First Books & Banter Pick!
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First Pick
The first pick for our Books & Banter Book Club (still taking name ideas) is Independence by my OG favorite author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.
It’s a historical fiction novel about three daughters coming of age in Bengal amidst the turmoil and chaos of India’s independence from the British and subsequent bloody partition with Pakistan. I love historical fiction books because they are an easy and engaging way to learn history—especially history like this that isn’t covered in school at all. I’ve always been fascinated by the partition and had been waiting for a good novel to come out about it.
(Quick history lesson: I only knew what I had heard from my grandparents and uncles who had lived in Sindh during that unpredictable time. After the British left, and left behind an arbitrary line through India, Sindh became part of a new country called Pakistan. All the Hindus in Pakistan were told to leave behind everything they knew and immediately come to India. All the Muslims in India were told to leave behind everything they knew and immediately come to Pakistan. Chaos. Bloodshed. Decades of mistrust between people who could pass as brothers.)
Divakaruni is able to paint an objective picture of this emotionally charged background while weaving a beautiful story of family, duty, love and identity. Her storytelling ability is *chef’s kiss* perfect.
Things to think about while reading (if you want to be extra nerdy):
Any parallels to what’s happening now in the Middle East?
Duty vs desire—what’s more important to you?
Gandhi’s vision for a unified India—was it practical?
I want to give people enough time to read, especially with the holidays coming up. Let’s aim to meet sometime in January for the banter portion of this club. In the meantime, I would love for people to comment on this post with your thoughts, questions or favorite quotes while reading this book. Excited to hear what you guys have to say!!
Thanks guys for your enthusiasm. I really appreciate it. 😊
Best,
Harshada
PS - the Libby app is amazing for borrowing ebooks from the library!