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A review by boipoka
Sunlight On A Broken Column by Attia Hosain
4.0
This book was excellent but, ultimately unsatisfactory.
The book is beautifully written - it really brought the Lucknow of Taluqdars to life. There were so many quotable quotes, that I regretted not having a Kindle Book. This is one book that deserves to be highlighted! The language wasn't the sparse modern prose, but it wasn't overly convoluted. It was ornate, but that just added to the authenticity - my grandparents, and my parents, have that same style of writing till this day.
The story was compelling, drew me in right in to their lives, and the conflicts and resolutions were believable. I especially appreciated how the 'progressive's are not anachronistic - they are clearly creatures of their own time, filled with their millennia old prejudices, taking tiny steps forward. The mind really takes much longer to change than outward appearances. The book is clearly written by someone who experienced those times first hand.
Overall, it was the kind of book that makes you want to curl up inside a blanket and lose yourself in the book world.
But. But. I was ultimately disappointed by the last part of the story. Not the resolution per se, that was perfectly fine. But based on the blurb, I was expecting much more details around the social and familial upheaval that the Partition brought about. But this wasn't a book about the family being torn in two, or the wider changes in society. This was squarely about a woman growing up, and making her own place in the world, on a quest for balance between tradition and modernity. That makes it not just worth reading, but timely reading for young Indians. But it wasn't the book I was looking to read.
Read for the challenge prompts -
PopSugar Reading Challenge - A book about a family
Around the Year in 52 Books - A book that includes a journey (physical, health, or spiritual). Laila's spiritual journey is juxtaposed with the journey of society from old to new. To be more literal it also includes Sameer and Zahra's journeys to their new country
The book is beautifully written - it really brought the Lucknow of Taluqdars to life. There were so many quotable quotes, that I regretted not having a Kindle Book. This is one book that deserves to be highlighted! The language wasn't the sparse modern prose, but it wasn't overly convoluted. It was ornate, but that just added to the authenticity - my grandparents, and my parents, have that same style of writing till this day.
The story was compelling, drew me in right in to their lives, and the conflicts and resolutions were believable. I especially appreciated how the 'progressive's are not anachronistic - they are clearly creatures of their own time, filled with their millennia old prejudices, taking tiny steps forward. The mind really takes much longer to change than outward appearances. The book is clearly written by someone who experienced those times first hand.
Overall, it was the kind of book that makes you want to curl up inside a blanket and lose yourself in the book world.
But. But. I was ultimately disappointed by the last part of the story. Not the resolution per se, that was perfectly fine. But based on the blurb, I was expecting much more details around the social and familial upheaval that the Partition brought about. But this wasn't a book about the family being torn in two, or the wider changes in society. This was squarely about a woman growing up, and making her own place in the world, on a quest for balance between tradition and modernity. That makes it not just worth reading, but timely reading for young Indians. But it wasn't the book I was looking to read.
Read for the challenge prompts -
PopSugar Reading Challenge - A book about a family
Around the Year in 52 Books - A book that includes a journey (physical, health, or spiritual). Laila's spiritual journey is juxtaposed with the journey of society from old to new. To be more literal it also includes Sameer and Zahra's journeys to their new country