The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon

by Safinah Danish Elahi

Zohaib, Misha and Nadia believed they would be in each other's lives forever. As children they played, argued, teased and loved one another. Yet nothing could have prepared them for the tragic turn of events one fateful afternoon in Karachi, Pakistan, when the divisions and differences between them are revealed.

Years later and they are still trying to piece their lives back together, still trying to make sense of what happened. Zohaib is living in London, haunted by the ghosts of the past. Nadia has escaped the household where she first met Misha and Zohaib but finds fate delivering her back to their door…

The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon is a beautifully rendered portrait of love, healing, and long-buried pain, digging deep into the nature of trauma and class division.

Genres: Fiction, Pakistan

250 pages, Paperback

First published July 10, 2023

Reviews

[Wajiha · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an early reader of the manuscript, I must confess that this novel is truly close to my heart. I believe that Safinah has done an incredible job creating this beautiful little story with its complex characters, each with multiple layers interweaving with one another's pasts. The resulting effect is a captivating and evocative journey that feels both haunting and sensual, eliciting a deep emotional response in the reader. In fact, it feels as if I’ve known the characters my entire life. The author's deft handling of the past and present through a back-and-forth narrative technique adds depth and complexity to the novel. Her gift lies in using simple language to convey complex and powerful human emotions, and that is where this novel's power lies.
I can't wait to see what Safinah does next, but for now, you must check out this book!

[Bookread2day · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this usual story, with the scenes from London to Pakistan. I was glued to all of the character’s going through different things during their lives. Nadia, who lives in Lahore Pakistan, in a tiny house, she works in an office, and unfortunately for her, she has a husband who often drinks so much that he often passes out. Zohaib lives in London, seeing a consultant psychiatrist who is convincing to consider an arranged marriage. For Talha, Zohaib is like a brother to him. Misha, she lives in Karachi Pakastan, who has a friend named Nono, they have been best friends since they were two years old, who lives in Misha’s home. This story is touching, with loss, family, womanhood, and friendships. I have never read anything quite like this splendid Asian fiction book, its a fantastic powerful novel, effecting all of its characters. The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon by Safinah Danish Elahi, is one that I strongly recommend reading. I guarantee that you all would not have read anything quite like this splendid novel.

[PagesAndInk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant Book.
Read for a blog tour. Review to follow

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was provided for review by The Write Reads, and Neem Tree Press. Thank you!

Trigger Warning: mentions of rape/sexual assault (occurs off page), mentions of alcohol use, mentions of drug use, mentions of abuse (spousal and child), death of a child

Zohaib, Misha, and Nadia are three young people who each believed they would be friends forever. As children they lived in the same household - Zohaib and Misha are brother and sister, while Nadia is the child of one of the housekeepers. Living so close together, they were good friends but even then there were differences in how they were treated. As adults, those differences are even more pronounced. While time has passed, not all wounds have healed.

The Idle Stance of The Tippler Pigeon by Safinah Danish Elahi is a book that explores interpersonal relationships and how they are shaped by society. Misha and Nadia are the same age and how they are treated is very different simply because of their place in society. The same can also be said in regards to how Misha and Nadia are treated compared to how Zohaib is treated - because they are girls and he is a boy. It is something both they the characters and we the reader see and recognize.

The book alternates narrators between the three main characters but also a few others, such as Zohaib's friend Talha or Nadia's cousin Gulshan. Each chapter is told from one person's point of view, set either 17 years ago when the three were children or in the modern day when they are adults. It takes a bit for the pieces of the storyline to come together but when it does it is heartbreaking.

The overall writing is beautiful and poignant. The chapters flow well together creating a coherent story that draws the reader in. The characters are interesting and aggravating sometimes in the way that only young children can be.

The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon tackles not just relationships between siblings and friends but also between parents and their children. It touches on subjects like racism, class issues, and how poorly servants are often treated by those they work for. It is not an easy book to read due to the subject matter. But it is a good book. A very good book in my opinion.

