Between Clay and Dust

Ustad Ramzi was once the greatest wrestler in Pakistan, famed for his enormous strength and unmatched technique. Young apprentices flocked to his akhara to learn his craft, fans adored him, and rival wrestling clans feared his resolve that would never admit defeat. The courtesan, Gohar Jan, was just as renowned. Celebrated throughout the country for her beauty, and the power and melodiousness of her singing, her kotha was thronged by nobles, rich men, and infatuated admirers.

Musharraf Ali Farooqi’s new novel opens with a glimpse of these extraordinary characters in the twilight of their lives. Their once formidable skills are no longer so: new challengers have arisen; their followers have melted away; and the adoring crowds are long gone. An immense catastrophe has laid waste to the country, and its new inheritors and rulers have no time for the old ways. Stripped of their former resources and traditionally captivating powers, Ustad Ramzi and Gohar Jan must face their greatest challenge yet.