Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan

"Wanting Mor" by Rukhsana Khan. This book is published by Duckbill in March 2013 and has 206 pages. Rukhsana Khan is a well known Pakistani-Canadian writer.

This is the story, set in 2001 Afghanistan,
after US invasion, of a little girl Jameela who stays with her father (Baba) & Mother (Mor) in rural Afghanistan. Jameela has a cleft lip. Her mother dies. Father brings her to Kabul and marries a widow. Step mother doesn't like her. One day her father takes her to market place asks her to wait and disappears for good.

What will Jameela do? Where will she go? Will she remain safe? Who will take care of her? Will she ever meet her father?

Author states that this story is inspired from a real life story. Probably that's why the author has preferred to keep it factual and realistic. She has resisted the temptation of dramatizing the story.

Jameela misses her Mor. She follows her teachings. She searches her Mor in the ladies she meets. Author ends the story with Jameela becoming Mor to an orphan girl.

The story highlights goodness of Jameela but also demonstrates that though she is good she is not a saint. She too has feelings of love, hate, sympathy and even mild revenge. Unfortunately character of Jameela's father, though very important, remains under developed.

A number of things could happen to a young girl abandoned by her parents. This story takes her to the good orphanage. Her safety and security is thus assured and the focus remains on main story.

Narration is decent. It's a brisk story consequently the novel is also not lengthy. Afghan background provides exoticism to story.

Read it for a change.