I can definitely recommend this one to my readers but I also advise them to take heed of the trigger warnings above. As wonderful as I found The Idle Stance of The Tippler Pigeon to be, I also know it is not for everyone.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received the Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon from Neem Tree Press and the Write Reads, so big thanks to both and here are my honest opinions about the book:

I really didn’t know what to expect from it at all going in to it. Even the name is a bit mysterious, but you find out where that comes from as you read and it actually works really well as the title then. This is a story rich in emotion, with heavy doses of childhood trauma and with multiple interwoven POVs, notably Zohaib, Nadia and Misha. The writing really stands out as above and beyond the normal fare that you come across these days. Each line was clearly thought over and written in a particularly thought provoking or just plain ‘nice’ way.

The book is both very dark and heavy but without contradicting myself it is also surprisingly light and hopeful too. Like no matter how bad your past may be or things may seem, there is always hope. A powerful message. It is also set in Pakistan and you get a nice dose of culture and atmosphere due to that too.

Its plain and simply a very very very good book

[Fatguyreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon is a story of family, friendship, love, loss and trauma.

It's slow paced, but purposely so, with the book focussing more on the characters, their development and intricasies.

Told from the point of view of multiple characters, it's brilliantly written, beautiful and one to savour. It's energetic, it's heartfelt, it's graceful.

It's an emotional read, full of hope and feeling and I read this in two sittings.

A big 5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 "s from me.

[Bookbugworld · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon left me reeling with a myriad of emotions. I could feel the hot air of Karachi and the history ebbing in and out of the streets of Lahore.


Read the complete non-spoiler review of the book in my book blog. Link : https://bookbugworld.com/review-the-i...

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fantastic title to catch a readers eye with.

If you would like to read my full review please visit my blog at:

https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogsp...

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon
Safinah Danish Elahi
Zohaib - brother to Misha, his storyline starts in England in the now.
Misha his sister in … pakistan, a young girl about 8. Lives in a very fancy house with servants, her brother and her bff Nono/Nadia.
Nadia - Pakistan - in the now, working in an office, married to a good for nothing.

Now is 17 years later than Misha’s storyline.
The book alternates narrators, the three mentioned above and a few of the tertiary characters. It took me a bit to see how all the stories fit together. The book is short and packs so much of a punch. The storytelling is incredibly vivid and each narrator has a unique syntax.
Every chapter ends on a small or big cliffhanger which makes you think, ok just one more chapter.
The writing is really beautiful and speaks to class issues, racism, how poorly servants are treated and several other really interesting and sometimes difficult topics. The ending felt a smidge abrupt, but overall I though the book was very good.
Thanks to Netgalley for the earc.

[Chandni | (itsccreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exploring the themes of loss, love and friendship - The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon is a brilliantly written book. I absolutely savoured this read - it’s less than 300 pages but the writing was so beautiful I wanted to soak in every word. It’s very slow, and gives readers more on character development vs. plot which meant that the tragic turn of events isn’t such a focus - as the novel is more focussed on the aftermath and how the MCs have carried this trauma in to adulthood.

I really enjoyed reading this from multiple POVs. I thought it was really endearing how the early chapters were written from the POV of the MCs as children, simple language that had such an impact. It was during these early chapters where you could see the narrative of class divides, and so found it interesting to read about this from a child’s POV. I would have loved some more chapters on Zohaib’s relationship with his father - I was so taken with their reunion so would’ve loved exploring that further.

Also - one thing I absolutely loved was that Elahi had included a glossary at the back of the book to help readers understand Urdu!

Emotional, hopeful & beautiful - would definitely recommend!

[Ashlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on my blog https://booksare42.com/

Thank you to Neem Tree Press for providing me with a digital copy of this book. Thank you to The Write Reads for organizing this blog tour and providing me with the material for it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon is different from what I’d normally read, but I’m glad I picked up this book because it was beautifully written and I ended up really enjoying it. Told from various perspectives, The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon tells a story of characters who are haunted by their past and facing an uncertain future.

Throughout The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon there is a tragedy that is being hinted at. The main characters are haunted by an event that happened in their past that forever changed their lives. This tragedy isn’t immediately revealed, but hints are left throughout the first part of the book. While the tragedy is revealed at the end of part one, the reader is left to wonder what the specific details are while they read part two.

I enjoyed the use of the changing perspectives in The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon. I liked that each chapter was only a few pages and then it would switch to a different character and a different location. I think this also did an excellent job of showing how different the lives of the main characters are.

