Beyond the Cayenne Wall: Collection of Short Stories [Paperback]

Shaila Abdullah (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 17, 2005

“Abdullah takes us into the hearts and minds, realities and yearnings, and daily existence of women young and aged in and from South Asia. Her stunningly beautiful prose and elegant iridescent descriptions of the land that these women love is juxtaposed with the brutality and coarseness of their everyday existence.”
—Dr. Shirley Hord, author of Implementing Change

Beyond the Cayenne Wall captures the cultural chasm—and sometimes the collision between the East and the West—as the characters struggle to find their individualities despite the barriers imposed by society. Tannu refuses to give up her firstborn to the caretakers of the shrine of Shah Daullah as tradition dictates. Dhool is a defiant, spirited woman who confronts the five mistakes in her life and ventures out among the wolves in human clothing to make ends meet. In a striking account of alienation and the clash of two worlds, Mansi faces some tough choices when she brings her widowed mother back with her to live in the United States.

In these and several other stories, Abdullah weaves together a collection of events that spin around betrayals, confessions, acceptance, and denial, shaken in with exotic spices and flavor, a potpourri for the senses.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Shaila Abdullah, a Pakistani-American, has been a freelance writer and a designer since 1993 and lives in Austin, Texas. Visit her website at http://www.shailaabdullah.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 114 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (October 17, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595370098
• ISBN-13: 978-0595370092
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,609,471 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Noted as "Word Artist" by critics, Shaila Abdullah is an award-winning author and designer based in Austin, Texas. Her creative work focuses on the strengths and weaknesses of Pakistani women and their often unconventional choices in life. Abdullah's 2009 novel, Saffron Dreams is taught at several universities and explores the tragedy of 9/11 from the perspective of a Muslim widow. She received a grant from Hobson Foundation for that body of work. Her debut book, Beyond the Cayenne Wall, is a collection of stories about Pakistani women struggling to find their individualities despite the barriers imposed by society. The author has received several awards for her work including the Golden Quill Award, Norumbega Jury Prize for Outstanding Fiction, DIY Award, Reader Views Award, Written Art Award, and a grant from Hobson Foundation. For more information about the author and to sign up for news and updates, please visit www.shailaabdullah.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Venturing Beyond the Cayenne Wall, November 8, 2005

By 

Carol Ikard "Carol Ikard" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beyond the Cayenne Wall: Collection of Short Stories (Paperback)

Beyond the Cayenne Wall takes the reader to a foreign land, yet you walk on the familiar ground of the human condition and marvel at the resilience of womankind.

Long after you close each chapter, the wording and stories linger among your repertoire of feelings playing haunting and memorable melodies of souls in complexities.

Poignant, yet a delighting read. You will be glad you went beyond the cayenne wall.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Stoop to conquer", January 19, 2006

By 

Black Butterfly Review (Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beyond the Cayenne Wall: Collection of Short Stories (Paperback)

Beyond The Cayenne Wall tells 7 short stories of women we think we've seen, but never really heard about. Shaila Abdullah introduces us to Pakistani society on a number of levels. She tells stories about urban women, rural women, pampered women, hardscrabble women, educated women. Ms. Abdullah uses simple but powerful imagery interspersed with Urdu to generate the inclusive quality of "being there". At the root of the stories are the cultural burdens women bear. Although the setting appears exclusively eastern, oddly enough, the struggles, disappointments, joys, and sorrows of these women transcend borders. Pending marriage, difficult conception, in-laws, and tradition are issues we can all relate to, and doing so through the prism of eastern culture only makes us richer for it.

I truly enjoyed this collection of short stories, and devoured them in one setting. Reading about the determination of Tannu, the fierce protectiveness of Dhool, the revelation of Minnah, the stoicism of Shiwali, the persistence and horrible discovery of Minal, the grief of Mansi, and the redemption of Nyassa brought all of this into sharp relief. In today's climate, we often see the eastern world against the backdrop of war and conflict. We never see the more mundane aspects of everyday life that fuel so much of the other. What I appreciated most was the view into everyday life that tends to be overshadowed and outright forgotten in today's political climate.

Although the women are not always successful, they are always triumphant. Even when circumstance conspires against them, and fortune turns its back, each of these women demands and receives small victories. Be it the mockery of a quickly hidden glance, the silence of hidden passion, the damning knowledge of a bully's frailty, each story illustrates that sometimes the best part of victory is-modesty. It has not been since college that I remembered reading about feminism around the world. Sometimes, it is very easy to believe that our kind of feminism is the only kind. Feminism isn't only about working outside the home and sitting in front of the classroom. Sometimes, its as much about what is still going on inside the home, and what kind of classroom. Sometimes it is about bouncing back as opposed to striking first. I think these stories make an excellent addition to any woman's library, and I heartily recommend them.

Reviewed By: Angela Hailey, Black Butterfly Review

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exotic Short Fiction, August 12, 2009

By 

Suko (Southern CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beyond the Cayenne Wall: Collection of Short Stories (Paperback)

This summer, I ordered Beyond the Cayenne Wall, a collection of short stories by Shaila Abdullah, from Amazon. Although you don't typically find short fiction on summer reading lists, short stories are perfect for a morning at the beach, or an evening on the porch. My problem with short stories is that I tend to race through them, one right after the next. I finished reading Beyond the Cayenne Wall all too quickly, and longed for another story.

In Beyond the Cayenne Wall, Shaila Abdullah presents short stories about the often tumultuous lives of young women in Karachi, Pakistan. She brings Pakistan's largest city to life with shimmering, descriptive prose, and even includes a glossary of Urdu words used in the book. These stories are not for the faint-of-heart. Each story is poignant and gives us an intimate look into the hearts and minds of seven Pakistani women:

~Tannu, who's not allowed to seek work outside of the house, because she's seen as a "prized cow", an "incubator" for prospective offspring, but who fails to conceive.

~Dhool, who's married to a man willing to allow his eleven-year-old daughter to get married to a rich old man.

~Minnah, on the brink of marriage, who worries greatly about the secret she carries in her heart.

~Shiwali, who's just going through the motions out of duty in a loveless marriage.

~Siham, who wants to know the truth about her biological family, especially her father.

~Mansi, who brings her aging mother from Pakistan to Texas to live with her.

~Nyssa, who fears she will have to give back her beloved child, Vera.


Although these stories are fictional, they're based on the traditional way of life in Pakistan, which includes arranged marriages and limited roles for women. After reading this absorbing collection of short stories, I found myself grateful for the many freedoms I enjoy, and too often take for granted.

These haunting stories will remain in my heart and mind for years to come. I highly recommend them, as well as Shaila Abdullah's award-winning novel, Saffron Dreams.

Please stop by Suko's Notebook for an exclusive interview with the author, Shaila Abdullah.