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Title: Cracking India: A Novel by Bapsi Sidhwa, R. W. Scholes ISBN: 0-915943-56-5 Publisher: Milkweed Editions Pub. Date: September, 1992 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.17 (23 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: To read the book you need an open mind
Comment: Many books have been wriiten about the partition of India in 1947. But this is the first book,where the story is told from a young child's point of view. The books revolves around Lenny, a young Parsee girl, who turns eight years old in 1947. The religious strife in the country, make her realize the frailities and unpredictability of human nature. Like every book on Partition, this book too remains unbaised. It does not hold one person or community responsible. It is truly unfortunate, that some people feel that the author is racial and prejudice. It is amusing to see that people who write this, fail to see their own preduices. It is about time that people realize, We are all to be blamed. To say the 'Hindu-Sikhs are not to be blamed for the partition or vis-a vis is not only ignorance, but a way to justify actions. It is about time we realize that this event took place because the people of our country allowed themselves to be swayed by the people in power. Innocent people died because of their beliefs. We should learn from the mistakes of the past and make sure that it is not repeated in the present or near future. Instead of blaming each other, we should find a constructive way of living in harmony
Rating: 5
Summary: Wonderful book on Partition told from the feminine viewpoint
Comment: I first read this book several years ago and was thrilled that it was finally made into a movie by Deepa Mehta. "Earth" is a great film but I don't think even it can do do justice to this amazing book. My mother's family is from Lahore and came to the Indian side of the border as refugees in 1947 so this book has a very personal meaning for me. It is a wonderful depiction of growing up as a child in Lahore and very authentic. I thought the love story between Ayah and Ice Candy Man was incredibly sad. Ultimately, she was unable to return his love and unable to forgive him for kidnapping her and forcing her to work as a dancing girl before marrying her. My grandparents told me that there were many such sad stories of women who were abducted and never seen by their families again. Unfortunately in times of conflict, it's always the women and children who suffer the most. To me, the most intruiging aspect of the book is that it is written from the girl child's viewpoint and Sidhwa really does try to capture the viewpoint of an 8-year old, although some of the observations were probably too mature for that age. What is amazing is how comic scenes are interspersed with scenes of horrifying brutality. I must disagree with some of the previous reviewers who felt the book was biased towards Pakistan - at no point does Sidhwa blame one community more than another, rather she feels that all communities were to blame for the atrocities that were committed all all sides during Partition to more or less the same extent. If you are interested in reading more fiction that is set against the backdrop of Partition, I would recommend Manohar Malgaonkar's "A Bend in the Ganges". Again, this is a story told from the feminine viewpoint, except that it is an adult woman, Sundari, who is at the center of the story. It may be hard to get hold of in the U.S. but it's well worth the effort!
Rating: 4
Summary: Loss of innocence and national chaos
Comment: Wrenched from the security of the familiar, a young girl gleans intimate knowledge of the nature of betrayal. As a cosseted child, Lenny's short life is defined by the affection of family, friends and her beloved Ayah. As most children who have the blessing of regularity in their lives and know the indulgence of boredom, Lenny is on an intimate terms with mundane household affairs and neighborhood gossip, her extended family ever available for entertainment and amusing peccadilloes. The family's simple life changes forever with the Partition of India in 1947 and the creation of Pakistan for Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs remaining in the state of India. As citizens of the newly formed Pakistan, this family's everyday reality begins to shift with the changing times, threatening to destroy a child's security and trust forever.
In Lahore, a city that has welcomed differences and encouraged variety, Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus have mixed without incident. After the Partition, the dangers of alliance permanently stamp the mark of change and entire families begin to disappear overnight. In agonizing stages, Sidwha relates this tragic account through Lenny's eyes. And it is that vision, with glimpses of violence flashing around the periphery, that ultimately alerts Lenny to the shape of the future. The juxtaposition of family life and national chaos outlines an insider's interpretation of daily routine and a whole country spinning out of control. Peopled with eccentric characters and quirky personalities, one of the most romantic and beloved is Lenny's beautiful and desirable Ayah. Ultimately, the abrupt disappearance of that Ayah, who has been kidnapped by nefarious characters, is central to the theme of this carefully wrought tale. All sense of harmony and continuity is abruptly shattered by the miasma of violence that seeps under closed doors at night like a poisonous invisible fog. This book is a stunning reminder of the nature of impermanence, "collateral damage" in the form of a loving Ayah, whose lovely spirit is virtually destroyed along with Lenny's innocence.
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Title: Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh, Khushwant ISBN: 0802132219 Publisher: Grove Press Pub. Date: June, 1990 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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Title: Untouchable by Mulk Raj Anand, Mulk Raj Anand, E. M. Forster ISBN: 0140183957 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: July, 1990 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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Title: Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie ISBN: 0140132708 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: April, 1995 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: Nervous Conditions 3 Ed by Tsitsi Dangarembga ISBN: 1580050638 Publisher: Seal Press Pub. Date: 09 February, 2002 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: The Other Side of Silence: Voices from the Partition of India by Urvashi Butalia ISBN: 0822324946 Publisher: Duke Univ Pr (Trd) Pub. Date: June, 2000 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
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