“An utterly original work of art and soul… witty, gorgeous, and completely captivating”
Karen Karbo
New York Times best-selling author
“An assured debut on a subject that has been swept under the rug for far too long”
Sanam Maher
Author and journalist
Where to buy
House Number 12
Block Number 3
by Sana Balagamwala
About the book
Nadia has changed. She has been waking up in the middle of the night in fits of anxiety, avoiding her friends and family, and skipping her university classes. With the recent death of her father, Haji Rahmat, Nadia's condition has further spiraled. There is no acceptable diagnosis for her illness, and speculations abound: she may have a rare disease, she may have been possessed by a jinn, or perhaps she is inclined to madness. Whatever the cause of this mysterious illness, Zainab, Nadia's mother, is at pains to keep it hidden from the community at large; she is worried Nadia will be labeled as mad, and she knows all too well the taboos that mental illness brings with it.
While the country tethers on policial unrest, and Nadia seems to get worse by the day, the family searches desperately for the cause, and the cure, for their daughter’s mysterious illness. House Number 12, the home that has sheltered the Rahmat family for decades, narrates and recollects past events, trying to absolve itself of the burden it feels of being privy to the real reason for Nadia's "illness" but not being able to do anything about it.
Praise for the novel
“An utterly original work of art and soul, House Number 12, Block Number 3 is witty, gorgeous, and completely captivating. Once you walk through the door of Sana Balagamwala’s enchanting debut novel, you never want to leave.”
— Karen Karbo, New York Times best-selling author of Yeah, No. Not Happening.
“House Number 12, Block Number 3 is an original, heart-wrenching story of life, love, and tragedy in Karachi during times of turmoil and change. Brilliantly told through the eyes of the house that has sheltered the Rahmat family for decades, Sana Balagamwala’s language is rich in texture, lyrical and nuanced in scope, as she explores gender roles, social status, and political upheaval against the backdrop of a young girl’s pain. House Number 12, Block Number 3 shines a light on both the personal and political, and reveals how a country at war reflects a young girl’s madness, and neither will rest peacefully until both have been redeemed.”
— Deborah Reed, Author of Pale Morning Light with Violet Swan, and The Day the Birds Come Back.
“An assured debut on a subject that has been swept under the rug for far too long.”
— Sanam Maher, Author of A Woman Like Her: The Story Behind the Honor Killing of a Social Media Star.
Inspiration for House Number 12
Yellow Houses
& Mosaic Floors
The mustard yellow paint of this Pre-Partition Karachi home has seen better days. But what I love about this house is the stories it tells.
"The dull tan of a drain fly's thorax" Time has had its way with the grill on the veranda.
An example of the flooring detail from the home: A symphony in mustard, cobalt blue, burgundy.
This was the tile flooring that inspired the cover design for 'House Number 12, Block Number 3.'
The yellow stone, the sun bleached windows, and the beautiful trees of this old Karachi home are so atmospheric. This is how I imagined House Number 12.
