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Set in colonial Punjab, Dusk over the Mustard Fields is a poignant and compelling human story, inspired by true events, steered by political and social upheavals of the Partition. Married at sixteen, Nimmo's destiny hangs in the balance as she fails to meet the expectations of her debonair husband, Lt. Hukum Singh. Rejected in favour of a second wife, the beautiful and educated Hansa, she is consigned to the village home and falls prey to sexual assaults by Bachana, her brother-in-law. Propelled by her fight for survival in an unforgiving social milieu, Nimmo resorts to using the only tools at her disposal-feminine wiles and black magic. Inextricable from the tragic sweep of human exodus and violence of partition, Nimmo's destiny throws her onto a roller coaster of unimaginable twists and turns. This nostalgic journey into undivided Punjab gives us intimate and vivid insights into the now-lost rural Punjabi culture and a disquieting peep into the lived identities and angst of women in a deeply patriarchal society. Conjuring up the era of the British Indian army, winding through cantonments, Malls and brass bands, it is a tale of love, loss and hope.
- GenresPoetryHistorical Fiction
Unknown Binding
Published January 1, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
February 16, 2021
I once listened to this Ted talk where the speaker was telling the audience a story of how he decided to thank everyone who was responsible for the coffee that he bought at a coffee outlet like Starbucks. He attempts to traceback from the barista, to the supplier, to the fields where the coffee is grown and from each interaction blooms a beautiful story. The entire journey represents a river from source to destination but with its own tributaries that tell their own stories. One such tributary is Dusk over the Mustard Fields by Ranjit Powar.
Just a few years before the Partition of India and Pakistan, in the village of Sahnewal lived Nimmo, a carefree teenager, and daughter of a Zaildar. Shackled by the chains of patriarchy, and led forward with blinders to restrain thought and freedom, Nimmo is pushed into a marriage with a ranking army officer and spirited away into a life of hardship that batters away her innocence.
Now while Nimmo's at war with her adversaries in the foreground, the background is filled with this subtle noise of the moments that preceded the Partition. The first chapter sets a tone of gentle camaraderie between the villagers of various religions. Caste-based differences are depicted and are casually shown to be the evil that it is. The people of the village are represented as a whole and as each chapter passes, a small crack begins to appear and further grows into an abyss that divides the village into two. much like how the country was. Each chapter felt independent, depicting a part of our protagonist's life with definite grandiose. The chapters serve as working gears that enhance the working of the book as a whole.
Powar's hand weaves a magic web that ensnares its readers, holds them captive, and consumes their attention as it takes them back in time to live out a story that is strained with pain and realization. The prose and the narrative were something I lost myself in. The vivid descriptions of post-colonial Punjab, especially the village of Sahnewal gave rise to an almost cathartic experience which further fueled the other nuances of the story.
Nimmo's pain and struggles are something we see every day and though it is getting better, it is not happening fast enough. If you are a fan of a complex yet beautiful narrative with vivid imagery, this is the book for you!
You can find the book by clicking on the following link.
Dusk over the Mustard Fields
Just a few years before the Partition of India and Pakistan, in the village of Sahnewal lived Nimmo, a carefree teenager, and daughter of a Zaildar. Shackled by the chains of patriarchy, and led forward with blinders to restrain thought and freedom, Nimmo is pushed into a marriage with a ranking army officer and spirited away into a life of hardship that batters away her innocence.
Now while Nimmo's at war with her adversaries in the foreground, the background is filled with this subtle noise of the moments that preceded the Partition. The first chapter sets a tone of gentle camaraderie between the villagers of various religions. Caste-based differences are depicted and are casually shown to be the evil that it is. The people of the village are represented as a whole and as each chapter passes, a small crack begins to appear and further grows into an abyss that divides the village into two. much like how the country was. Each chapter felt independent, depicting a part of our protagonist's life with definite grandiose. The chapters serve as working gears that enhance the working of the book as a whole.
Powar's hand weaves a magic web that ensnares its readers, holds them captive, and consumes their attention as it takes them back in time to live out a story that is strained with pain and realization. The prose and the narrative were something I lost myself in. The vivid descriptions of post-colonial Punjab, especially the village of Sahnewal gave rise to an almost cathartic experience which further fueled the other nuances of the story.
Nimmo's pain and struggles are something we see every day and though it is getting better, it is not happening fast enough. If you are a fan of a complex yet beautiful narrative with vivid imagery, this is the book for you!
You can find the book by clicking on the following link.
