“I consider my role as an author to constantly surprise the readers and keep them engaged in the story. If the readers are not drawn to the characters or the plot, you will lose them halfway.”
Her 2005 debut book, Beyond the Cayenne Wall, is a collection of short stories about Pakistani women struggling to find their individualities despite the barriers imposed by society. It won the Norumbega Jury Prize for Outstanding Fiction. Her award-winning novel Saffron Dreams explores the tragedy of 9/11 from the perspective of a Muslim widow. It received the Patras Bukhari Award for English Language, the Golden Quill Award, the Reader Views Award, the Written Art Award, and a grant from the Hobson Foundation.
Saffron Dreams has been adopted by several institutions of higher learning as recommended reading and has been cited in numerous research papers. An excerpt of the book was used in a study by a research team from Washington and Lee University that demonstrated how reading such literature curbs racism. Saffron Dreams was also named as one of the 50 Greatest Works of Immigration Literature by the Open Education Database.
My Friend Suhana was co-written with Shaila’s older daughter Aanyah and won the Dolly Gray Children’s Literature Award. Her upcoming book, Little Hammy’s Dreadful Delights, is a collaboration with her younger daughter, Aaliyana.
REVIEWS
What They Are Saying
“Loved the portrayal of the city of Karachi, which I could strongly connect with, such as ‘there being so many nameless streets, yet nobody gets lost.’Every story is engraved in emotion, with each character having to face a unique struggle.”
– Lara Zuberi, author of The Lost Pearl
“Saffron Dreams is an unflinching look at the societal pressures of widowhood, the role that art can play in the healing process, and the impact of media bias and stereotyping on the Muslim American community in the aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks.”
–Sandhya Nankani, Literary Safari
“Abdullah takes us into the hearts and minds, realities and yearnings, and daily existence of women young and aged in and from South Asia. Her stunningly beautiful prose and elegant iridescent descriptions of the land that these women love is juxtaposed with the brutality and coarseness of their everyday existence.”
– Dr. Shirley Hord, author of Implementing Change
“Following Arissa’s story makes the reader realize how little most ofus know and understand the world of Muslims, and how incrediblywrong so many of our perceptions are.”
–Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson, Reader Views
“Little Hammy’s Dreadful Delights encourages children to follow their dreams, no matter how unusual. The authors have created a delightful character in Hammy, a whimsical rodent determined to share his love of cooking with his animal friends.”
– Ellen Black, author of Shake That Cream
“A Manual for Marco is a welcome addition to children’s literature that will help in introducing the condition of autism to young people and providing information that will enable them to understand a little more about it so that will not seem so scary.”
–Wayne Walker, Home School Book Reviews
“This sweet, touching story is based on the historic 2010 floods in Pakistan which affected 8.6 million children. As a result of reading Rani in Search of a Rainbow or having it read to them, youngsters will be introduced to the culture of Pakistan.”
