▁Som ali ▁who ▁has ▁had ▁to ▁fle e ▁from ▁a ▁civil ▁war ▁but ▁been ▁unable ▁to ▁get ▁all ▁her ▁children ▁out ▁with ▁her . ▁The ▁Egypt ian ▁writer ▁N aw al ▁el ▁Sa ada wi ▁said ▁it ▁was ▁" a ▁beautiful ▁piece ▁of ▁fiction , ▁un cover ing ▁hidden ▁real ities ." ▁The ▁Independent ▁on ▁Sunday ▁rev iewer ▁said : ▁" So ▁successfully ▁has ▁Mol ten o ▁bre athed ▁life ▁into ▁her ▁characters ▁that ▁we ▁get ▁a ▁real ▁sense ▁of ▁their ▁vulner ability , ▁their ▁f ury , ▁their ▁sad ness ▁and ▁their ▁aston ishing ▁res ili ence ." ▁ ▁St ories ▁ ▁A ▁Language ▁in ▁Common ▁( 1 9 8 7 ) ▁is ▁a ▁collection ▁of ▁short ▁stories ▁featuring ▁South ▁Asian ▁women ▁in ▁the ▁UK , ▁first - gener ation ▁imm igr ants ▁who ▁meet ▁in ▁English ▁classes . ▁The ▁Pak ist ani ▁writer ▁Ah med ▁R ash id ▁called ▁it ▁" The ▁most ▁extraordinary ▁book ▁of ▁short ▁stories ▁– ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁attempts ▁to ▁str addle ▁in ▁fiction ▁the ▁social ▁divide ▁between ▁white ▁Brit ons ▁and ▁A si ans ." ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁re iss ued ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁by ▁Add enda , ▁New ▁Zealand , ▁where ▁the ▁New ▁Zealand ▁Her ald ▁described ▁Mol ten o ▁as ▁" a ▁luc id , ▁un pret ent ious ▁writer ▁whose ▁comp ass ion ▁and ▁hon esty ▁sh ine ▁through ." ▁ ▁Two ▁of ▁her ▁short ▁stories ▁have ▁won ▁pri zes : ▁▁ ▁" What ▁was ▁once ▁a ▁city ",