Dusk over the Mustard Fields
February 16, 2021
• r e c o m m e n d a t i o n •
Dusk Over the Mustard Fields is an achingly beautiful novel set in pre-Partition Punjab. The cover is aptly designed, reminding one of the mellowed yellow hues of the mustard fields, swaying gently in the breeze painting a vivid picture of Sahnewal. The story begins with a sense of brotherhood between the Hindu-Muslim communities but ends in separation. Nimmo, daughter of a Zaildar, leads an ordinary yet fulfilling life with her family and friends. Unknowingly, she finds herself blushing under the gaze of her neighbour's son, Akthar. But before they could give it a name, her wedding is fixed to Lt Hukum Singh and Nimmo quickly forgets about Akhtar. Dreams of becoming an Officer's wife clouds her mind blissfully. Although Nimmo grew up facing taunts by her grandmother for being born as a girl, patriarchy rises it's hood like a snake filled with vengeance when she moves to her in-laws house in Raipur.
Nimmo is quick to realise the unfairness of being a woman in a male dominated society. While it's easier for men to discard wives at their whim, women are warned not to utter a word of objection. A childless home was almost always the failing of a woman, for a man can never be at fault. Being beaten, raped or abandoned were the norm and returning to their maternal homes was a thing of shame and fallen honour, forcing them to suffer in silence. Nimmo too, faces countless hurdles much like other women and is pushed aside to make space for her husband's new wife. The trials she has to go through are truly heartbreaking. While she struggles to come to terms with everything that's happening around her, India is on the verge of separation. Ranjit Powar ties the country's fateful events with that of Nimmo's skillfully. There's an underlying sense of pain throughout the story with an occasional glimpse of hope.
I read this for #readingindia readathon in which we are covering Punjab this month.
I highly recommend this underrated gem.
Dusk Over the Mustard Fields is an achingly beautiful novel set in pre-Partition Punjab. The cover is aptly designed, reminding one of the mellowed yellow hues of the mustard fields, swaying gently in the breeze painting a vivid picture of Sahnewal. The story begins with a sense of brotherhood between the Hindu-Muslim communities but ends in separation. Nimmo, daughter of a Zaildar, leads an ordinary yet fulfilling life with her family and friends. Unknowingly, she finds herself blushing under the gaze of her neighbour's son, Akthar. But before they could give it a name, her wedding is fixed to Lt Hukum Singh and Nimmo quickly forgets about Akhtar. Dreams of becoming an Officer's wife clouds her mind blissfully. Although Nimmo grew up facing taunts by her grandmother for being born as a girl, patriarchy rises it's hood like a snake filled with vengeance when she moves to her in-laws house in Raipur.
Nimmo is quick to realise the unfairness of being a woman in a male dominated society. While it's easier for men to discard wives at their whim, women are warned not to utter a word of objection. A childless home was almost always the failing of a woman, for a man can never be at fault. Being beaten, raped or abandoned were the norm and returning to their maternal homes was a thing of shame and fallen honour, forcing them to suffer in silence. Nimmo too, faces countless hurdles much like other women and is pushed aside to make space for her husband's new wife. The trials she has to go through are truly heartbreaking. While she struggles to come to terms with everything that's happening around her, India is on the verge of separation. Ranjit Powar ties the country's fateful events with that of Nimmo's skillfully. There's an underlying sense of pain throughout the story with an occasional glimpse of hope.
I read this for #readingindia readathon in which we are covering Punjab this month.
I highly recommend this underrated gem.
September 10, 2020
Ranjit Powar’s Dusk over the Mustard Fields is a beautiful narrative set in pre-partition Punjab evoking nostalgia for the state’s composite nature, diverse landscape and rich cultural heritage in the days leading up to Indian Independence and the creation of Pakistan. It traces the tumultuous life of Nimmo, who is the daughter of a village Zaildar. Despite being born in a family of privilege, Nimmo falls prey to the many hardships and obstacles thrown in her path by the deeply patriarchal Punjabi society of the time, where women are valued chiefly for their ability to appease men and to produce male off springs. At the beginning of the narrative, Nimmo is both gusty and gritty but after being knocked down, time and again, by the cruel hands of patriarchy, she is reduced to a confused, helpless person soon after her marriage, her pathetic situation offering a seething commentary on the struggles of women in a male dominated world. Whether it is the callousness of her father or the thoughtlessness of her army officer husband or the brutish exploitation that she suffers at the hands of her lecherous brother-in-law, Nimmo finds herself caught in the intricate web of patriarchy with no compassion in sight. Lacking education, logic and reasoning skills, Nimmo resorts to black magic and manipulation to ward off the avalanche of misery that comes to eclipse her world only to find fleeting happiness before being thrown, yet again, into a merciless world where she finds herself abandoned by both her husband and her parents. Left with no recourse but to annihilate herself, she sets out to seek refuge in death, but destiny has another twist in store for her. In her gravest hour, love comes to light up her world, rejuvenating her, giving her wings to fly and start afresh in a new world far away from her disturbing, tragic past.
