Саба Имтиаз - журналистка-фрилансер, живет в Карачи. Печаталась в англоязычных изданиях The Christian Science Monitor, Guardian и The Revealer. Год работала в Иордании в НПО.
Аиша - 20-летняя журналистка, работающая в одном из самых опасных городов мира. Ее рабочие задания варьируются от репортажа с места теракта, где нужно пробираться между разорванными телами, до интервью с племянницей босса, которая готовит дизайнерские маффины. В личной жизни Аиша уже отчаялась встретить хорошего парня, похожего на ее друга Саада, на плече которого она выплакивает свои неудачи - вокруг нарциссы-журналисты, гонящиеся за адреналином и готовые на все, чтобы заполчить историю, и испорченные сыночки Пакистанской элиты, готовые на что угодно от скуки.
Рецензии (на английском):
"In a world that often views Pakistani women one-dimensionally, Imtiaz shows the complexity of women trying to forge careers, find love and be a good friend. Imtiaz uses Pakistani references and Urdu-language words often throughout her novel but instead of being off-putting to non-Pakistanis, the technique lends an air of authenticity to the book." - Associated Press
"Though based in Karachi and utilising the distinctly Pakistani quandaries of political instability and terrorist-induced chaos, Saba Imtiaz manages to weave a story that is as cosmopolitan in essence as it is Pakistani. Take the kurtas and the rickshaws out of the equation, and the novel could be about any woman struggling to carve a niche in any cosmopolitan city around the globe." - The News on Sunday
"Along with the believable characters and events, Imtiaz has given her readers some exceptionally witty, absolutely hilarious quotes that make one snort with laughter." - Herald
"The satire is pitch perfect and may hit those of us who live in the subcontinent harder than the rest. Refreshingly devoid of glosses and translations, Imtiaz's novel is unapologetically faithful to the cultural nuances from which it emerges." - Mint
"Saba Imtiaz's book is a very funny story in a very grim setting." - The News
"The novel is by no means a sensationalized account of the contemporary life of women like us; our heroine is remarkably unglamorous, as is her life. The reader who finds this salacious is simply out of touch with contemporary Pakistan." - Pique
"She allows her audience a window into the world of Karachi, women and journalism with a smarting wit. This novel doesn't attempt to be a critique of society as much as just describing how things are." - Story South Asia