The Lady of Sohanbela
The principal character, Kamila, is the sole heir to the hereditary seat of a sufi saint located in a riverine area in the rural hinterland of Pakistan. Her liberal outlook and lifestyle are the outcomes of an urban upbringing and westernized academics. The final wish of her long-suffering mother that she observe familial duties by maintaining and upholding the centuries-old family shrine that has a subcontinental following, requires Kamila to marry the leading landowner of the region. The tensions and conflicts inherent in such a situation are the well-springs of the narrative which plays out against European, American and Pakistani backdrops.
Hardcover ISBN 9789697161546
Price: Rs 1,295
Pages: 226
EDITORIAL REVIEWS
An old-fashioned love story featuring a modern heroine imbued with intelligence, a sense of purpose, and a humanism uncommon for these times. -- H. M. Naqvi
A rich tapestry of enmity and alliances, mysticism and worldly intrigues with a spirited heroine at its heart. -- Kamila Shamsie
About the Author
Irshad AbdulKadir (MA Cambridge University, LL.B. Hons. University of London, and Barrister at Law, Lincoln’s Inn, London) is a lecturer in legal studies specializing in common law traditions and reasoning and lives in Karachi. His other published works include an English translation (in collaboration with Dr Emmanuel Lizioli) of an Italian translation of the Pali script of The Throne of Diamonds on the life of Buddha; a treatise (his first published work) on Trademark Protection in the United Arab Emirates (1989) which he wrote when practicing law in the UAE; and three works of fiction comprising a collection of short stories, Clifton Bridge (2013), a novel, The Deriabad Chronicles (2018) and a second novel titled Prodigal (2019). He has written several articles on socioeconomics, governance, and politics for newspapers and journals. He has also made TV documentary films on cultural, historical and socio-political subjects. He is a noted theatre critic and a civil rights activist.