Typhoon - Qaisra Shahraz

This review is rather overdue. I actually finished the book almost two months ago now, but the fact that I can still remember every character and thread of the story is pure testament to Qaisra Shahraz’s talent as a storyteller and novelist. This is my second review (and second book I’ve read) on this author, the first one being Revolt. Having enjoyed that one so much, I happily received this one in yet another package from the generous people at Arcadia Books. The books aren’t technically part of an ongoing series, but I really loved the feel of familiarity I experienced between the two. The stories remain separate and always totally unpredictable, but the themes Qaisra tackles are always similar.

In my review of Revolt I discussed the wide range of settings and locations the book spans which manages to effect a sense of universality whilst maintaining a focus on the personal lives of the characters. What I found equally engaging in Typhoon was the use of time. The main body of the book only spans a little over 24 hours; it is framed by a narrative set 20 years later, in the present day. The constant sense of retrospect keeps the novel fast paced and exciting, I was always referring back to the first part to try to fit pieces of the puzzle together and reconcile the characters (basically guess the ending!). However, the slow speed at which time moves in the main part of the novel juxtaposes this rapidness, creating a build-up of suspense and allowing the reader to accumulate a mountain of questions. As well as this, I constantly had to remind myself that all this action was happening in just one day. Whilst it is split between characters so it does not seem unrealistic in any way, I believe it is still a difficult feat to keep the reader focussed on such a short space of time for so many pages. I seriously admire Qaisra’s achievement in doing this.

So as not to ruin it, all I’ll say is that the book is centred around three women who all share a burden or shame that they experienced 20 years ago and that has impacted their lives ever since. What I really love about Qaisra’s writing is her ability to introduce and explain issues mostly unknown to women in the Western world of law, religion, shame and duty, whilst simultaneously showing that this is not what wholly dictates life in places such as Pakistan. Books such as Revolt and Typhoon convey that issues of love, jealousy, loss and desire are completely universal and cannot be ignored, even in the face of such ancient values. Not a single character in the novel lacks a sympathetic side, the village as a whole are constantly forging the battle between religious laws that their society is built on and more modern developments and ways of living that they are desperate to keep up with. Some feel they are able to move on, some just cannot accept modern life: it is who falls into which category which keeps the momentum of the story going and creates an emotional and exciting experience for the reader.

Read it now! Get it here