“I am the brooding Spirit of Pakistan!” As the main protagonist of the novel I speak directly to the readers as they turn the rustling pages in anticipation. Readers! You may have read countless

captivating and compelling stories, but The Story of Pakistan’ is unique. An avant-garde, multi-layered manuscript, an infusion of historical facts and pure fiction, an energizing present and a vivid past-both spun together to produce an engrossing tale. It falls in the genre of realistic fiction intersected with slices of history.

The Story of Pakistan’ is the anatomy of a blazing epoch in which a Nation wrote

its own fate with grit, courage and determination. Supreme sacrifices of the

founders should never be forgotten. Sucked into the black-hole of terrorism, the wounded soul of the nation is yet to be healed. While fighting the battle of narratives, winning the hearts and minds of the new generation is still a challenge. Ergo collective personality of the Nation and growth of the national mind is thoroughly explored.

An additional layer of fiction unfolds the saga of Altaf Ahmad’s family and its many travails. Protagonist Javaid Ahmad suffers devastating setbacks when fate dexterously knits the yarn of his life with national tragedies.

Will Javaid Ahmad manage to extricate himself from the web of misfortunes? Will he blame his overly-developed sense of patriotism for his plight? Can a single decision result in the break-up of marriage and family? A sibling’s death can change the course of one’s life? Can ugly realities be changed into a promising future by using the capital of wisdom gained through previous experiences? All these questions are answered by multiple narrators in the kaleidoscope of

quickly changing locales.

Lala Rukh Shaukat is the author of two well acclaimed books published by Ferozsons. ‘Mystique of Murree’ a coffee table book on British Raj’s foray into the hills was published in 2006. Her second book ‘Path of the Rose’ a translation of Punjabi Sufi poetry was published in 2015,

This is her third book specially written to celebrate Pakistan’s 75 Years of Independence. She has a background in sociology, current affairs and English Literature. Two overriding passions of her life are teaching and writing.