Waiting: A Collection of Stories

In this new collection by Nighat Gandhi, the private worlds of women open themselves up to the reader. Inside their homes, women are trapped in a state of continuous limbo, waiting for change; young girls struggle for the “purity” that religion demands of them; new mothers wonder at the absence of desire. Outside, the seasons change—trees shed their leaves, the sky becomes overcast, and rain falls. Sounds float inside, and the women wonder about the meaning of life. Each story elicits a new, sometimes troubling, question about living as a woman in the world today. The characters’ nuanced descriptions and unsparing truthfulness leaves readers with a sense of discomfort as they confront their own demons. With subtle force, Waiting explores love, longing, loss, aging, survival, hope, and self-invention—the most powerful realities of life.