Six Metres of Pavement by Farzana Doctor

Posted by Pearl Fiction Wednesday, June 1st, 2011

Six Metres of Pavement by Farzana Doctor
Dundern, 2011. 340 pp.

Ismail Boxwala made the worst mistake of his life one summer morning twenty years ago: he forgot his baby daughter in the back seat of his car. After his daughter’s tragic death, he struggles to continue living. A divorce, years of heavy drinking, and sex with strangers only leave him more alone and isolated.

But Ismail’s story begins to change after he reluctantly befriends two women: Fatima, a young queer activist kicked out of her parents’ home; and Celia, his grieving Portuguese-Canadian neighbour who lives just six metres away. A slow-simmering romance develops between Ismail and Celia. Meanwhile, dangers lead Fatima to his doorstep. Each makes complicated demands of him, ones he is uncertain he can meet.

Praise for Six Metres of Pavement

“With her first novel, Stealing Nasreen, and now her discerning new novel, Six Metres of Pavement, it’s hard to imagine a gentler protestor than Farzana Doctor, but protest she does: racism, sexism, ageism, and homophobia all fall before her gentle yet powerful touch. She is a writer to cherish and reread when we feel the world lacks a moral centre.” ~ Dayne Ogilvie Grant Jury

“…the characters are refreshingly genuine. Throughout, Doctor skillfully plays with concepts of motion, migration and movement, both physical and emotional.” ~ Globe and Mail

“Toronto writer Farzana Doctor’s second novel is a sensitively written story about the complexities of human relationships, with the added twist of the immigrant experience… A warmly felt portrait of an unusual but successful remaking of a family.” ~ Sudbury Star

About the Author

Farzana Doctor is the recipient of the 2011 Dayne Ogilvie Grant, administered by the Writers’ Trust of Canada. The grant is given annually to an emerging gay or lesbian writer who demonstrates great literary promise through a body of work of exceptional quality.

Farzana Doctor’s first novel, Stealing Nasreen, received critical acclaim and was nominated for Masala!Mehndi!Masti! People’s Choice Award. She has also written on social work and diversity-related topics, and in her spare time she provides private practice consulting and psychotherapy services. She lives in Toronto.

Read an INTERVIEW with Farzana Doctor.

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