Within a novella's constraints Naila Barwani creates a narrative that explores such universal problems as sibling rivalry, love, guilt, communications and parenting.
When a marriage enquiry from the father of a distant cousin mistakenly mentions Nadya instead of older sister Shadya, it causes a painful series of events involving the whole family: an endlessly generous but strictly fair father, a mother who indulges just one of her squabbling daughters, and Omar, the distant cousin regarded as an ideal suitor. By way of deft psychological portrayal, the story guides us through the familiar highs and lows of human relationships to a denouement that manages to be both sad and reassuring.
This compilation includes both the English translation and the original text in Swahili.