The House of Bilqis

Abidi's second novel, set in the mid-1980s in his homeland of Pakistan and his adopted home of Australia, focuses on past traditions and familial expectations. Bilqis Ara Begum, widow and head of the imposing Khan clan in Karachi, Pakistan, struggles to comprehend why her son, Samad, defies her wishes of an arranged marriage and marries Kate, an Australian lawyer. Shunning the importance of his family name in Karachi, Samad and Kate opt to live in Australia, leading Bilqis to believe “traditions and etiquette that had flourished for generations would come to an end with her. It was akin to slow and gradual extinction.” Although Bilqis remains ensconced in her beloved mausoleum of a family home, where everything is carefully preserved, Samad's decision sends ripples through her life, including her servant girl Mumtaz's unexpected future plans and Pakistan's own political and social turmoil. Abidi (Passarola Rising ) evocatively depicts Pakistan's descent into brutality with protagonists who struggle to determine what is most sacred. (Apr.)