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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book took me all of Summer 2007 to read, but it was well worth it. It is a phenomenal read on life in India, its social injustices and caste struggles. I do warn you that you will most likely cry. If I (a self-proclaimed robot) cried twice, anyone else will most surely shed at least a tear. The thing about the book is that the ending is quite powerful and leaves you shocked to the point where you realize it will be hard to forget this book.
really really good storytelling and relationship building but wow so much pain
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Suicide
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Wonderfully written book. But so sad. I had a hiatus from books about India about 10 years ago and it might be another 10 years before I can read another one. Just so sad. And very true.
Still debating my final rating for this.......Probably deserves five stars, but DAMN, it's so depressing!!!
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
"It seemed so unfair: that time should render both sadness and happiness into a source of pain."
Our history books ended Indian history at Independence. At that age, I was almost under the impression that once the Britishers left, the story of my country becomes a "happily ever after". But the reality was different.
Last year, I started reading more books by Indians about India. To know the story of my country and its people. And I'm glad that I did so. Earlier I had only heard the stories of Partition and the Emergency in passing. But if not for these books, I wouldn't know to which extent it affected my countrymen. I wouldn't know of the suffering and the dire conditions they lived in. How the government that was supposed to protect them, turned out to be their biggest enemies.
Of all the characters, the one I could relate most to was Maneck Kohlah, the young college student. His life had more or less been quite easy. Nothing bad or untoward happened specifically to him. But he was a first seat audience to countless tragedies. I could feel his helplessness followed by grief at everything that happened around him.
By now, you must have understood that this isn't a happy story. But, the book also shows us that inspite of all the hardships that life throws our way, we can smile and make it beautiful in our own little ways, just like Om and Ishvar Darji did. We all have a lot to learn from them.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to get in touch with the history of India. To take pride in where we've reached, to learn from past mistakes and keep the flame of humanity in us alive.
Our history books ended Indian history at Independence. At that age, I was almost under the impression that once the Britishers left, the story of my country becomes a "happily ever after". But the reality was different.
Last year, I started reading more books by Indians about India. To know the story of my country and its people. And I'm glad that I did so. Earlier I had only heard the stories of Partition and the Emergency in passing. But if not for these books, I wouldn't know to which extent it affected my countrymen. I wouldn't know of the suffering and the dire conditions they lived in. How the government that was supposed to protect them, turned out to be their biggest enemies.
Of all the characters, the one I could relate most to was Maneck Kohlah, the young college student. His life had more or less been quite easy. Nothing bad or untoward happened specifically to him. But he was a first seat audience to countless tragedies. I could feel his helplessness followed by grief at everything that happened around him.
By now, you must have understood that this isn't a happy story. But, the book also shows us that inspite of all the hardships that life throws our way, we can smile and make it beautiful in our own little ways, just like Om and Ishvar Darji did. We all have a lot to learn from them.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to get in touch with the history of India. To take pride in where we've reached, to learn from past mistakes and keep the flame of humanity in us alive.