Delhi, 1946. Ma and Bappu are liberal intellectuals and both teach at Delhi University. Their fourteen year-old daughter, Alma, is soon to be married to a fair-haired boy who is training to be a doctor: Alma is mostly interested in the wedding shoes. Ma and Bappu are uneasy about their clever daughter marrying so young, but political unrest is brewing and times are bad for girls in India. Alma adores her naughty younger sister Roop, who is obsessed with death and spends most of her time torturing insects. When Partition happens, this wonderful family – whom we have come to love and adore – is torn apart and it’s hard to bear. But the resilience of the human spirit is an extraordinary thing.

Author Melody Razak Published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson ISBN 9781474619233 EAN 9781474619233 Bic Code Cover Hardback