The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon deals with some heavy topics. It deals with things like grief, anxiety, mental health, death, sexual harassment, poverty, and class divide. I thought this book did an excellent job portraying anxiety and the struggles that someone dealing with anxiety face. I also think this book did a good job showcasing the class divides, and I thought that the switching between Misha or Zohaib’s perspective to Nadia’s perspective did a great job of showing these divides.

As far as the characters go, I loved Nadia and Zohaib. I thought these two characters were well written and they were characters that I could root for. It was clear that they were haunted by their past and I was invested in finding out what happened. I also enjoyed Misha and some of her interactions with the other characters. I also liked that there were a few chapters told from the perspectives of secondary characters like Zohaib’s roommate or Nadia’s cousin.

One thing I didn’t love about this book was the ending. I thought that the ending was very open and I would have likes just a little bit more closure.

Overall, I thought The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon was a great book full of memorable characters and a story that I will be left thinking about for a while.

[Dima · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of an accident and its impact of the lives of everyone involved in it. It is also the story of emotional trauma and how it affects coming of age. More than this, it's a story of what it means to deal with emotional trauma in contemporary Pakistan, especially as a woman, and particularly as a poor woman. It is also the story of Pakistan and its women more broadly - the good and the bad, the awe-inspiring and the terrible. More than anything, it is a story of two children who lose their friend and never truly recover from it.

This is, without doubt, one of the best books I read in a long time. Naturally, for me at least, the novelty of setting the plot in Pakistan, the exploration of the role of women in society there, and the debate about how much emotional trauma is allowed to be even considered in that environment, is noteworthy. This is not why I found this book so touching, familiar, and engulfing.

It could have easily been written by Turgenev, Chekhov, or Leskov. The delicate exploration of families, their traumas, and their growth is the central theme. It is done with finesse and sensitivity, creating a lasting impression of loss and grief. While there are parts to the story that have joy in them, it is essentially a tragedy - and it's remarkably realistic, as such.

I fell in love with every single character in the book, and cried over all their fates. The author's choice to tell the story through the perspectives of each character is indeed disarming, and takes away any animosity one might feel towards any one of them. All the characters are tragic in their own ways.

Perhaps what was most emotive for me was the relationship between Zohaib and his baba. This is what Zohaib says at one point:"I think of the many things Baba taught me. I think of the many things he could have taught me. He taught me how to fly a kite, how to convert currency rates from American dollars to Pakistani rupees to pound sterling. He taught me how to do business, how to buy at a lower rate and sell at a higher price, and to never tell trade secrets to anyone. He taught me how to deliver a perfect bouncer in cricket and what a tiebreaker was in tennis. He taught me how to climb a tree and get the best fruit. What he didn't teach me was how to love a woman or how to ask for help when I needed it. He never taught me how to communicate my feelings, how to shave my beard, how not to be disappointed when I fail a test or tank an interview. He never taught me how to keep believing when the entire world falls apart, and he never taught me how to forgive others and myself".

I cannot recommend this experience enough. I think everyone should read this - fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, and children. There is something for everyone here, and I am incredibly grateful for the chance to have read this book.

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

[Sammie · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can read my full review on my blog, The Bookwyrm's Den, here.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Overall

I have to admit that the title of this book caught my attention right away! In this world of very formulaic titles, it was a breath of fresh air and immediately made me want to know more. I’m a sucker for trauma. One might assume that I’ve had my fill of it, but you know what? Trauma is much more entertaining when it’s someone’s else’s trauma. Who knew that was the key?!

The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon is a contemplative, thoughtful exploration of trauma and healing, where the only way to ensure a future is to get over the past. Filled with strong characters and Pakistani culture.

I didn’t really know what to expect from this book going in, but this book is a whirlwind of emotions. While the beginning is very slow, things smooth out as it goes on, and at just 250 pages, it’s a really quick read. There’s a lot of perspective switching, which threw me off from time to time, but Elahi’s writing is so pretty and strikes right to the heart of things.

