The World With Its Mouth Open

In eleven stories The World With Its Mouth Open maps the inner lives of the people of Kashmir as they walk the uncertain terrain of their days fractured from years of war. From a shopkeepers encounter with a mannequin to an expectant mother walking on a precarious road to a young boy wavering between dreams and reality to two dogs wandering the city these stories weave in larger devastating themes of loss grief violence longing and injustice with the threads of smaller everyday realities that confront the characters lives in profound ways. Although the stories circle the darker aspects of life they areat the same timean attempt to run into life into humor into beauty into another person who can offer refuge if momentarily.Zahid Rafiq''s The World With Its Mouth Open is a powerful collection announcing the arrival of a new voice that bears witness to the human condition with nuance heart humor and incredible insight.