A well-crafted story with plenty to appreciate. The pacing, characters, and plot twists kept me interested throughout. I'm looking forward to seeing how readers respond once it's released!

An Abundance of Wild Roses vividly portrays life in a remote mountain village in Pakistan, intertwining the fates of its residents with the harsh realities of tradition and modernity. Through the lives of Moosa, Zarina, and Kulsoom, the novel delves into themes of gender, honor, and the struggle for education in a deeply traditional society.

The characters are richly developed, with Moosa’s journey from staunch traditionalist to a man grappling with the erosion of his authority being particularly compelling. The use of folklore to preface major events adds cultural depth to the narrative.

The book tackles heavy themes such as domestic violence and the despair of women confined by patriarchal norms. While the poetic, folktale-like prose can be dense, it contributes to the novel’s unique atmosphere. Despite the unease it may provoke, the novel is powerful and thought-provoking, shedding light on the often-overlooked lives of women and children in remote parts of the world.

An Abundance of Wild Roses is a challenging but rewarding read, recommended for those interested in the lives of women and children in isolated regions. It’s a story that will make you ponder the essence of human existence and the importance of questioning tradition and advocating for progress.

This for me was one of those books where it felt like there was more of a focus on the writing rather than the story. Whilst the writing was beautiful at times, especially the short myth snippets, it sometimes became too much to understand and made it harder to engage with the story which is a shame because the actual story and themes did sound interesting from the synopsis. In all fairness, this was probably not the best book to read when during a reading slump and I may have enjoyed it more at some other time, but in general I think this book could have benefited slightly from the 'less is more' approach.

New Author to me, a great and engaging one, thank you, I really enjoyed reading this book. I found myself emersed. A recommended book.

“An Abundance of Wild Roses” by Feryal Ali Gauhar is a poignant exploration of love, loss, and resilience set against the backdrop of war-torn Afghanistan. Gauhar’s evocative prose vividly portrays the harsh realities faced by her characters, making their struggles feel both immediate and universal. However, some readers may find the narrative’s nonlinear structure and multiple perspectives challenging to follow at times. Despite this, Gauhar’s powerful storytelling and deep empathy for her characters make “An Abundance of Wild Roses” a compelling read that lingers in the mind long after the final page.

Thank you Netgalley and Canongate books for providing the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

An amazing book. Very descriptive and touching, yet propulsive. Evokes a strong sense of place and time Highlighting the plight faced by many women in Pakistan. Recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers, Canongate Books, for this ARC.

DNF at 25%.

Whilst there is some beautiful, skilful writing in this book, I felt the author tried to make as much of the writing lyrical as possible, which took away my ability to fully immerse myself in the story.

Through some beautiful lyrical writing, we discover this town's myths and the oppressive lives the women live. At times I agree with others that the impact on important themes of this book is lost in the beautiful writing. Other times, however, the harsh brutality of how the women are treated cuts through the lyrical writing, creating a gut-wrenching realisation.

I believe this could have been a right book wrong time for me as the themes this book promises are buzzwords for what I look for in a book. I hope to return to this at a later date and have a more positive review!

An Abundance Of Wild Roses, by Feryal Ali-Gauhar, is a story set in a remote village within Pakistan. As the book progresses, we meet a variety of different characters whose lives intermingle with one another. Each story shows the hardships of the time and remote location, set within wartime Pakistan.
I struggled a little to get into the first half of the book but enjoyed the second half much more. However, I was left feeling a little underwhelmed with the ending, feeling as if I needed more closure for each character and storyline.

This was such a beautiful book, the writing was wonderful and almost lyrical. A very moving, emotional read covering some very difficult and hard subjects but the author told the story in a such a stunningly atmospheric way.

I have very mixed feeling on this one: on the one hand, the writing is beautiful and the story deals with very interesting themes. On the other hand, I felt like the writing style hindered and undermined the messages this book was trying to get across. I'd still recommend it I think but I feel torn to be honest. 3 stars

The narrative unfolds in a secluded mountain village nestled within the rugged terrain of Pakistan. At its heart are the intertwined lives of its inhabitants, each grappling with the weight of tradition, gender roles, and the clash between antiquity and modernity.

Moosa, the esteemed elder of the village, epitomizes traditional patriarchal values, navigating the complexities of his polygamous household while wrestling with the legacy he leaves for his daughter. Meanwhile, Zarina, a dedicated local health worker, strives to empower her daughters through education, despite the absence of her husband stationed at a distant military outpost.

Kulsoom, burdened by societal expectations and her husband's addiction, grapples with the relentless cycle of motherhood and domestic duties, her yearning for fulfillment overshadowed by the absence of a son. Against this backdrop, the narratives converge to confront matters of life and death, as the village grapples with the inexorable march of modernity.

