Name: The Nine Lives of Pakistan
ISBN: 9781408868478

Declan Walsh

Dispatches from a Divided Nation

The Nine Lives of Pakistan

A New York Times New Book to Watch For (November 2020) The former New York Times Pakistan bureau chief paints an arresting, up-close portrait of a fractured country.

Dispatches from a Precarious State

Vishwa

I was a bit skeptical about reading a book about a country from the "east" written by a western author, but Declan Walsh did not disappoint. 

This is a book about a specific side of Pakistan, for sure — ask a socialite in Lahore and they'll tell you something different. (As Walsh points out on various occasions.) But it's unlikely you'll ever ask someone from Balochistan about their life in the 70s - 90s, so this book holds a lot of stories you'll probably never hear.

Interesting how the conflict of leaders, possibly the residual desires of a "founding father" (Jinnah), and culture dichotomies can create a climate rife with terrorism supported by the government. Makes you feel bad for the regular people living in the country, really makes one think "what-if" re: 1947 partition, and inspires skepticism about organized religion (but it's not going anywhere...). Identifying with India I never really dug enough into Pakistani history, especially more recent context; this book was a fun read and an interesting glimpse into the side of Pakistan the US and India usually thinks about, but with way more local and detailed context.

The Nine Lives of Pakistan Dispatches from a Divided Nation

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