‘And The Sun Always Sets’ by Danny Odato is one of those books that directly touches your heart and leaves a long lasting impression. The author really deserves compliments for writing such a fine piece of heart touching tale. This book certainly deserves all five stars. 

This book is about Mariyam (an ordinary Pakistani girl with no extraordinary qualities) and her soul mate Faisal. It is about their journey to live by their own merits and on their own terms in a world of corruption and oppression. The story is based in a small village in Pakistan where women are still not treated with the respect they deserve. The story brings light on the struggle by society in this village to accept new modes of living. The women characters of this story are being presented very subtly and delicately by a series of external contrasts and counterpoints between older and younger women, and also between different class values. The story is also presented through a series of symbols which reflect or suggest the inner conflicts of the women protagonists themselves, who, although they are markers of change, are at the same time aware of the devastation such a change might bring. Most importantly, the book mirrors the bafflement of a traditional, largely male society, in face-to-face encounter with the new notions of selfhood, and particularly, of womanhood. 

‘And The Sun Always Sets’ is a world of commoners and ordinary folk. However, many of the characters of this book possess extraordinary qualities that lend themselves to the very stuff of Odato’s art. Not all the characters are mild and vague about their future. We have Mariyam and Faisal, who hold dynamic notions of themselves, and in wanting to achieve their private goals, which are opposed to the norms of the society, they fail. The characters of both Mariyam and Faisal have been portrayed authentically by the author. Mariyam is placed carefully in the book, by a number of minor portraits of women, who, by contrasting with her in various ways, provide the reader with a reasonably complete picture of women in an orthodox milieu of Pakistani society. The core of the novel examines Mariyam’s attempt to assert her independence and her failure in this. The most interesting aspect of Mariyam’s character is the depiction of her struggle in searching her self-definition. Her father assigned her a secondary place and kept her there with such subtlety and cunning that she herself began to lose all her independence, her individuality, stature and strength. However, it is her struggle against her own father that defines her role in the story.

The stuff in this fiction is life as it is lived on the road, in market and homes. The individuals merge into society without much ado, implying a philosophical acceptance. This amounts to the traditional emphasis on the community, which is the ultimate principle in governing the destiny of individuals. It seems that the author had a very clear idea of what he wished to achieve in this novel, and it is certainly one of his most tightly structured work. This novel is also unusual in having so definite a social message. Mariyam, the main protagonist of this work, provides the main perspective and point of view in the novel. The author presents her as rebellious, but in the end, too powerless to subvert. 

(I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange of an honest review.)

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An amazing love story.

Mr. Odato had me captured from the first page of this story. An immensely engaging tale of two souls who are meant to be together and who strive together to fight with fate and win against the harsh cruelties of the society. I would recommend this book to everyone.

I have always been attracted to spy stories and this one was no different. Although, this is not the first time I'm reading a story by Mr. Odato but this has been the best story that I've read so far. Packed with intrigue and romance, this story is a well written story with the all the right ingredients.

After Khaled Hosseini's, And the Mountains Echoed, I have been attracted towards the Afghani way of living, culture and tradition. I have always been a fan of mystery, thriller and suspense and with this, I had all of it in the same package. Reading Mr. Odato's second book, I have immense pleasure in saying that he is one gifted author. Keep up the good work.

The Witch's Revenge - Danny Odato Mohan is a man who loves his wife and four children very much. He is a very hard working man who loves taking care of his family he goes to work as a tailor everyday so that he can provide for his family. His wife Padma loves her family just as much as her husband if not more. Padma is not like a lot of the other mothers who live in their village. I loved that Padma would wake each of her children at different times in the mornings before school to help them with their baths and getting them dressed for school. Padma loved the time that she spent with each of her children. She believed and wanted to give each child the same amount of her time. Padma was such a good mother and knew that not only did she love spending time with each child but her children needed this alone time with their mother as well. Most of the women in the village would bathe their children together to save time but not Padma.

Padma, Mahon, their children and everyone else who lived in the village were all like family. The women would take turns babysitting each other's children when they needed the help for whatever reason whether it is for one of them to go shopping or even just to give each other a break once in a while. They all stuck together and would do anything for each other. The women would gather together at each other's home and spend time with each other just talking and hanging out while their children played together.

Everyone that lived in the village were all very happy with their lives and family until a new woman moved into the house at the end of the street next door to Padma and her family. Padma is the only one that the old woman would visit and the only one who has seen her. After her arrival in the village bad things started to happen; children having bad accidents and even some were murdered. Padma and the whole village joined together and tried to stay in groups at all times hoping that the evil that had entered their village would not bother them as long as they were not alone. Everyone in the village except Padma thought the old woman was a witch and was the one who was taking away their children. Some of the men in the village along with Mohan went on a little journey far, far away to another village to find a Baba to help them to get rid of the witch after their own Baba was killed.

I loved The Witch's Revenge from the first page until the very last page. I loved that Padma loved spending time with each of their children. She didn't care about how much earlier she had to get up in the mornings so she could spend that little bit of time with each of them. She wanted that closeness with all of her children not just one. She treated all of her children the same and she loved them the same too. Padma is a prime example to how all mothers should treat their children.

If you love reading about witches and evil wicked things with a whole lot of mystery thrown in then The Witch's Revenge is one book you need to check out. I love the world that author set up with everyone in the village being best friends with each other and would do anything they could for their neighbors.