Between Clay and Dust by Musharraf Ali Farooqi

Shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize, Between Clay and Dust is a moving and beautifully told story of a wrestling champion and a courtesan struggling to hold onto the world they once knew amidst the eruptions of history.

In a ruined city after the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan in 1947, Ustad Ramzi is still famed as a wrestler of unparalleled strength and technique. But now Ramzi’s power—if not his indomitable will—is on the wane. The courtesan Gohar Jan, once celebrated throughout the country for her beauty and the seductive power of her singing, is now out of tune with her discordant new surroundings. In this unforgettable novel, Musharraf Ali Farooqi weaves together the stories of these two extraordinary characters in the twilight of their lives as their world crumbles around them. Between Clay and Dust is an arresting account of love, honor, betrayal, and the ways in which we wrestle with history.