The novel offers an intriguing read for anyone who wants to further their understating of pre-partition Punjabi society with its caste-system, class stratification and most importantly, the marginalization of women. No matter what their faith, class, or caste, the various women that feature in the narrative are perpetually and systematically victimized by the men in their lives. Nimmo and her sister, her mother and grandmother, her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law are all hapless victims of patriarchy. However, instead to coming together to overthrow their tormentors, ironically, all of them, choose at various points in the narrative, to perpetuate the shackles of patriarchy thereby weakening themselves and each other. The novel lays bare the many hypocrisies of a society in which there are wide gaps between what is being said and what is actually being done, compromising in the process the moral core of families and communities, reducing an enslaved India furthermore to a mere wasteland devoid both of economic prowess and ethical standing. The narrative also throws spotlight on the peculiar situation of the Indian officers in the British Indian Army who in their attempt to emulate the colonizer, take on condescending mannerisms, oftentimes ridiculing their own people, culture and heritage. Nimmo’s husband Hukum Singh serves as example of the colonized man who despite being privy to the severe exploitation of India at the hands of the British, leaves no stone unturned to further the ruthless designs of the empire, whether it is through his work or through his heartless dealings with his wife, presenting a stark contrast to the sensitive, empathetic and idealistic Muslim freedom fighter Akhtar who is willing to risk life and limb in order to secure an undivided India.
In taking the readers through the many ups and downs in Nimmo’s life, Dusk Over the Mustard Fields brings alive the complexities, traditions, songs, rituals as well as the social, cultural and political landscape of pre-partition Punjab. It also presents the gruesome diaspora of people across the newly drawn up border in the days following Indian Independence and the formation of Pakistan. In so doing, the novel unravels the pain, trauma and tragedy of the partition that kills and uproots millions changing forever the landscape, politics and the subsequent history of the Indian Subcontinent. Many congratulations to the author for her painstaking research and for reawakening an unforgettable chapter from Indian history through her writing.
The novel offers an intriguing read for anyone who wants to further their understating of pre-partition Punjabi society with its caste-system, class stratification and most importantly, the marginalization of women. No matter what their faith, class, or caste, the various women that feature in the narrative are perpetually and systematically victimized by the men in their lives. Nimmo and her sister, her mother and grandmother, her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law are all hapless victims of patriarchy. However, instead to coming together to overthrow their tormentors, ironically, all of them, choose at various points in the narrative, to perpetuate the shackles of patriarchy thereby weakening themselves and each other. The novel lays bare the many hypocrisies of a society in which there are wide gaps between what is being said and what is actually being done, compromising in the process the moral core of families and communities, reducing an enslaved India furthermore to a mere wasteland devoid both of economic prowess and ethical standing. The narrative also throws spotlight on the peculiar situation of the Indian officers in the British Indian Army who in their attempt to emulate the colonizer, take on condescending mannerisms, oftentimes ridiculing their own people, culture and heritage. Nimmo’s husband Hukum Singh serves as example of the colonized man who despite being privy to the severe exploitation of India at the hands of the British, leaves no stone unturned to further the ruthless designs of the empire, whether it is through his work or through his heartless dealings with his wife, presenting a stark contrast to the sensitive, empathetic and idealistic Muslim freedom fighter Akhtar who is willing to risk life and limb in order to secure an undivided India.
In taking the readers through the many ups and downs in Nimmo’s life, Dusk Over the Mustard Fields brings alive the complexities, traditions, songs, rituals as well as the social, cultural and political landscape of pre-partition Punjab. It also presents the gruesome diaspora of people across the newly drawn up border in the days following Indian Independence and the formation of Pakistan. In so doing, the novel unravels the pain, trauma and tragedy of the partition that kills and uproots millions changing forever the landscape, politics and the subsequent history of the Indian Subcontinent. Many congratulations to the author for her painstaking research and for reawakening an unforgettable chapter from Indian history through her writing.
September 25, 2020
The bright, rich yellow of the ripened mustard fields has a story to tell. What catches the eye is but the end product of the nurturing of the seeds, the toil of the farmers, the long wait for it to come to fruition—a cycle of life, soon to be harvested, so that the next cycle can begin.
Ranjit Powar has delineated the life in pre-Partition Punjab deftly. Her empathy for Nimmo is evident, as is her familiarity with the rhythm of rural life. She writes of the characters we find familiar, and of the lethal combination of patriarchy and pride that undermines the humane in us. The darkness that pastoral accounts sometimes gloss over is there to be felt as we see Nimmo grow up in her father’s haveli in Sahnewal, move to her in-law’s house in Raipur and then to life in Ambala Cantonment. Her trips to Ludhiana and later Ambala are rich in details of the life of yesteryear.
Nimmo’s life is typical of a carefree youngster who is thrown into an unfamiliar world after matrimony, with few, if any aids to navigate in uncharted waters. From a village belle to an Army Officers wife is a leap that takes its toll. Her husband Lt. Hukam Singh’s dismissive attitude, and haughty fellow officers’ memsahibs don’t help at all, yet she soldiers on, till Hukam Singh gets a second wife two years later, blaming Nimmo for not bearing a child.
