The World with Its Mouth Open

In eleven stories, The World With Its Mouth Open follows the inner lives of people in Kashmir as they walk the uncertain terrain of their days, fractured from years of war. From a shopkeeper's 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 are--at the same time--an 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 an original and powerful debut collection announcing the arrival of a new voice that bears witness to the human condition with nuance, heart, humor, and incredible insight.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Tin House
Published: 12/03/2024
ISBN: 9781959030850
Pages: 192
Weight: 0.45lbs
Size: 8.20h x 5.30w x 0.60d

Review Citations: Publishers Weekly 10/14/2024
Booklist 11/01/2024 pg. 25
BookPage 12/01/2024
Kirkus Reviews 12/01/2024
Shelf Awareness 12/01/2024