'This novel is a fascinating experiment. It has an emotional and dramatic range that covers the fantastical and the grotesque on one hand and the compassionate and the tender on the other. Muddasir's writing has an immediacy and humour – a domesticity, almost, in spite of the politics – which are distinctly his own, and comprise his strengths, as does his ability to use his Kashmiri cultural inheritance in surprising and creative ways.'

Amit Chaudhuri

'A fascinating debut. This is a fragmentary, disturbing tale about generations surviving in a fragmented, disturbed place.'

Tabish Khair

'Muddasir Ramzan's is a startlingly fresh voice. From poignant vignettes of the Kashmir he knows so well to bold experiments in folklore and the futuristic, Muddasir captures the dualities of conflict and consolation. In this debut novel, love and separation, struggle and loss are woven into a vivid and compelling tapestry of life in the heart of his homeland.'

Aamer Hussein

'Enchanting and haunting in equal measure, Muddasir Ramzan's novel of linked stories captures the deep melancholy and fracture of life in Kashmir. A striking, assured debut.'

Mirza Waheed