Description: In a collection of linked tales filled with irony, humor, and magic, Talking with Boys introduces an unforgettable cast of characters in the Pakistani diaspora in Houston navigating crises of their own making and beyond their control. Via generations and geographies, the stories expand from Houston into tales from the characters' pasts in Dubai a
Review Quotes:
"Tayyba Kanwal's stellar Talking with Boys crisscrosses Houston, Dubai, and Lahore (and nearby surrounds) over seven decades in 15 intriguingly linked stories...Writing in straightforward prose infused with meticulous insight, Kanwal presents notable characters commanding attention and inspiring lingering empathy." --Terry Hong, Shelf Awareness STARRED REVIEW
"Talking with Boys is an astonishing story collection that spans decades and is set in various locales, including Houston, Lahore, and Dubai. With deep insight and humor, Tayyba Kanwal explores the diverse range of the Pakistani and Pakistani American experience, as well as the complexities of a Muslim identity. Readers are introduced to a big cast of rich and memorable characters, many of whom are navigating new beginnings and places. Whether writing about family dynamics, generational conflicts, immigration, socioeconomic class, and notions of home and belonging, among other themes, Kanwal's stories speak to the human condition with breathtaking power. A remarkable debut." --Ghassan Zeineddine, author of Dearborn
"Kanwal's prose combines Sandra Cisnero's lyricality with Jhumpa Lahiri's profound cultural understanding, but with a voice that is uniquely her own. Each story captures the Pakistani and Pakistani American experience in a way that will linger with the reader long after." --Lael Flores, Southern Review of Books
"Magical, intricate and disarming...each story is multifaceted and complex, and reading even just one is a transformative experience." --Karla J. Strand and Violet Pandya, Ms. Magazine