Stirring the Pot, the debut novel from Quraisha Dawood, is out now from Penguin Random House and Umuzi.

About the book 

At Summer Terrace flats in hot and humid Durban, the friendships between the women are as intricate as the curling patterns of henna tattoos.

Meet old Aunty Ruki, who lives with her domestic worker, Joyce, an arrangement that ruffles many feathers. There’s Zaina, who has her sights on becoming an architect, and her mother Rabia, a florist, and yes, she’s divorced. Zaina hides a secret that could cause a rift in their relationship: his name is Imraan, and dating him simply isn’t allowed.

Dive into this swirl of madams and maids, women and their husbands, children, grandchildren, and in-laws, a world bristling with life and vitality, amid judgements and forgiveness, secrets and lies, expectations and disappointments.

Prepare for a wedding, a theft, Ramadaan, and a passing, while delicious recipes for traditional cuisine add local spice to life at Summer Terrace.

About the author

Quraisha Dawood is a South African sociologist and writer. In 2002, she published an anthology of poems entitled Jewels of Faith: Poems for Muslim Youth. She has since been published in Reader’s Digest, Irtiqa magazine, Al-Qalam, Al-Ummah, the Sunday Tribune, Riding the Samoosa Express and Saffron, as well as academic journals. In 2020, she published Almost Me, an autobiographical account of her journey through miscarriage, postpartum depression and motherhood. She holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal and is currently the research manager of a private higher education institution. Stirring the Pot is her first novel.

Categories Fiction South Africa

Tags New books New releases Penguin Random House SA Quraisha Dawood Stirring the Pot Umuzi