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As the beliefs and rituals of Sufism move beyond esoteric theory and practice to the layman’s domain, contemporary art and literature explore their impact on everyday life. Faiqa Mansab’s The Sufi Storyteller builds upon this trend.

The book is a thriller at one level and an introduction to Sufi lore at another. The gradual build-up of events and characters drives the dramatic suspense, while Sufi traditions retain their place at the core of the narration.

The central protagonists of the story are two women. Layla Rashid, the first one to step into the tale, is an academic at a liberal arts university in the US, where she teaches courses on storytelling with an emphasis on Sufi tradition. The other woman is Mira Heshmat, a well-known academic who has published books on Sufism and is regarded as an authority on the subject. Both women have led troubled lives and their devotion to the Sufi doctrine is an attempt to transcend their pain and move towards the attainment of inner peace.

The book is divided into three sections. The first, ‘The Beginning of the End’, sets the stage for the events that follow. It begins with a bang, as Layla walks into her university office/library to find the corpse of a woman spreadeagled on the floor. We learn that Layla had confronted a similar situation in the past, and this macabre repetition is not likely to be a sheer coincidence.

A novel blends suspense, trauma and Sufi philosophy into an ambitious thriller that is marred by an inconsistent style

Through some opaque hints scattered through the opening pages, we learn that Layla Rashid was separated from her mother early on in her life and has been searching for her ever since. The search brings her to this midwestern town, a long way from big city academia. She is intrigued by Heshmat and has followed her for a while, attending her public lectures, one of which is scheduled at her university. Heshmat’s lecture on the university campus turns out to be well-attended in spite of the disruption caused by the murder in the library.

After the lecture, Layla spots and introduces herself to Professor Reza, an academic whose work she has followed and who is now teaching at her university. The meeting is followed up by a chance encounter with Reza, and a student, Gul, who is taking both their courses. Differences arise in their positions on Sufism as Reza challenges Layla’s beliefs.

Layla’s search for her mother had taken her as far as the city of Lahore, 10 years earlier. Hasina, her adopted mother, had accompanied her. While the trip did not yield any promising clues, it brought a romantic interest into her life. She meets and falls in love with Khayyam, an artist born and bred in the notorious Diamond Market or Heera Mandi in Lahore. Khayyam has also been tracking a missing parent — his father in his case. His search comes to a painful end. Layla, not ready yet to make a commitment to the close relationship that develops with Khayyam, chooses to disengage and return to the US.

The story takes a not too credible turn when Khayyam shows up one fine morning on Layla’s campus. The two try to catch up on events in their respective lives after their brief liaison in Lahore.

The author then launches Book Two, titled ‘The Beginning’, a first-person account of a kidnapping and an eventual flight to freedom. This is where the story picks up speed.

A film team wandering deep inside Taliban territory is ambushed by a local warlord and his men. The only woman in the team is separated from the men and taken to the hideout of Gulraiz, the tribal chieftain. Thus begins a harrowing tale of abuse, as the woman recounts how she was forced into marriage with Gulraiz, confined to a room in his house and beaten every time she tried to escape from her prison. She is left inside a cave to recover from the injuries a furious Gulraiz inflicts upon her. In the cave, she meets Kamli, a woman dismissed as crazy by the other women in Gulraiz’s harem. Kamli treats her injuries with traditional medicine and offers stories to heal the soul.

One of several hair-raising escape attempts eventually succeeds. The woman is taken to the US embassy in Kabul along with her daughter and repatriated to the US. An older daughter and her son are left behind.

Meanwhile the story comes back to the present and Layla confronts the possibility that has led her to follow Heshmat around from campus to campus.

Book Three, ‘The End of the Beginning’, reveals the identity of Layla’s birth mother. Meanwhile, the serial killer who seems to be bent on creating trouble for Layla strikes again. This time the victim is found in Layla’s apartment.

Mira is psychic and has helped the police track down a killer in a different case. She is called in to help with this one. Mira and Layla get together to muse over symbols and patterns that may reveal the crux of this story.

The story is an interesting one and well told for the most part. However, the two men in the story — Khayyam and Reza — are only sketchily developed. Some of the gaps in their stories are addressed in the climax, but they remain on the periphery even when they serve to move the story forward.

There is a lack of consistency in terms of style as the free-flowing account is interrupted now and then by dialogue that is so formal and convoluted that it is hard to imagine even academics choosing to use it. However, Mansab has taken on a difficult task in welding together iconic theory with its consequences for daily life and, in this respect, she acquits herself well.

Originally published in Dawn, Books & Authors, May 17th, 2026