The Golden Sparrow: A story set during the waning days of the British Rule in India, World War II, the partition of India and the carnage that followed….it entraps the reader

Description

The Golden Sparrow- A Novel This story is an exquisite rendition of the culture, spirituality and politics of an ancient land–India–once known as The Golden Sparrow. During the British rule in India, Surinder Mehra, a professor of English literature and his wife, Kamla, live in Lahore with their two sons. In 1947, the British decide to partition India into two countries–India and Pakistan. Pakistan is formed as an Islamic country and India as a secular country. Due to the centuries old religious and social tensions between Hindus and Muslims, riots breakout between the two communities resulting in the massacre of hundreds of thousands of people. About 10 million people on both sides change countries as refugees. After facing some terrifying nights during the riots, the Mehra family, being Hindus, moves to India as refugees and settles down in Delhi in makeshift quarters. With faith in God, they rise from the ashes of the partition of the country. They adopt a baby girl, Suneeta–one of many left orphaned as a result of the riots. Two years later, a Muslim couple shows up and claims her as their daughter; the Mehras are emotionally devastated. What follows is the conquest of human spirit over fear and despair. Review: A riveting family saga told with the back drop of fading glory of British India and the aspiring newly Independent India - Beyond the story line, what I like best about this book is the writing style that shows maturity of thought and expression. It uses colloquial English spoken during that era that I found very interesting. The description of history, culture and locations intertwined in the story is exquisite. The wit and humor sprinkled in the dialogues is refreshing. For example: the conversation between the author and the computer keyboard letters in Epilogue chapter is hilarious and brilliant. The powerful narrative of the book took me back to my memories of childhood and adolescent years spent in India. I am looking forward to the next volume to find out whether 'Vikram' lived up to the promise of his father 'Surinder Mehra'. I recommend this book to anyone who likes stories, about human endeavor to succeed against all odds, filled with mystery and humor, and set in cultural background. Review: Nice Story I'm sure. - I haven't been able to get passed the first few pages. I'm sure it is a nice story but haven't gotten interested in reading it yet. I am reading it on my Kindle and will finish the story later. The down loads to my Kindle have been timely and I have no complaints.