The Family Tree - Sairish Hussain

ISBN:9780000829748 Publisher: HQ fiction

A beautifully told, heart warming story

I heard Sairish Hussain at the Platform conference and was impressed by her writing process and her passion to tell a story that did not have any of the stereotypes that seems to plague South Asian fiction.

The book was shortlisted for the Costa prize and has been very well received.  I just finished it and found it to be just as beautifully layered and structured as it pretty cover. 

Gist: 

When the story opens, Amjad has just lost his young wife and is cradling his newborn daughter in his arms.

His son Saahil is his support and Amjad begins to build a life that sees his children well settled in their future. However, one accident changes their lives forever taking them in directions with some devastating consequences. 

Will the family be able to get through it and become whole again?

My review:

Loved the opening chapters that takes the reader into the life of this British Pakistani family as they are picking themselves up from a tragedy. I found myself invested in the characters. Every one of them, even the minor ones are memorable as the story moves from one decade to the next.

I liked how the story is weaved in with the topical events of the time, which clocks the perception of the British Muslim public and tells their side of the story. It is amazing how Hussain uses her characters to express the Muslim view of the heavily politicised events.

It tackles some big themes of grief, homelessness and addiction through her characters which adds depth to her novel. The pain and the anguish comes alive in those pages and this is down to Hussain's storytelling skills.

Overall, a fabulously constructed story. I loved how the action and drama accelerate towards the latter half alternating between two different scenes, resulting in a well constructed finale. 

An engaging, layered narrative that grips the reader till the end.  I can easily see it as a TV series. 

Sairish Hussain is writing her next. I will be definitely looking out that one.

Rumaysa A Fairytale - Radiya Hafiza

A refreshing take on an age old fairytale

What if the golden haired Rapunzel is actually a dark skinned Asian girl who lets down her hijab instead to get out of the tower? This is the premise of Rumaysa - a fascinating debut cleverly brings SouthAsians hues to a well known story. 

Gist:

A dark skinned Asian girl trapped in a tower is looking for a way to escape. She finds a way out and discovers a magic carpet outside but there is no knight in shining armour instead a friend who gives her a necklace that tracks down people in need.

  

And then begins her adventures. The book is divided into three independent stories and though the first one is of Rumaysa, she weaves in and out of the other stories, more like a faciliator instead of a rescuer, helping the characters take control of their narrative.

My review:

Radiya Hafiza's sparkling debut offers a refreshing twist to age old fairytales and is divided into three sections. Readers will recognise well known characters as they follow Rumaysa's story and then follow on her adventures. Though stories take off in a similar fashion they do not end up the same way.

I was not expecting the twist in the second story or the third and was pleasantly surprised to find one. You can see shades of the writer's skills colouring the story while retaining the fabric of the original story which I was thought was amazing.

 

It is a great read, ideally suited for 9-11 year olds, full of action and adventure.  

Tamarind and the Star of Ishta

Yet another gem from Bilan! 

I absolutely loved Jasbinder Bilan's debut novel and so did my then 10-year-old daughter. Hooked on to her stories, we were eagerly waiting to get our hands on her latest novel and enjoyed reading it.

The story:

Tamarind is nervous. She is travelling to India to met her Indian mother's family for the first time. She was very young when her mother died and she is looking forward to learning more about her through the family. But she soon finds herself battling a thick shroud of secrecy and walls of silence. There are some clues though - an overgrown hut, a star shaped ring that glows and a strange girl who calls herself Ishta. Will tamarind get to the heart of the secret at all? 

My review:

I loved Tamarind right away. Bilan gets into her head remarkably well, with her numerous questions, her unease with everything Indian and the natural curiosity that works as the trigger. The characters of Arjun and Sufia are nicely drawn too. 

I also loved how Bilan gently takes the reader through difficult situations and helps them confront difficult emotions. Bereavement, changes in family structure are tough for young children and this book plays a very important role in helping the young reader understand it.

The element of magic realism is nicely handled. It is amazing to see how the magic stems from the memory of a loved one thereby grounding it in reality. 

The story also plays an important role in teaching the reader about the Indian setting, making the culture more accessible to the reader.   

Overall, a great story sensitively told for 10+ readers. Highly recommended. 

Bad day at the Vulture Club - Vaseem Khan

A superbly crafted novel, with a heart.

I love Vaseem Khan novels for the way he tells his his stories. Baby Ganesha agency's investigations are light and breezy with the added advantage of  having Bombay as the backdrop. So, while they are wrapped up in a whodunnit, Khan has beautifully way of interwining the city with it.

I was hooked ever since I read the first one. This is the last book in the Ganesha series and what a way to end it. As I moved from one book to the next, the storytelling is more nuanced, the style more layered and the narrative full of laughs with a slight undercurrent of social issues. Not many whodunnits do that and that is one of the main reasons why I love the writer and his work.

Gist:

When Perizad a Parsi heiress comes to Inspector Chopra to reinvestigate her father's death,  Chopra doesn't realise that he will end up unearthing some dark secrets about the Parsi community.

My review:

Whether it is the museum or the Film world, each Baby Ganesha book is a love affair with the city. This one is no different. Vaseem Khan sets his story in the Parsi community, which not many know is a decadent but critical contributor to the city's financial foundations in the past.  

