufism. Upon reading the book, I entered many story lands and realised that the lives of every prophet and holy man who has walked the face of the earth follow the classic hero’s journey. Faiqa’s book also mentions the underworld of female storytellers and the subconscious female collective, which has been suppressed and oppressed by men for millennia. A well-crafted, well-written, and extensively researched novel.
April 29, 2025
My knowledge of Sufism was restricted to pictures of the dervishes and I knew nothing else. This story was informative on several issues.
A mother and daughter have been separated for decades but now Layla is almost sure she has found her mother. Two murdered women found in proximity to Layla is too much coincidence not just for the detectives but also to Layla. Mira knows more on the subject and realises that Layla is in grave danger, and that somehow she is the key.
Revealing the truth and her history is painful for Mira, but it is the only way that Layla will accept her abandonment at the orphanage. All the minor characters are themselves of much interest including the cat Gul. The preparation of food which was unique to Layla’s background added another layer of interes
A mother and daughter have been separated for decades but now Layla is almost sure she has found her mother. Two murdered women found in proximity to Layla is too much coincidence not just for the detectives but also to Layla. Mira knows more on the subject and realises that Layla is in grave danger, and that somehow she is the key.
Revealing the truth and her history is painful for Mira, but it is the only way that Layla will accept her abandonment at the orphanage. All the minor characters are themselves of much interest including the cat Gul. The preparation of food which was unique to Layla’s background added another layer of interes
Review of advance copy
I'm sorry, but as much as I was looking forward to reading this book, I was disappointed.
Another MA in Creative Writing, I am a little fed up with authors from this background who seem to want to out-jargon each other. It's off putting and just comes across as rather pretentious at times.
Here, I thought Faiqa Mansab's story got off to a great start - a university teacher finds not one but TWO dead women, just a few months apart.
Layla was abandoned by her mother many years earlier and is haunted by this, determined to find her, and what happened.
The storytelling style, for me, was too slow and I thought the interweaving of culture and murder-mystery just didn't work. It was more like watching a very long and rather tedious 19thC play.
Another MA in Creative Writing, I am a little fed up with authors from this background who seem to want to out-jargon each other. It's off putting and just comes across as rather pretentious at times.
Here, I thought Faiqa Mansab's story got off to a great start - a university teacher finds not one but TWO dead women, just a few months apart.
Layla was abandoned by her mother many years earlier and is haunted by this, determined to find her, and what happened.
The storytelling style, for me, was too slow and I thought the interweaving of culture and murder-mystery just didn't work. It was more like watching a very long and rather tedious 19thC play.
October 27, 2025
Justfinished reading The Sufi Storyteller and I must say the story is 10/10! I loved it! Honestly, I’ve never read a story like this before. After reading this book , i think the writer love women. She beautifully portrayed layla’s journey and Mira’s struggles. The first part was a bit slow for me, second part was AMAZINGGGGG!!! And I wasn’t ready for the ultimate suspense in the third part of the story! I loved it. Thank you Faiqa Ma’am for writing something so heartfelt and different🩷 The way you blended spirituality, storytelling, and emotion was absolutely mesmerising.
January 12, 2025
I loved this book. It was informative and interesting. It had a touch of Franzian and Campbellian aura that one expects from a deeply mythological story. Mira and Layla have a complex relationship and how their relationship develops is done in an unexpected way.
I do not want to tell too much because this is a book for people who love reading; who love books; who understand the power of stories.
*I was given an ARC by the author to give an honest review- *
I do not want to tell too much because this is a book for people who love reading; who love books; who understand the power of stories.
*I was given an ARC by the author to give an honest review- *
April 22, 2025
A thriller with many facets to unveil including the mystery of storytelling.
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