Sometimes you are reading something, and it doesn't make sense. You get snippets of things every now and then that relates to the story, but you remember them individually as if they have been separately stored in your mind. Later you pull facts out of your box which feels coherent with the given situation just how you do things in life. This book feels like a treasure of little tales which involves around the loss people felt at the time of partition, pain revolving around the loss of parents in one's life, struggles faced in the cultural and art sector and the cost one has to pay to fight for their rights.
This is the story of Nanaki, who lives with her grandparents in a Punjabi neighbourhood. Her life totally contradicts with other people, but her views stand higher than the society at large. The book gives us a glimpse of societal values which are traditional but with a pinch of a modern approach. One gets to see not just the romance between the younger ones but the age-old story of how it starts with your parents, then their parents and then you. It provokes all the hidden emotions a human possesses through its characters. They are chirpy, funny and you might find your next-door aunty who has to know everything that you are doing and give her two cents on every topic.
The narration is too good. You might not want to leave it in between, but I didn't read it in one go because I wanted to enjoy it like the sip of my coffee which I drink so slowly that by the end it starts feeling cold but that's how I like it. Characters are well organised and have given proper space to grow. You read about one, but you’ll end up wondering about another. When you will reach the end, you'll realise though the protagonist is Nanaki the story is not just about her.
I would like to thank Rupa Publications for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
Rating - 3.5/5
Genre - Contemporary
Adding it to my tbr
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