My Thoughts:

- The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon is the sort of book that is good for a patient reader who is willing to wait for the payoff. The beginning starts very slow, and just throws the reader in, introducing character after character without really doing a good job of grounding the story, so it can be a little confusing and daunting at first. Once it gets going, though, it’s hard not to find yourself swept away with the mystery of what these characters have been through together and rooting for them to heal. After all, everyone deserves the chance to overcome their trauma. This book is very different from most that I read in that it isn’t linear and it can almost feel like a lucid dream. The parts don’t always fit neatly together at first, but once it starts going, everything falls into place and the payoff is worth it!

- None of the characters in this book have particularly great lives, and Elahi doesn’t shy away from being honest about the situations they find themselves in. There’s a lot of hurt and pain in these characters. Everyone has their own sort of trauma that they’re grappling with, and while it’s all somewhat tied together by one event from the past that they share, they’re all uniquely their own. If you’re looking for an uplifting read that paints the world in rainbows and sunshine, this ain’t it. It’s a realistic, gritty, honest look at how life can wear away at anyone, in a myriad of ways. Fret not, though! It isn’t nearly as dark and gloomy as I make it sound. While there are definitely some very tough moments emotionally, this isn’t one big Debbie Downer of a book. Elahi does a fantastic job of balancing things out and showing resilience. These characters have the strength to overcome their traumas. They just need to find it.

- Elahi’s writing is fairly straightforward on the surface and can be worded awkwardly at times, but there are so many really gorgeous zingers that jump off the page and demand you pay attention to them! Elahi’s writing is fairly straightforward on the surface and can be worded awkwardly at times, but there are so many really gorgeous zingers that jump off the page and demand you pay attention to them!

- There a lot of really heavy themes in this book, done thoughtfully and carefully, but the one that stands out the most is the treatment of women. It may not come as much of a surprise, with this book being set partly in Pakistan, that women aren’t always treated well. (Although, to be fair, that is also true in many other areas of the world.) This narrative is where Elahi especially shines. She pulls no punches when it comes to showing the considerations that women have to go through over what may be simple things, and the ever-present concern about the risk of assault. This book takes a scathing look at a society that devalues women and pushes back against the assumption that all a woman is good for are these things that they’ve been prescribed by society. Nadia’s journey is especially poignant. She isn’t just a woman in a male-driven society; she’s a poor woman, which is a uniquely difficult situation to be in. Little by little, she’s clawed her way out of the abject poverty she grew up in, but that doesn’t mean she’s safe. Far from it. Out of all the characters, I appreciate her strength and resiliency the most.

- It isn’t just the women, either. Elahi also dives into the ways society can fail men. Zohaib, in particular, suffers from severe PTSD due to an event from his childhood. He’s mostly estranged from his parents, who sent him away to London. There, he finds solace in a therapist that works with him regularly, and a best friend who is patient, considerate, and understanding of his needs (sometimes even when he isn’t himself). While I would not consider Zohaib a victim in this story, he is definitely suffering, even as his trauma is dismissed by those around him. But all he’s doing is modeling the examples he’s had from others in his life, who are similarly ignoring their trauma, which becomes almost a self-perpetuating cycle.

Sticking Points:

- At times, this book is very hard to follow, with sudden perspective shifts and jumps in the timeline. Especially if you’re like me and have trouble keeping track of a lot of different characters. It isn’t always obvious who the character is at first, or when in the timeline things are taking place. There’s a stream of “now” and “then,” without there always being a clear delineation. Probably about a third of the way in, I was comfortable enough with the characters and understood enough about the story that I didn’t struggle with it anymore, but it made for a very slow, challenging beginning to start with.

- There are a lot of time skips and fast-forwards that I felt it, in some ways, undermined the full impact of the character growth and struggles. At around 250 pages, the book definitely could’ve handled a little more length to help round things out. As I’ve said, this isn’t at all an easy book for the characters, who have a lot of healing to do and many realizations that need to be made. And they do. But not all of them are exactly hard-won. Sometimes, there are very convenient time skips where characters have the realization that they need to do this hard thing and, boom, it’s done and has been done and they’re on the other side. Elahi’s story is otherwise very emotionally charged, and it would’ve been so much more rewarding to spend more time with the characters during the meat of their struggles to really see their healing. In this way, the book has a lot of telling rather than showing. In some ways, it creates a bit of a distance between the reader and the characters which I think undermines the overall emotional impact of what is an otherwise deeply moving book. There are many times that we’re told a character does or feels XYZ, but we aren’t shown it, which is sometimes frustrating.

