Independence

India in 1947 was a place of unrest and religious discrimination.  In the midst of the country’s freedom from British rule, the political and religious factions are vying for control and the eventual partition of Pakistan. For three Hindu teens growing up in Bengal, this unrest brought danger to their doorstep and upended the lives they had planned.

Independence by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni follows Priya, Deepa, and Jamini as they navigate the loss of their father in a riot that took the lives of Hindu and Muslim citizens.  The girls must navigate the religious fervor to build a future with one working to follow in their father’s footsteps as a doctor, one marrying a Muslim, and one just trying to be loved by anyone.  Divakaruni paints a beautiful picture of the struggles so many Indian families on both side of this faced.

I give Independence 5 out of 5 stars.  It is not often that a book can keep me captivated from the first page.  Set against the backdrop of real events and people in history, this novel is a masterpiece of storytelling and character development.  I finished this book wanting to read more about these events and to keep learning about these sisters’ lives!

Given the reference to weaponry and violence, as well as sexual assault, this book would be best directed towards more mature audiences.  The references to the riots and what could be deemed ethnic violence was disturbing for me, but not in a way that I could not move past.  I would recommend this novel for historical fiction lovers and those wanting to learn more about this time in India’s history.

I chose Independence in my January Book of the Month box and held on to it until this month so it could be my Ramadan read.  While the main characters in this book are Hindu, one sister falls in love and marries a Muslim man.  I think it’s also important to look at how the events of this era polarized many Muslims in the region.  Understanding the differences and similarities between the religions would have helped quell the violence in this period, just as it would help us understand our neighbors now.  In the words of Ghandi, “Relationships are based on four principles: respect, understanding, acceptance, and appreciation.”

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What I’m Reading

• Current print book: Diana, Andrew Morton
• Current audio book: Lonesome Dove, Larry McMurtry
• Book I’m most looking forward to: The Help, Kathryn Stockett