BOOK REVIEW : A GOD IN EVERY STONE by KAMILA SHAMSIE

City of Men
City of Flowers
Land Beyond the Mountains
Caspatyrus, Paruparaesanna, Paropamisadae, Gandhara, Parasapur, Purashapura, Poshapura, Po-lu-sha-pu-lo, Fo-lu-sha, Farshabur, Peshawar
" They all had a name for it, century after century- the Persians, the Greeks, the Mauryans, the Indo- Greeks, the Sassanids, the Kushans; kings and generals and Buddhist monks and travelers, everyone felt the tug of Peshawar."
Truly and aptly said by the famed author Kamila Shamsie in her latest book, A God In Every Stone.
History, archaeology, India's fight for Independence, World War 1, Ottoman regime, Indian sepoys fighting for the Queen in the World War 1, Peshawar in the early 20th century- such contrasting topics but under Shamsie's excellent writing, it turns into a beautiful story, set in the early 20th century. It starts somewhere in 1914 and ends in the middle of the 1930s. Vivian Rose Spencer, Nazeeb, and his elder brother Qayyum Gul are the three main protagonists here, sharing a unique connection amongst themselves, which though seems insignificant in the beginning reveals its true meaning and importance at the climax of the story on the Street of Storytellers, Peshawar.
The story begins in the ancient town of Labraunda, where Vivian is a part of an excavation dig led by her father's old friend, Tahsin Bey, a Turk. Shamsie's style of writing about the ruins of Labraunda, the broken columns, half-buried rocks and the wild foliage growing there is so vivid that I could picturise it all so well and almost feel myself being present there. Beautiful!!!
From Labraunda, the story jumps to France in the time of World War One, where the Indian sepoys are being deputed to fight for the Queen of England- the readers have to understand that the JUMP in the story is not haphazard rather a very smoothly done one!!!
After the excavation dig and the battle of Ypres, Shamsie takes the readers to the mesmerizing, alluring, addictive, mysterious city of Peshawar where the story reaches its climax and the destiny of our three main characters come together to create an ending that is brave, humane, sad, poignant, and at the same time is cruel and harsh. It makes you weep and smile and even get angry, simultaneously!!
I am very impulsive and mostly all the books which I end up buying/reading are a result of this impulsive streak. This book was another such buy. I was very cautious when I started this book, fearing the worst ( that I might get bored and lose interest), but to my pleasant surprise, I really enjoyed this story. I was never a history buff but I was hooked to this one from page 1. Moreover, the one aspect that thoroughly had me in its grip was the detailed archaeological parts. Shamsie has done a brilliant job here and the descriptions were so apt that I just had to close my eyes to visualize it all. Just one word... Wow!!

Peshawar - I have no words to do justice to the charm, the magic, the chaos, the culture, the people, the society of a city which is the heart of this story. The myriad lanes of Peshawar and their intriguing names - The Street of Partridge Lovers, The Street of Englishwomen, The Street of Felt Caps, The Street of Silver, The Street of Potters - made the story all the more interesting and enthralling for me.
I am right now in my happy place, feeling content and satisfied, having completed a good book and enjoying visualizing certain scenes and characters in my mind, again and again!!
This is one author whom I would love to read again to enjoy the beautiful synchronized blend of history, facts, and fiction with characters who stay with you long after the story is over!! 

Aaahhhh... A big sigh of bliss n contentment!!!

BOOK REVIEW : BURNT SHADOWS by KAMILA SHAMSIE

Books are my guilty pleasure. Rather they are my single, most cherished, and satisfying soul cleansing pleasure. I love escaping to the world created by the authors, be it some fairy tale or a mushy romance or an adventure or a thriller or a story which is a combination of all the love and more, full of hard-hitting events casting everlasting shadows!!! There are certain books which make you feel light and happy and full of positivity but then, there are those books which hit you hard, really hard and especially when it is least expected! It comes with a surprise, leaving you completely reeled up and experiencing sensations long after you have moved to another book!!!!
This book, THE BURNT SHADOWS is one such perfect example. It made me so emotional and sad and withdrawn in my shell, that it took days to get over that tragic melancholy!!! Nevertheless, I would rather read a book which garners such an impactful reaction from me, than a so-called light read where you can literally shut your brain off and just let it all flow!
It is very difficult to write the summary of a story of this magnitude with a scope so huge. It spans about 60 years, from the A-Bomb in Nagasaki to the partitioning of India and Pakistan, to war-torn Afghanistan and to post 9/11 America.
This is a profound and powerful novel of family, nations, and wars. If you ask me, I found two-three themes in this story to be very interesting and relatable. First of all is the power of language, not solely as the means of communication, but as a cultural and attitudinal divide.
Second of all was is how identity plays a very important role in our lives and how a sense of identity can be damaged by the horror of an atomic bomb, or by failing exams, by subterfuge, or by looking different to those around you.
Another intriguing theme which stood out was what happens when we try to be nice to others and "do good" to them without treating them as equals, resulting in far-reaching, inhumane and humiliating consequences.
 Besides all this, this book is special as it explores the wonderful ties that bind people together. The loves, the loyalties and the sense of belonging that makes up the beautiful and intricate web of our lives, the knots of which cannot be snapped by a sudden breeze or disturbance.
It is an intelligently written story wherein Shamsie has explained some of recent history’s more complex issues through a family saga.
The characters are well drawn and believable. They are shown with flaws, making mistakes that have serious consequences. Although it is these traits that make the characters more humane and relatable.
Its a good read albeit a very emotionally draining one (true for me, at least)!!