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This is a historical and literary novel that revolves around characters originating in West and East Pakistan who love each other and marry, but their marriage is deeply affected by the violence that overtakes the country and the ultimate dismemberment of Pakistan. This coming apart is the
centre of this novel. The author has built her story around the looming crisis and the final hour of disintegration and dissolution. A compelling tale of love gone awry through a grievous sense of 'honor' reaching out across generations, this is a novel dealing with 'History with a capital H.' a
basic contextualization of this book within this history may be useful for its non-Pakistani readers, but even within the country, younger readers especially need to be reminded of what ensued, since Pakistan has not effectively addressed nor come to terms with the forces and factors which created
an irreconcilable chasm and subsequently, the cataclysmic events terminating in the country's break-up as well as the emergence of Bangladesh as a sovereign state. Such an assessment is still conspicuous by its absence in the country's curriculum and some textbooks that ascribe to the ever-popular
and ubiquitous 'conspiracy' theory.
centre of this novel. The author has built her story around the looming crisis and the final hour of disintegration and dissolution. A compelling tale of love gone awry through a grievous sense of 'honor' reaching out across generations, this is a novel dealing with 'History with a capital H.' a
basic contextualization of this book within this history may be useful for its non-Pakistani readers, but even within the country, younger readers especially need to be reminded of what ensued, since Pakistan has not effectively addressed nor come to terms with the forces and factors which created
an irreconcilable chasm and subsequently, the cataclysmic events terminating in the country's break-up as well as the emergence of Bangladesh as a sovereign state. Such an assessment is still conspicuous by its absence in the country's curriculum and some textbooks that ascribe to the ever-popular
and ubiquitous 'conspiracy' theory.
331 pages, Paperback
First published May 10, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 25, 2021
I think this book was lost in translation.
There were way too many characters and none developed well for me to remember who was who. The character list in the beginning helped sometimes but not always.
I know the story is important and should be told but it's extremely disjointed and characters, really flaky. I didn't feel I knew anything about any of them.
There were way too many characters and none developed well for me to remember who was who. The character list in the beginning helped sometimes but not always.
I know the story is important and should be told but it's extremely disjointed and characters, really flaky. I didn't feel I knew anything about any of them.
December 1, 2013
One of the most powerful books I've read. A very balanced and heartbreaking illustration of the events of 1971
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews