Embroiled in the set imperative of middle class lifestyle in contemporary Pakistan, Mariam Ameen decides to challenge the tradition of being female.   
The novel begins in Lahore, entering its first phase with Miriam struggling to retain all the memories of her dead grandfather so engrained within her. With her willful and determined self-assurance, Mariam leaves for America in search of better days, carrying these memories with her. But encounters with foreign characters in a strange land leave Mariam confused and vulnerable, forcing her to build an impenetrable wall around herself. In the midst of forging new paths Mariam learns of the disappearance of her younger brother, Abdullah, in America. A reverse journeying begins as she  moves backwards to her roots to confront what she has left behind in order to find the answers she is looking for and move forward. Against the backdrop of unyielding social institutions threatened by change and independent individuals, Mariam vows that she would not stop looking for her brother.   
“Ashes, Wine and Dust” describes the journey Mariam undertakes which becomes an exploration of human themes of self-identity, invisible ropes of social customs, stereotypes and love. As love in all forms is tested in the most strenuous ways possible, the case of disappearance becomes the less chosen road towards a self discovery.  

Agent: Anuj
Edit: Aanchal