[Hafsa Lodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book, which tells the story of a childhood trauma through the lenses of different characters, over past and present narrations. What exactly that trauma is, readers are left guessing until the very end! Safinah weaves in some hints here and there but she really takes you on a rollercoaster ride as she unravels these characters lives and describes how a lack of closure, support and safe space to heal have been such a disservice to these children who have grown into adults still haunted by their past. She expertly crafts individual stories for her cast while bringing to light real-life issues of sexism and class divisions. I connected deeply with all of the characters, who have diverse backgrounds, upbringings, and personalities. They drift apart and then come together in the most unexpected of ways, making this book-reading journey both riveting and also self-reflective!

[Reesha (For the love of Classics) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 *

This book has a lot going on in it: even if it’s less than 250 pages long.
The start of the story was quite abrupt and bumpy. I am not used to reading more modern works but the story started getting more smooth as I read along. I feel like the editing of the book could be better: as the language was too raw.
The story line some how seemed familiar to me as a Pakistani reader, I don’t know why that is. One of the reasons I could think of is because television plays in Pakistan portray similar stories. The plot of the book was quite dramatic. It made me sad to think every woman and young girl in the book faced sexual harassment/ abuse in one way or another.
The only character I like in the book was Zohaib and Misha’s father.

[Humaira · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this to be incredibly slow but atmospheric and it took a while to build up to figure out what happened.

It’s an essay on the difference between rich and poor and the fact that the rich can get away with a lot because of money and status.

It’s a very intense read with lots of triggers from child loss, PTSD, domestic violence and sexual harassment.

[Ashleigh Neame · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon is set primarily in modern day Pakistan. It’s told through many different points-of-view, which normally I’m not a fan of, but the author does a fantastic job in this book. Each voice was unique, which many authors who write this way struggle to do. I really liked Nadia and Zohaib’s characters, but holy moly I just could not stand Misha. Kudos to the author for making me feel so strongly about a character!

The book had a very contemplative, introspective tone to it. I should have guessed that before I started reading, as the title is loosely explained to mean “nothing is ever what it seems”. The tone is echoed by the way the chapters are written, with some being all thoughts and memories with no dialogue, especially at the beginning of the book.

Weaved throughout the story is a central theme of friendship between Misha, Nadia, and Zohaib.

I hate Misha. If there was ever a character as spoiled as Draco Malfoy, Misha would be it. She’s a snob who thinks the world revolves around her. This is a result of her upbringing, in which her mother is also a rude snob.

Zohaib is Misha’s older brother. While their parents focused on Misha, Zohaib was sent away as a teenager when he needed his parents the most. They failed him, and I really felt for the character as he struggled to become a functioning adult with no parental support.

Nadia grew up in the same household as Misha and Zohaib, but she was the maid’s daughter. As a result, she had a good education, but thanks to the lady of the house’s grief and malevolence, she spent her teenage years as an orphan of sorts, with her mother (the maid) being accused of a horrendous crime (which only happened in the lady of the house’s mind).

Other characters come in and out throughout the story in the second half of part one, and right throughout part two. They are unique, and one I pitied, while the other annoyed me.

If there’s one thing this author does well, it’s her characters.

However, I did feel that something was missing from the story, and I think that thing was a driving force, or a goal for the characters to achieve. I often found myself feeling like I was reading someone’s diary, and not a novel. The story drifted along just fine, but I prefer the stories I read to have a goal for the characters to work towards. This book didn’t have it.

It also had a really unsatisfying ending. The book ended with a lot of unfinished threads. With no sign of a sequel, I doubt these will be wrapped up at all.

It’s worth noting that the author is both a lawyer and a poet. From my experience, neither tend to make particularly good novelists, but then perhaps I’m not the intended audience for this book. It is primarily written for a southeast Asian audience, and I’m a Kiwi. Perhaps you’ll like it more than I did?