Zaildar Kehar Singh and Mian Ali Beg’s families represent the syncretic culture of Punjab, one in which various communities lived in harmony, doing their own thing as far as religion was concerned, and contributing to cultural events collectively. Naturally, there is interaction, even assignations, between the two families, but that’s the secret sauce of life.
The impending Partition tears all this apart, even as childbirth does the same for Nimmo, who finds shelter and love in the hands of those who have left everything behind. Did I say everything, surely not…humanity asserts itself on both sides of what has now become a border.
A powerful tale which is much more than a story.
Ranjit Powar has delineated the life in pre-Partition Punjab deftly. Her empathy for Nimmo is evident, as is her familiarity with the rhythm of rural life. She writes of the characters we find familiar, and of the lethal combination of patriarchy and pride that undermines the humane in us. The darkness that pastoral accounts sometimes gloss over is there to be felt as we see Nimmo grow up in her father’s haveli in Sahnewal, move to her in-law’s house in Raipur and then to life in Ambala Cantonment. Her trips to Ludhiana and later Ambala are rich in details of the life of yesteryear.
Nimmo’s life is typical of a carefree youngster who is thrown into an unfamiliar world after matrimony, with few, if any aids to navigate in uncharted waters. From a village belle to an Army Officers wife is a leap that takes its toll. Her husband Lt. Hukam Singh’s dismissive attitude, and haughty fellow officers’ memsahibs don’t help at all, yet she soldiers on, till Hukam Singh gets a second wife two years later, blaming Nimmo for not bearing a child.
Zaildar Kehar Singh and Mian Ali Beg’s families represent the syncretic culture of Punjab, one in which various communities lived in harmony, doing their own thing as far as religion was concerned, and contributing to cultural events collectively. Naturally, there is interaction, even assignations, between the two families, but that’s the secret sauce of life.
The impending Partition tears all this apart, even as childbirth does the same for Nimmo, who finds shelter and love in the hands of those who have left everything behind. Did I say everything, surely not…humanity asserts itself on both sides of what has now become a border.
A powerful tale which is much more than a story.
July 8, 2021
Short book that you can't keep down. A reminder of all the atrocities that women have faced in the midst of partition/nationalism/political decisions. Also a reminder of how casteist, patriarchal and divisive the society has always been.
February 23, 2021
Reading Ranjit Powar's Dusk over the Mustard Fields hurt and hurt very bad. It also infuriated me - something that happened when I read Kim Ji-Young, Born 1982 last year. The former is a book set in pre-partition Punjab while the latter is a Korean translated fiction set in contemporary times. DOtMF talks about the plight of Indian women and their status post marriage while Kim Ji-Young primarily is about a woman suffering after her delivery. So what ties these two diametrically opposite books? Why did reading them both hurt so bad? Make me furious?
It's because whether you talk about women in pre-partition Punjab or women in Korea in modern times, not much has changed. Women are still subject to gender stereotypes, unwilling slaves to patriarchy, objectified, having to choose between freedom and safety, threatened and put up with sexual abuse, their worth reduced to whether they've given birth to a child after marriage, how soon they produce the baby and whether that baby is male or female...... I could just go on and on.
In Powar's Dusk Over the Mustard Fields, our protagonist is a young, 16 yr old sardarni Nimmo. Nimmo is a typical village belle and is married off to a haughty Army Officer (methinks he was awarded the First Order of A**hole). In the next four years of her life, she puts up with being verbally and mentally abused by her in-laws (the women in the house can win the award for best internalised misogyny), sexually abused by her brother-in-law, and discarded by (an infertile) husband because "she's just not good enough for his firangi educated, societal image obsessed, entitled AF male a**". Nimmo does not receive help from any quarters, so she decides to take matters in her own hands. For a bit it seemed like it would all go to hell in a handbasket but Powar gives us a happy, if an improbably ending (thank you).
The only issue I had with this book was the writing. I really don't know how to explain it - while the prose brings to life Punjab - the sprawling havelis, the wahegurus, sat sri akals, pairi-pauna, lassi, parandha, clothes and so on. It manages to give you a sense of both a Punjab on the cusp of partition and Punjab today. At the same time, I wasn't a fan of how the chapters ended - abruptly and sometimes messing timelines. Also, other than Nimmo, the other characters are largely one-dimensional. All the men are atrociously predatory or disaffected - the only decent ones are Mian Ali Baig and his son Akhtar (whom we don't get to see enough of). Oh, also, the background of partition, while generating conversation about how people didn't want to be divided in India and Pakistan, didn't create as much tension as I'd expected it to.
These complaints aside, I loved the snippets of history Powar drops, Nimmo's character arc and all things Punjab in this book. It was a quick read and I would certainly recommend it to anyone looking for a quick Indian partition era historical fiction.