Central to the unfolding drama are the fates of women and young girls, whose aspirations clash with entrenched traditions, compelling them to navigate a delicate balance between societal expectations and personal agency. As the characters confront the consequences of their choices, the novel delves into the intricate tapestry of rural life, exposing the profound repercussions of challenging age-old norms and embracing change.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

This is an absorbing story with a wide range of flawed characters none of whom enjoy an easy life. The Numberdar is central to the story, finding himself caring for an unknown man who was discovered by two herders on the frozen mountainside. He does his best with the help of the local nurse but has his own family issues to deal with. His third wife is soon to give birth whilst the daughter of his second wife has been sent a love letter which angers the Numberdar.

Despite the tragedy, conflict and suffering that the characters endured, I found myself engrossed.

A book that talk to my heart and soul. Lyrical and impressive style of writing, excellent storytelling.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you for granting me early access to this incredible novel. So, I went into this totally blind with only the title as my guide and what a wonderful surprise it was. My favourite part of this novel was the depth of the characters, they're very nuanced. I also love that the novel has a strong sense of place, I felt very situated. It's a novel that will stay with me for a long time.

Intriguing and beautifully told book about rural pakistan and the many cultural and life challenges faced by its inhabitants. Hard to describe in lots of ways but would be a great book for discussion in the teenage classroom, So many issues raised

Feryal Ali-Gauhar's UK debut, "An Abundance of Wild Roses," intricately weaves lyrical storytelling with pressing contemporary issues such as gender violence, tradition, and patriarchy.

The book tells the story of a remote mountain village in Pakistan. Moosa, the village elder, is a proud man with three wives, and one daughter. Zarina is a local health worker, raising her daughters and trying to educate them, while her husband is serving in a remote military outpost in the mountains. Kulsoom is a mother of four daughters, and wife to a man addicted to cough syrup, struggling to find meaning and work, and blaming it all on not having a son. As these stories mature, we find our cast of characters dealing with matters of life and death, as a very traditional way of life comes into conflict with modernity. At the core of most of the narratives is the fate of women and young girls, and the terrible ramifications that occur when they get a glimpse of modernity and education, but are forced to live the lives of their forebearers, marrying young, bearing children (ideally boys), and slaving away for their husbands (in the true meaning of that word). As a backdrop, we encounter men who struggle to contain the erosion of their "respect" and "honor", and other men, who embrace modernity and aspire to have their daughters and wives learn, and be free.

I loved much about the story. The most astonishing thing was the characters and the depth of their emotional worlds. The character of Moosa, in particular, was a pleasure to understand, and see unravel. The characters were so vivid it was almost as if you could see them, and experience the angst and emotional turmoil that was eating them up inside. I also liked how the author prefaced most major events in the narrative with a story from folklore - it was enriching, relevant, and educational. Finally, while the book was not an easy read (content is not what I would call pleasant), it was well written, well paced, and contained just enough tension to make one want to find out what happens in the end.

I recommend it to anyone interested in the fate of young girls in the more remote parts of our world, be it Pakistan or elsewhere. The tragedies they endure, and the reasons for these tragedies, are soul shattering, and are worth being aware of.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This dark and challenging read details the hardship of women in a rural mountain village in Pakistan where the backdrop of colonial life, war and brutal conditions makes the thin veil between life and death wrapped in myth, folklore and tradition.
I think there were a lot of characters and voices in this book that sometimes became hard to distinguish or follow, there's beautiful imagery in the writing but again to eyes unfamiliar with the area there was a lot I struggled to picture clearly. The book covers the harsh realities of very young girls and women in such an oppressive way of life where their whole future is dictated by elders and men; they're equally relied on to do so much work but treated as useless and inferior to any son. It is a short and catchy read but I just personally felt I struggled to keep up with what was happening between the stories at once.

I enjoyed reading this book. Thank you to the writer, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read it

Hard to read
I really struggled to review this book – when I had finished it I felt thoroughly depressed and I simply wanted to read something else. This is undoubtedly my own issue with the way the world seems to be going. If I hadn’t been reading an ARC, I would have abandoned it after two or three chapters.
So in an isolated village in the mountains of Pakistan there is a village where life hasn’t caught up with modern ways – and modern wars.
The terrible stories of the lives of these people and the characters are described with some passion – there is the headman who feels he has to punish his daughter when she is given a poem by a man he doesn’t know. There are his three wives who have no means to deal with him. There is the boy who may or may not be prophesying some kind of doom who no one hears and the woman who cannot bear to carry yet another girl child to term. There are young men fighting in a very modern war, not so very far from this pit of oppression and depression and themselves being crushed by a pitiless landscape while a brave dog tries to save them. There are women who try to help each other and bring modern medicine to the village.
Meanwhile human lives are overlooked by bitter and angry mythical spirits of nature (while it was impossible not to agree with the spirits crushing view of humanity, it got a bit tired after about six chapters. Yes, trees and flowers and otters and pretty antelopes and otters and leopards are great and humans have done terrible damage but these people were dealing with a lot and they didn’t need this endless whingeing disapproval from above – well I didn’t need it on their behalf)
There are sparks of brightness, courage and compassion in all these stories which made it just about bearable to finish the book. But in the end I guess my own anxiety about the remoteness of a hopeful resolution for the story of the human race is what made it impossible for me to like this book.