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blurb
Zohaib, Misha and Nadia believed they would be in each other's lives forever. As children they played, argued, teased and loved one another. Yet nothing could have prepared them for the tragic turn of events one fateful afternoon in Karachi, Pakistan, when the divisions and differences between them are revealed.
Years later and they are still trying to piece their lives back together, still trying to make sense of what happened. Zohaib is living in London, haunted by the ghosts of the past. Nadia has escaped the household where she first met Misha and Zohaib but finds fate delivering her back to their door…
The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon is a beautifully rendered portrait of love, healing, and long-buried pain, digging deep into the nature of trauma and class division.

Review
This is a deeply moving story which is still playing on my mind days after reading it. Themes of abuse, loss and class division are at its core, but ultimately it is about friendship and love and how one moment in our lives can change everything, forever.

The story is told through the eyes of the three main characters and moves between their childhood and adulthood, with each character getting to tell their story. This was done so brilliantly and allowed me to understand the events, that are revealed throughout the book, more fully. I was able to find empathy and understanding for them all and the ending will make you cry.

The story is set in Pakistan, which also makes it unique and compelling and the exploration of how women are treated and how poor women are treated really resonated with me.

This is a book I would recommend to all my friends and it is one of the best books I have read this year.

I am grateful to the publishers - Neem Tree Press who sent me an ARC, as part of the writereads blog tour. This is my honest review of the book.

[Tabitha Tomala · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon

Thank you to The Write Reads and Neem Tree Press for providing me with a copy of this book! I voluntarily leave this review!

Told through multiple points of view, and spanning years, The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon tells a tale of grief and recovery. It is a story about second chances, the complexities of family and friendship, and learning how to live on past traumatic experiences.

Safinah Danish Elahi can capture raw human emotion in a detailed and intricate way, from the characters’ inner thoughts to their interactions. Readers will find themselves experiencing intense moments of conflict within each of the characters, and their struggles to find some semblance of balance and peace in their life.

As the story unfolds, each point of view begins to paint a picture of the tragedy that ultimately influenced each person’s life. Hints are mixed among each narrative, slowly working to expose why each character is dealing with grief in their own way. And how the loss of one person can influence the lives of many. Though each character readers encounter, knows the deceased in different capacities, the effect on their lives is no less profound.

The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon is an emotional read that centers on how relationships and lives change after loss. And how years later it can still impact a person's life. This book is for those who enjoy stories of families and friendships trying to endure and move past their grief.

[Stace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trauma is something that can last a lifetime and haunt those who suffer from it and The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon is a book about the lives of the people who were affected by a traumatic experience, years ago.

The book features three main characters Nadia, a young woman who works in an office. She is married to a deadbeat who drinks himself stupid every day and they live in the slums in Pakistan. Zohaib, a young man who is living in London trying to make something of himself. He is seeing a psychiatrist to help him come to terms with the past. Lastly, Misha who is Zohaib’s sister. Her story is told in the past when she was just a child. Nadia, known as Nono back then lived with Misha and her family.

The plot is slow burner and each chapter alternates between the three main characters and the odd other person thrown in for good measure. It is also told in the present and past which jumps around. At first, I was confused as to what was going on as I hadn’t realised we weren’t in the same time period as it isn’t stated at the beginning of the chapters.

I loved the feel of the story, how it is about three friends/family members and works through their lives and their trauma. I also loved that the scenes were both in Pakistan and London. The book is quite hard-hitting but it was certainly handled with sensitivity and care by the author.

Overall, this is a book about how women are treated and about families. It is a book that brings trauma and grief to the forefront and makes the reader face it head-on.