It's because whether you talk about women in pre-partition Punjab or women in Korea in modern times, not much has changed. Women are still subject to gender stereotypes, unwilling slaves to patriarchy, objectified, having to choose between freedom and safety, threatened and put up with sexual abuse, their worth reduced to whether they've given birth to a child after marriage, how soon they produce the baby and whether that baby is male or female...... I could just go on and on.
In Powar's Dusk Over the Mustard Fields, our protagonist is a young, 16 yr old sardarni Nimmo. Nimmo is a typical village belle and is married off to a haughty Army Officer (methinks he was awarded the First Order of A**hole). In the next four years of her life, she puts up with being verbally and mentally abused by her in-laws (the women in the house can win the award for best internalised misogyny), sexually abused by her brother-in-law, and discarded by (an infertile) husband because "she's just not good enough for his firangi educated, societal image obsessed, entitled AF male a**". Nimmo does not receive help from any quarters, so she decides to take matters in her own hands. For a bit it seemed like it would all go to hell in a handbasket but Powar gives us a happy, if an improbably ending (thank you).
The only issue I had with this book was the writing. I really don't know how to explain it - while the prose brings to life Punjab - the sprawling havelis, the wahegurus, sat sri akals, pairi-pauna, lassi, parandha, clothes and so on. It manages to give you a sense of both a Punjab on the cusp of partition and Punjab today. At the same time, I wasn't a fan of how the chapters ended - abruptly and sometimes messing timelines. Also, other than Nimmo, the other characters are largely one-dimensional. All the men are atrociously predatory or disaffected - the only decent ones are Mian Ali Baig and his son Akhtar (whom we don't get to see enough of). Oh, also, the background of partition, while generating conversation about how people didn't want to be divided in India and Pakistan, didn't create as much tension as I'd expected it to.
These complaints aside, I loved the snippets of history Powar drops, Nimmo's character arc and all things Punjab in this book. It was a quick read and I would certainly recommend it to anyone looking for a quick Indian partition era historical fiction.
January 2, 2024
phenomenal scene setting, tackles many themes all at once, very enlightening as a punjabi also love the good guy, however, does sometimes read like the hindi tv dramas i would watch with my dad as a kid at times
also the end was too much of a “i woke up and it was all a dream vibes” but tbf i couldnt write better myself. 3 stars. Love the rep.
also the end was too much of a “i woke up and it was all a dream vibes” but tbf i couldnt write better myself. 3 stars. Love the rep.
May 16, 2021
I will give this book three stars because while i loved the descriptions of Punjab and the village life during the timw it is set in, the stpry itself was nothing extraordinary.
February 15, 2021
Set up in the times of pre partition Punjab, the book follows the Journey of Nimmo and her miserable life.
Despite being from a family of privileged Jatts, she hardly lived her life with any privileges! Her strong personality hit rock bottom when she was reduced to a helpless woman by her own husband.
Her story portrays the fact how patriarchy was etched in the earlier society and women were treated miserably by their husbands and in- laws.
🌻
Beautifully narrated, this book took my heart away. The characters felt so raw and real that I felt as if I’m right into the book standing besides Nimmo The story was engaging and it was hard to keep away from the book till the very end. A powerful tale that needs to be read by everyone!
Despite being from a family of privileged Jatts, she hardly lived her life with any privileges! Her strong personality hit rock bottom when she was reduced to a helpless woman by her own husband.
Her story portrays the fact how patriarchy was etched in the earlier society and women were treated miserably by their husbands and in- laws.
🌻
Beautifully narrated, this book took my heart away. The characters felt so raw and real that I felt as if I’m right into the book standing besides Nimmo The story was engaging and it was hard to keep away from the book till the very end. A powerful tale that needs to be read by everyone!
September 8, 2020
A masterpiece written with great attention to detail. This superbly crafted book touches the heart ….. and the lachrymal glands . It starts in pre-partition India and ends with the traumatic tearing asunder of the two countries .
It is absolutely exact both in the village life, the hierarchy system , the type of buildings and fields and also in the accuracy of not just the structure but the very ethos of Army life . It hits the bulls eye . The camaraderie of Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims is brought out very beautifully. It has quite a few delightful snippets like the advice given to the bride by her mother (pg 35) – I showed it to my wife and got a huge sarcastic chuckle from her (esp for the last line – ‘be careful not to f**t in his bed’ !!) . I also showed her the pithy Punjabi saying mentioned in the book viz ‘Men and horses never grow old’ ! – this did not get any happy response from my better half !!.
The book traces the life of Nimmo from Sahnewal . A carefree youngster – she is married to an Army man who does not give her the respect she deserves as she is relatively uneducated and not worldly wise . Nimmo is not able to fit into the Army way of life . To add to her misery – she does not conceive in 2 years of married life . Her husband takes a 2nd wife who fits in better in the Army – but also does not conceive !. Nimmo is sent back to her in-laws and she gets pregnant – how ? – read the book .
The story has twists and turns. It is complicated by the Partition which affected Punjab terribly .
