NPR's Book of the Day 'This is Where the Serpent Lives' is a sprawling debut novel set in modern Pakistan
Jan 19, 2026
Daniyal Mueenuddin, author of the debut novel *This Is Where the Serpent Lives*, is an acclaimed writer whose short stories received prestigious nominations. In this engaging conversation, he explores the generational saga set in modern Pakistan, focusing on themes like class and corruption. He shares insights into his novel-writing process, the significance of a boy's shoes in the narrative, and how a tea stall serves as an informal education. Mueenuddin also reflects on his own life experiences that inspire his characters and plots.
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Origin At The Tea Stall
- Bayezid appears as a lost little boy found at a tea stall holding new plastic shoes, which intrigues Kareem.
- This opening episode becomes Bayezid's first informal school of life and shapes his early identity.
Self-Inflicted Wound As Strategy
- Bayezid stabs his own leg to prove violent capability while avoiding harming others.
- Mueenuddin says this episode was directly taken from a real person's memory and used whole cloth in the novel.
Marriage As Power Partnership
- Hisham and Shanaz's marriage shifts from romance to a pragmatic partnership running business and power.
- Mueenuddin suggests women often hold real power but exercise it through their husbands in Pakistan's social structure.