[Nuzhat Nisar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Safinah Danish Elahi’s new novel "The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon", published by Neem Tree Press is a story of love and grief.
Safinah has a flair for expressing emotions. And her novel makes me think... Actually, it makes me have all these questions...We all experienced grief. But can we get past grief? Is it fair to be joyful again? And what if it never allows us to be happy again?
Through one of her character Nadia, Safinah D Elahi also vocalize dilemmas that resonate with Pakistani women in particular and women in general now and then, like when Nadia said, "I felt like a prey as I walked the streets, and found no refuge in my work nor home, and Mubashir would be carrying on without a care in the world. Isn’t the husband supposed to be taking care of the wife’s well-being in every way possible? Isn’t that what they love to tell wives? Or is it only when she does something supposedly objectionable that a man suddenly becomes aware of his wife’s existence, only to burn, stab, or shoot her?"
And how true it is when she said, "I had been taught to keep my husband’s purdah, to stay quiet, not to make apparent his flaws, not even to him. A man’s ego must not be offended; it must be protected at all costs."
Her characters Nadia, Zohaib, Faiza, and Masood Hashim represent denial, anger, depression, bargaining, and acceptance. Five stages of grief, as described by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross in her book "On Death and Dying". What is inspiring is Safinah's unmatched talent for exploring grief from different perspectives.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful, poignant, very well written story.

I’m giving the Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon five stars. The main reason for this is not the story or even the characters, (both of which are both good and well done and more on them in a minute). It is the writing.

The books just beautifully written and in a way that is not flowery or trying to hard or anything, the words simply flow off the page in such an easy style that before you know it you are just reading along. I love the first person POVs we get from Nadia, Zohaib and Misha, with each one feeling unique and distinct with their own voice. And I love the way their voices capture the feel and essence of Pakistan, just via the way things are conveyed.

The story itself is poignant and unfolds largely from the perspectives of the three above mentioned characters, we get a little from both the present day and from several years earlier when Nadia and Misha were just children. We know bad things happened but we don’t really learn the full picture until the end. The author does well at giving us heavy elements of poverty, domestic violence, and various trauma issues while still maintaining a sense of hope or faith that there is goodness in the world.

Thank you neemtree press and the writereads. I would never have heard of this gem without you!

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The storytelling is so immersive; you are immediately pulled in. The voices of the main characters Misha, Nadia and Zohaib are clearly portrayed throughout the book. Each of them share their feelings and views thus giving the reader a comprehensive understanding of both timelines -past and present- as well as the events taking place in each of the timelines.

The story is, in its majority, set in Pakistan and this gives the reader the opportunity to understand a few things about the culture and way of life there. The author enchants the reader with her descriptions painting a vivid picture of the events right in front of their eyes.

The book touches mainly on the subjects of social inequality, which can be seen through the eyes of Nadia as well as loss which can be seen through the eyes of all three characters. The power of friendship as well as the very strong bonds of family are prominent as well.

I loved all three main characters, each of them for a different reason. Misha for her innocence, Nadia for her ferocious personality and Zohaib for his fortitude. They all had to go through hardships which altered them as persons ultimately transforming them to who they were as adults. Just like the idle stance of the tippler pigeon, not everything is as it seems.

All in all I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I found the writing to be completely mesmerizing.

[Raksha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was enjoyable to a great extent. Different POVs made me understand what was going on in each character's mind, and the protagonist seemed like a determined and complex person. She had a will, a dream, and also knew how to stand up for herself.

The author made use of wilful unreliability when presenting the story about Misha at first, which I felt could have been done better.

To me, there were no clear signs to indicate she wasn't at her brother's house. The friend whose house she'd stay at played along and said his parents would take care of her. But right after the trip to South America it becomes evident that Misha had died a long time back. That felt unnatural to me. If her brother couldn't accept it all these years, how come he suddenly did? What made him accept the horrible truth of her death on that trip? Just a few words from the people he met? Those same words he shunned and was terrified by? This was what didn't sit well. I felt the author could have fleshed out this part a bit more to create a satisfying plot.

Otherwise, the book was a pleasant read and deeply relatable in terms of culture. The suspense was maintained until the very last chapter. The characters didn't end up together. And there was no double tragedy.

[Raazia Sajid Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm blown away. The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon is so observant and raw and on point; so poignant.
Very rarely have I seen multiple perspectives (not just two or three but so many) done right, done effectively. They don't interfere with the narrative, if anything, they enhance it.
I am a huge fan of character based fiction and I was hooked to Nadia's story. She was such a classic to root for.
What I really loved were the nods to realities clearly lived by the author told through characters especially like Gulshan or Nadia or even Talha. Gulshan is my absolute favourite too.
I love how the author questions the status quo. I love how she doesn't provide any real answers and how that is partly the point because fiction isn't here to solve the world's problems, just shine a light on them. I love how her characters are so real, so human I could meet them on the street. But mostly I love how this book is full of things you wonder about.
How can a 'mere' story talk about so many important things? Read this book and find out!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced review copy of this book, to review as part of a tour with The Write Reads.

