PERHAPS A GIFT VOUCHER FOR MUM?: MOTHER'S DAY
A haunting illustration of how, at the end of last century, normal life became impossible for many of those who call Kashmir home ... Waheed's talent lies in the vivid, convincing detail he brings to descriptions of everyday lives. The careful meshing of domestic intimacy with political events is done deftly, with integrity. Like his great-grandfather's gold painting, Waheed's work will undoubtedly endure Financial Times Waheed writes about war with a devastating and unflinching calm, with the melancholy wisdom of someone attuned to but never hardened by its horrors ... He has a formidable insight into his large cast of characters, from the elegant grief-stricken principal of the girls' school taken over by Indian officers to the spoilt boy-turned-insurgent who betrays his own father Guardian A harrowing tale of love in a time of conflict and change ... The language in this book is lyrical, indeed at times it seems to be poetry masquerading as prose. The Book of Gold Leaves is the sort of book one can read and re-read - and then read again News on Sunday A dazzling and heart-breaking story set in war-torn Kashmir - essential reading Stylist A beautifully told and finely choreographed story of love, art and conflict in Kashmir -- Kamila Shamsie Guardian, Books of the Year
