IN OTHER ROOMS, OTHER WONDERS

These vivid short stories about the marginalized lives of poor Pakistanis are told with feeling by Firdous Bamji. He deftly moves between male and female characters across the range of villagers, servants, and landlords the writer has created. The listener experiences the heartbreak of maids looking for love among the male staff members of a household, wives who are unable to have children and suffer the presence of second wives, men who are frustrated by fate. Bamji masterfully slows down at poignant moments and speeds up to maintain a sense of urgency and dramatic tension. His narration brings the text to life and makes clear why Mueenuddin's book was short-listed for the National Book Award. M.R. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2009]