These richly imagined tales, by turns playful and dark, and shot through with magic, depict the lives of East African Ismailis, a Muslim community with origins in India and a history of upheaval and dislocation. Set variously in Canada and East Africa, these stories portray characters caught between home and exile, between what is real and what is imagined, what is lost and what is found. A baby with wings, a disappeared life savings, a pearl diver's magical secrets—in each story, what is cursed is also blessed, and redemption, when it comes, will take your breath away.

Reminiscent of the stories of Singer and O. Henry, Baby Khaki's Wings is an unforgettable reading experience and the mark of a singularly new and luminous literary talent.

Anar Ali's profile page

Anar Ali’s first book, Baby Khaki’s Wings, was a finalist for the Commonwealth Writer's Prize (Best First Book), Ontario’s Trillium Book Award, and the Danuta Gleed Literary Prize. She is also a screenwriter and has a TV drama series in development with the CBC. Anar currently splits her time between Toronto and Mexico.

"Ali is a storyteller in the true sense of the word: in spare, unflowery prose she tells tales about people, tales in which events are set in motion, actions have consequences, and conclusions are drawn...Ultimately, what all the tales share is a bittersweet poignancy that grippingly serves to contrast the strength of a culture with the fragility of displaced individuals." —Quill & Quire
"What do you get when you mix gorgeously wrought magic realism with stark desperation and loss? Something so imaginative it hurts." —NOW