What happens to Nimmo ? Does she survive ? Does she fit back into the Army life ? How does she get along with the 2nd wife ? What happens to her child ? The book needs a sequel (nudging the author !) and a movie based on it .
I enjoyed it as much as my mother who being from that very moment in time – in fact almost the age of Nimmo in 1947 – actually enjoyed the details much more than me. She is also from a village – Dyalpur – not very far from Sahnewal and she vouched for the accuracy of the village life depicted . I still remember that she would warn us to not have anything white to eat from strangers as it could be black magic related – this is mentioned in the book too.
You will be riveted literally till the last line – no – till the last word of the book !!
A must read
PS : do not peek at the last page
PPS : I did !!
It is absolutely exact both in the village life, the hierarchy system , the type of buildings and fields and also in the accuracy of not just the structure but the very ethos of Army life . It hits the bulls eye . The camaraderie of Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims is brought out very beautifully. It has quite a few delightful snippets like the advice given to the bride by her mother (pg 35) – I showed it to my wife and got a huge sarcastic chuckle from her (esp for the last line – ‘be careful not to f**t in his bed’ !!) . I also showed her the pithy Punjabi saying mentioned in the book viz ‘Men and horses never grow old’ ! – this did not get any happy response from my better half !!.
The book traces the life of Nimmo from Sahnewal . A carefree youngster – she is married to an Army man who does not give her the respect she deserves as she is relatively uneducated and not worldly wise . Nimmo is not able to fit into the Army way of life . To add to her misery – she does not conceive in 2 years of married life . Her husband takes a 2nd wife who fits in better in the Army – but also does not conceive !. Nimmo is sent back to her in-laws and she gets pregnant – how ? – read the book .
The story has twists and turns. It is complicated by the Partition which affected Punjab terribly .
What happens to Nimmo ? Does she survive ? Does she fit back into the Army life ? How does she get along with the 2nd wife ? What happens to her child ? The book needs a sequel (nudging the author !) and a movie based on it .
I enjoyed it as much as my mother who being from that very moment in time – in fact almost the age of Nimmo in 1947 – actually enjoyed the details much more than me. She is also from a village – Dyalpur – not very far from Sahnewal and she vouched for the accuracy of the village life depicted . I still remember that she would warn us to not have anything white to eat from strangers as it could be black magic related – this is mentioned in the book too.
You will be riveted literally till the last line – no – till the last word of the book !!
A must read
PS : do not peek at the last page
PPS : I did !!
May 29, 2021
I started Ranjit Powar’s book with the expectations of reading a saga set in pre-partition Punjab, of a state with lush rolling fields of yellow flowered mustards, of grand havelis and of generations going through and affected by the turbulent times of the country’s partition.
The story predominantly is of Nimmo, 16 year old bought up in a well to do household of landowners. Despite yearning for education, she is married off at a tender age to a young lieutenant in the British Army. Excited about a life with her handsome fauji husband, Nimmo very soon realises that her traditional village upbringing is falling short of her husbands expectations of a memsahib who would stand up as an equal to the cultured and educated wives of other army officers. A cheerful and confident girl that Nimmo is, starts losing her confidence and gets used to the rebukes of Hukum Singh. Shuttling between the army cantonment in Ambala and her husbands ancestral property, what follows are events that show the deep rooted patriarchy, where a woman is only a puppet in the hands of males around her.
Nimmo’s character is really well fleshed out and it is a pleasant surprise to see her go through cycles of meekness and confidence; standing up for her own at places whilst submitting to her fate at others. Alas other than her none of the other characters are well articulated. The transitioning between chapters is slightly haphazard and some endings are abrupt. There are some beautiful moments that could have been developed more to give the story a bit more earthiness and grounding in the historical era that it was. Towards the end the story gets very predictable and rushed, almost as if the author wants to get it over with.
This book could have been a really good one had Ranjit delved a bit more into building the other characters, especially those of Akhtar, Nimmo’s childhood crush and of Hansa, her sauten (husband’s second wife). I would rate this book an average read, still worth reading for the charm of Punjab and for imagining a dusky evening over the mustard fields.
June 12, 2024
If I had a penny for every book I have read, so far, that is set around the tumultuous period of colonial India and its struggle for freedom, I would have exactly two pennies – a number that is sadly meager, engendered by a fact that does not warm me in any measure to my own sensibilities as a reader. In that vein, ‘Dusk over the Mustard Fields’, written by Ranjit Powar, has proved to be an exercise, equal parts evocative and enlightening.
As someone who was born and brought up in the dusty plains of present-day Punjab while also being someone who hasn’t dabbled much in Punjabi literature, I never expected how inexplicable yet distinct the sense of nostalgia incurred could be when I turned back the first page to “a huge arched deori made artistically from small Nanakshahi bricks”. As it happens, the book is frequently dappled with such instances of sweet merging of both literary and emotional rungs of satisfaction, working up to a vivid portrait of the culture of ‘then’ with a prickling relevance to ‘now’.
