How Long’s a Day and Other Stories is a quietly powerful collection of short fiction that explores the many textures of human experience. Through fifteen thoughtfully crafted stories, the book navigates the intimate terrain of everyday life—its joys, struggles, longings, and quiet transformations.

Each story in the collection serves as a small window into vastly different lives. From moments of solitude and heartbreak to the bonds of friendship, family, and fleeting love, the narratives are woven with empathy, nuance, and deep emotional resonance. The title story, How Long’s a Day, contemplates the elasticity of time in the face of emotional pain and memory, setting the tone for the broader exploration of temporality and perception throughout the collection.

The strength of this anthology lies in its subtlety. Rather than relying on dramatic twists or sensationalism, the stories unfold in deeply human ways, echoing the internal monologues and whispered doubts we all carry. There is a poetic quality to the writing—measured, lyrical, and often introspective—that gives weight to the smallest gestures and moments.

The collection also draws strength from its quiet cultural grounding. Whether set in familiar urban spaces or less defined emotional landscapes, the stories speak to a universal audience while still offering a distinctively South Asian sensibility. Without being overtly political or thematic, the book subtly addresses generational shifts, societal pressures, and the silent negotiations between tradition and change.

Written by a keen observer of human behavior, How Long’s a Day and Other Stories will appeal to readers who appreciate fiction that mirrors life in its quieter forms—its uncertainties, its pauses, its questions that rarely find answers. This is not just a book to be read, but one to be felt.

In the tradition of authors like Jhumpa Lahiri and Raymond Carver, this collection stands out for its emotional honesty, literary elegance, and compassionate portrayal of the everyday. For lovers of thoughtful, character-driven fiction, How Long’s a Day and Other Stories is a rewarding journey through the subtleties of the soul.