I particularly loved the way he introduces the Parsi culture through the dilapidated building. 

"Time's inescapable embrace shimmered around the facade: in the crumbling plasterwork, the faded paint, the creepers that wound unhindered between the rusted railings of the wrought- iron gate."

I could immediately picture the place, its declining glory and the feeling that it harboured many secrets.

The story was set in the Parsi community and that meant it would have rich cultural influences in terms of food and practices which was a delight to read.

The characters as usual are distinct, the twists  and it is amazing how the story moves away from the community into the general population and back so seamlessly while keeping a tight rein on the plot. It says a lot about the writer's ability to weave such a story. Absolutely loved it!    

While traffic is a perennial topic, he also uses the story to highlight the Poo2loo campaign, which comes with a helpful author's note at the end. And that for me, is a big plus. The reader gets the whole package - entertainment value in the case of a well crafted whoddunit, an insight into a less known community and a social issue which adds to the reading experience.

This is my favourite of the lot and as Vaseem Khan moves on to a whole new series, this fan is going to be definitely looking forward to his next!  

Murder on the Safari Star - M.G.Leonard and Sam Sedgman

A fascinating well plotted story that kept me enthralled.

I had heard about this adventure on train series and when I heard it made a top prize, I wanted to get my hands on it. This is the third in the series and yet it did not seem to spoil it for me in any way. The book works well as a standalone, as each book sums up the previous adventures and 

The gist:

Hal and his uncle love travelling and have solved many cases on their travels. So when Hal is excited to learn they are off to South Africa during the February half term holidays. It begins well at first, meeting their fellow passengers and the exotic experience of a rail safari. However, when one of the passengers is found dead in a compartment, it is upto Hal to find out not only what happened but also the how.

My review:

The story flows smoothly and the illustrations are amazing. The rail safari is so beautifully described that it felt like I was on one, enjoying the sights with the other passengers watching the train roll by from scenery. 

For a train mystery like this, a diverse set of characters are crucial and the Leonard and Sedgman do a good job of introducing characters from different backgrounds. You can see the similarity between this and the Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express but the similarity ends there. From then on , the story takes a path of its own.

The twists and turns are just like the way the train moves, with a similar jerky, jumping feeling as the plot touches upon various characters and their motives. 

The book is meant for children and yet looking at how he story is constructed, adults will enjoy reading it too!  It is layered well enough to interest the adults and also the children, the main character is after all a 12 year old. 

Well deserves the award it received. I will be keeping an eye out for more for sure!

Melt - Ele Fountain

 An action packed read that also addresses topical issues. 

Their are two strands of narratives, Yutu lives in a remote village on the Arctic with his elderly grandmother. With each passing year, he can feel that it was going to be difficult to sustain their way of life.

Beau on the other hand is starting school at a new city, once again. Her father is her best friend, but she is starting to notice that his behaviour is becoming odd. She embarks on a trip hoping to smooth things but finds herself propelled into an icy adventure across the Arctic.

My review:

I loved the two narratives although I was intrigued to see how these two completely different narratives would blend it and loved it when it did.

I could see the readers feel reflected in the two main characters, as they portray the same restlessness and anxiety characteristic of a 11-12 year old. 

The setting is beautifully described. The reader to feel the icy blast hitting their face as they race across the snow on the snowmobile, which is sure to appeal to young, adventurous minds. 

Although the story reads like an adventure, yet Fountain remains true to her theme as her plot talks about corporate irresponsibility and the price that our planet has to pay for it. It portrays and realistic yet a sensitive picture of what could remain if we do not take responsibility for the earth that we live in.

An engaging, educational read that readers 11+ will surely love!

 

 

We are All Birds of Uganda - Hafsa Zayan

I read this book as part of our maiden pick for our Kitaab book club. I had heard Hafsa Zayaan speak about it on Platform – Black and Asian writers conference and was fascinated by her writing process. Besides, I was keen to read about the Ugandan Asian history and since this story was set against the backdrop, it was a perfect fit.

Gist:

The story is set in two timelines in present day London where Sameer a successful lawyer is all set to take the next step in his career while in the 1960s Uganda Hasan who has just lost his wife is struggling with grief and as political events unfold, it seems like that all he had known was ready to be questioned.

My review:
 
I loved how the past and the present narratives were juxtaposed together. The past traced the historical aspect whereas the present showed the consequences of that historical event on a personal level. 

Loved the characters especially the camaraderie of the close friends,  which could have developed further, but then would have digressed from the main theme. 

The love angle of Sameer and Miriam seemed a bit weak but one could understand why it was so. As a plot device it worked well, to explain how a directionless Sameer was drawn to the purposeful Miriam as opposed to the opulent materialistic life of Aaliyah.

I also loved reading the historical backdrop of how Asians made their way to Uganda and through Hasan, it was fascinating to read an account of how Indians first made Uganda their home only to see them banished from it. It was also interesting to see instead of painting Indians as the victims, Zayan works towards a balanced perspective in the attitudes of Hasan towards Abdullah and in doing so shows up a more transparent version of events. A big highlight for me.

Over all, a great read that compelled me to keep turning the pages. It taught me a lot about Ugandan history while delivering a beautifully told story. One of my top reads, definitely!