When I started reading, I was curious about the characters and what they had to say. I got the impression that each character would tell their own story, and that those stories would somehow be interwoven. For the most part, the perspective switched between Nadia, Zohaib and Misha.

The writing had a thoughtful quality that I enjoyed, and I liked the openness and sincerity of each character as they reflected. Some of the conversations made me smile, as well as the anecdotes of the characters.

This book did deal with some dark themes, such as kidnapping and childhood trauma, and I felt there were some tearjerker moments. In spite of that, it was quite uplifting to read. It was a short read, and after I closed the book, I felt as though I could have read about these characters for a little while longer.

Thank you to The Write Reads, Neem Tree Press, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.

[A Voracious Reader (a.k.a. Carol) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
Book source ~ TWR Tour

Zohaib, Misha, and Nadia are forever changed one afternoon when tragedy strikes. They’ve shattered into a million pieces and years later still haven’t put themselves back together again.

This is a powerful tale of love and loss. Told mostly from Zohaib, Misha, and Nadia’s POVs (with a few others here and there), this story unfolds into a tapestry of childhood friendship, class imbalance, and tragedy not dealt with properly. No one in this story has really managed to move on from what happened, but is it ever really too late?


This is wonderfully written and masterfully steered to keep the reader guessing. What happened? Why is it still affecting them today? I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. The desire to peek at the end to see what happened was so strong I had to really dig deep in the restraint department to stop myself. And that ending? Wow. This is a book that will stick with me for a long time.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved that this book was set in Pakistan. I have never before read a book set there or in India, so I was delighted to give it a go. I also loved that it was written by a native of the region. The book is beautifully written from the very first page, and I don’t say that lightly, the prose is wonderful to read and there are so many beautiful passages and turns of phrase.

Its a book of multiple POVs but the main characters are Misha, Nadia and Zohaib. Without giving away spoilers I will say that the plot is, in a word, emotional. You really get pulled into the characters and their traumas, struggles and hopes.

I don’t really have anything bad to say about it, if anything Might have liked if it was bit longer and spent a bit more time talking about Karachi itself. This is a powerful, emotional book that will leave you reeling.

[Zarmina Salman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The idle stance of the tippler pigeon is a beautiful coming of age story. The main incident happens pretty early on in the book, so it’s less about what happens and really more about the development of the characters; told from the POV of the different characters and across timelines.

Woven into the storytelling itself are the themes of trauma, classism, racism, gender inequality amongst other difficult topics, which makes this a short but intense read. The ending was interesting, because instead of wrapping up the story neatly, it kind of leaves the reader with a question mark, which makes you question the whole story and characters themselves.

[Beth Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was intrigued by the title of this book, and it engaged me enough to want to read and review it, despite it not being my usual type of read. I am very glad I made that decision. Without spoilers, the title is part of something the father of Misha and Zohaib says to them when they are children, and relates perfectly to the character arcs of both Nadia and Zohaib.

It took me a few chapters to get my head round the format and story, by then I didn’t want to put it down.

Dealing with family, friendship, love, loss, grief and class, this story of the long lasting effects of a childhood trauma, told from multiple perspectives, will stay with me.

The story unfolds mainly via the three main characters, Nadia, Misha and Zohaib, and is set both in the present and 17 years earlier, when Nadia and Misha are about 8. These are interspersed with chapters from the point of view of several other family members which add effectively to the narrative.

We do not find out exactly what happened until the end of the book, but hints are drip fed throughout, whilst we hear about how the event affected those involved as they dealt with it…or not, in some cases.

Despite the themes of poverty vs privilege, domestic violence, mysogyny, grief and mental health issues, there is hope in this story.

The ending (not the reveal of the childhood trauma event, but where the characters are in their lives and relationships) leaves the reader with a lot to contemplate. It is not what I expected but is reflective of reality, in my opinion.

Thank you to Neem Tree Press and @The_WriteReads for a copy of the book for me to review