Opening in the fields and streets of the small village of Sahnewal, the story cuts deftly to the life, the hopes, and the trials of Nimmo, the elder of two daughters, nursing blissful ignorance and heartbreaking optimism about what the future holds as she is married off at the age of sixteen to the suave Lt. Hukum Singh. It takes but a few timid steps into her new house, though, for Nimmo and the reader to realize that all is not roses as they were initially led to believe. Resentment, jealousy, and malice simmer between the women of the family while the young girl is actively shunned and humiliated by her husband for failing to meet the expectations of being an army officer’s wife. What follow are intense moments of anguish, assault, and suffering for Nimmo as her husband takes a second wife and she is left to grapple, alone, with the tatters of a life she had once hoped to have.
Read more about the book here: https://theindianbookclub.com/readers...
As someone who was born and brought up in the dusty plains of present-day Punjab while also being someone who hasn’t dabbled much in Punjabi literature, I never expected how inexplicable yet distinct the sense of nostalgia incurred could be when I turned back the first page to “a huge arched deori made artistically from small Nanakshahi bricks”. As it happens, the book is frequently dappled with such instances of sweet merging of both literary and emotional rungs of satisfaction, working up to a vivid portrait of the culture of ‘then’ with a prickling relevance to ‘now’.
Opening in the fields and streets of the small village of Sahnewal, the story cuts deftly to the life, the hopes, and the trials of Nimmo, the elder of two daughters, nursing blissful ignorance and heartbreaking optimism about what the future holds as she is married off at the age of sixteen to the suave Lt. Hukum Singh. It takes but a few timid steps into her new house, though, for Nimmo and the reader to realize that all is not roses as they were initially led to believe. Resentment, jealousy, and malice simmer between the women of the family while the young girl is actively shunned and humiliated by her husband for failing to meet the expectations of being an army officer’s wife. What follow are intense moments of anguish, assault, and suffering for Nimmo as her husband takes a second wife and she is left to grapple, alone, with the tatters of a life she had once hoped to have.
Read more about the book here: https://theindianbookclub.com/readers...
May 27, 2021
Dusk over the Mustard Fields is a very strong book. At the outset it is about Nimmo, a village girl and her marriage into a sikh family. But it would be rather vague to sum up the novel as just that. The book is about Nimmo, but it is also about the other familial bonds, the patriotic time period in Punjab, about patriarchy, about British rule, about brotherhood, love, loss, helplessness, loss of family, culture, love, home and even one's identity. It is after all a powerful book.
The narration is simple and to the point. There is no underlying message. The writer states loud and clear what she has to, without hidden messages, without unsaid words. Somehow, this worked more for me on this particular story. Every hint, sarcasm, ridicule was uttered with bashfulness. The characters grew as the plot went further and each story was closed with utmost remarkability.
Personally, I loved the book but I hated almost every character. I hated Nimmo for being so meek, Hansa for presenting herself superior, Nimmo's mother and mother-in-law for their chiding remarks, for their superstitions, bau ji for being ignorant, and Nimmo's husband mostly for being the rude, patriarchal husband that he is. His only two polite words in the book are, 'Hanso' and 'yaara' and I abhorred him every time I read him. I loved only Akhtar for his passioante doings in every field, be it politics or be it love, but sadly his character was rather small and abrupt. I would have loved to see him grow.
The book was definitely good and I can certainly recommend it to anyone interested in politics, drama or patriarchal history in India.
The narration is simple and to the point. There is no underlying message. The writer states loud and clear what she has to, without hidden messages, without unsaid words. Somehow, this worked more for me on this particular story. Every hint, sarcasm, ridicule was uttered with bashfulness. The characters grew as the plot went further and each story was closed with utmost remarkability.
Personally, I loved the book but I hated almost every character. I hated Nimmo for being so meek, Hansa for presenting herself superior, Nimmo's mother and mother-in-law for their chiding remarks, for their superstitions, bau ji for being ignorant, and Nimmo's husband mostly for being the rude, patriarchal husband that he is. His only two polite words in the book are, 'Hanso' and 'yaara' and I abhorred him every time I read him. I loved only Akhtar for his passioante doings in every field, be it politics or be it love, but sadly his character was rather small and abrupt. I would have loved to see him grow.
The book was definitely good and I can certainly recommend it to anyone interested in politics, drama or patriarchal history in India.
May 17, 2026
Whenever I think of writing anything partition related, I think to myself what better could I add to the already known atrocities of the time? Ranjit Powar made sure to add a kind act among all the bad ones that happened during the time.
It had Jagadhri, Ambala, Lahore and I was sold! It was all in my world but in a different time! It was like I was living through Nimmo‘s stories a life I wish upon none. What befell her wasn’t just bad fate, it was the deep ingrained patriarchy that has killed and eaten many women alive! No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t hate Hansa! She was as much me as Nimmo was. The educated high society lady empowered to her limits by her father‘s kind support but still shackled by society’s expectations. I don’t know if i remember many beginnings of any book, but this book‘s ending will be engraved in my brain like the memory stones in Berlin. Children belong to those who raise them. Perhaps Tara will grow up sheltered, thanks to Hansa‘s promise or perhaps she will endure a fate better than her mother’s. Whatever comes, this story will live on in more hearts than just Hansa and Hukum‘s.
What made me take away a star was the fact that there was sometimes no clarity of who is who, once Chinti was called Jeeti (by the author), Amaro was mostly the jethani but sometimes the nanad which confused me.
But what kept the other stars was the fact that this book wasn’t as visual as the train to Pakistan so it didn’t induce in me the ugly symptoms that come to those born as visual readers (imagine the imagery too well and then lie unconscious for days).
Well written.
It had Jagadhri, Ambala, Lahore and I was sold! It was all in my world but in a different time! It was like I was living through Nimmo‘s stories a life I wish upon none. What befell her wasn’t just bad fate, it was the deep ingrained patriarchy that has killed and eaten many women alive! No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t hate Hansa! She was as much me as Nimmo was. The educated high society lady empowered to her limits by her father‘s kind support but still shackled by society’s expectations. I don’t know if i remember many beginnings of any book, but this book‘s ending will be engraved in my brain like the memory stones in Berlin. Children belong to those who raise them. Perhaps Tara will grow up sheltered, thanks to Hansa‘s promise or perhaps she will endure a fate better than her mother’s. Whatever comes, this story will live on in more hearts than just Hansa and Hukum‘s.
What made me take away a star was the fact that there was sometimes no clarity of who is who, once Chinti was called Jeeti (by the author), Amaro was mostly the jethani but sometimes the nanad which confused me.
But what kept the other stars was the fact that this book wasn’t as visual as the train to Pakistan so it didn’t induce in me the ugly symptoms that come to those born as visual readers (imagine the imagery too well and then lie unconscious for days).
Well written.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2020
A poignant yet a delightful journey into the by lanes of the rich cultural history of pre-partition Punjab. It is an intensely gripping saga highlighting the plight of women in a patriarchal society. The characters are well defined and remain etched on the mind long after the book has been put down. The colloquial language adds the perfect flavour to the re-creation of the times, now buried deep in the realms of history. The book is an excellent read and I absolutely relished the glimpse into the lives of people in rural Punjab of the early nineteen hundreds.
September 19, 2020
Ranjit Powar's "Dusk Over the Mustard Fields" is a well researched novel set in the village of Sahnewal in Colonial Punjab. The intimacy and love for the subject matter is quite apparent. Characters and situations are very well brought out, especially the sympathetic treatment accorded to women characters who are trapped in patriarchal structures even when they seemingly escape them. The novel is backed by good research and is pretty lucid in its portrayal of Punjabi ethos. Wish the book all the very best.
August 15, 2023
Decent read. The ending could've been better.(Main) Male characters were pretty boring. Akhtar's point of view wasn't explored enough, neither Hukum Singh's. The ending was pretty uneventful and definitely rushed compared to the initial chapters.
Giving an extra star because initial 5-6 chapters have stunning visual descriptions about Architecture, the villages and culture of Punjab. As we proceed, we start losing perspective of the male characters and by the end of it, it gets a little bland.
Giving an extra star because initial 5-6 chapters have stunning visual descriptions about Architecture, the villages and culture of Punjab. As we proceed, we start losing perspective of the male characters and by the end of it, it gets a little bland.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2020
The book paints a vivid picture of rural Punjab during the turmoil of the pre-partition years. The attention to detail and the description of the milieu in which the story is set gives you the feel of being a bystander, watching the events unfold before your eyes. The characters are real and well etched. The book is hard to put down once you start reading. A must-read.
September 4, 2020
This book transported me into colonial Punjab and provided a glimpse into the lives of the women of that era. As a Punjabi who was born and raised abroad, this book was a compelling way to learn about the history of my ancestors and the social climate that existed in the past. I heavily recommend this book for anyone who is passionate about women's rights, culture, and history.
September 10, 2020
Very intense storyline, depicting the condition of pre partition punjab. Nimmo changed to a mental wreck from a bubbly girl after marriage. She was not at fault on any count but still suffered at the hands of her in laws. Maximum atrocities were meted by her mother in law and husband. Muslim family was much more advanced and progressive.
Partition has played havoc to our psyche.
Partition has played havoc to our psyche.
April 27, 2021
An emotional read. I found myself really engrossed in the life of Nimmo in rural India. Her ups and her downs, living in a patriarchal society and the effect it had on her. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
August 28, 2020
Beautifully written and a pleasure to read.
The rural description of early 20th century is a refreshing peak into the past.
The rural description of early 20th century is a refreshing peak into the past.
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March 27, 20223.5 ⭐️
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