Tag: familial love

Posted on

Review: The Other People

Rating: 3 Stars

The Other People is a decent book, but it doesn’t match up to the earlier brilliance of The Chalk Man. It is unfortunate that C.J. Tudor set the bar so high for herself with The Chalk Man.

Gabe has spent the last 3 years looking for his daughter. Everyone says his wife and daughter are dead. But Gabe knows that he saw his daughter in a strange car the same day she was supposed to have been murdered. He is not willing to give up on his quest.

Katie is a waitress in a service station off the M1 highway. She is the quintessential dutiful daughter, the responsible mother, and the caring sister. Her life is a series of monotonous days. That is all about to change.

Fran has been on the run with her daughter Alice for the last 3 years. She is running away from The Other People who want to hurt her and her daughter. Because she knows the truth about Gabe’s wife and daughter.

Then there’s a girl in a white room, with machines all around her. She has been asleep for more than 20 years.

All these stories would have made for an interesting read, if it hadn’t been so predictable. There are no real twists and turns in this story. The biggest disappointment is the paranormal angle which Tudor hasn’t used to its potential. If elaborated, it could have been the saving grace for this book.

What The Other People lacks is the coldbloodedness of Tudor’s earlier works. There is just too much empathy with every character. So I fail to understand how other reputable authors have declared this book “chilling” and “spooky”?

For me, The Other People is a miss. It is nothing like C.J. Tudor’s earlier works, and the chill factor leaves a lot to be desired too.

Posted on

Review: Salt And Saffron

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Salt And Saffron by Kamila Shamsie is a light-hearted book about family history, class divisions, prejudices and familial love. Shamsie has created a fictional aristocratic family, proud of its roots that go back many centuries. She has used this family as an example of the elitism and caste system deeply embedded in our culture in the guise of family values and pride.

The very name of the family, the Dard-e-Dils (the Heartaches), is so unreal that you know what will follow can only be satirical and tongue-in-cheek. This family, the Dard-e-Dils, is proud of its heritage and they love to tell stories, mainly about their ancestors. Most of these stories are about the “not-quite” twins. These “not-quite” twins have been born quite frequently through history, and have always brought about the downfall of this family.

Aliya is the main protagonist, going back from the US to her family in Karachi, by way of London. She last talked to her Dadi (paternal grandmother) 4 years ago when they had a massive falling out. After avoiding her for 4 years, Aliya thinks that it’s time to heal the breach. But first, she makes a stop in London to see her older cousin with whom she is very close. And it is there that her own story seems to take an unexpected turn. She not only finds herself attracted to a boy who might be unacceptable to her family, but also meets the Indian side of her family.

The Indian and Pakistani sides of the Dard-e-Dils refuse to acknowledge each other, and still carry old wounds from the time of the partition. Aliya learns something about herself during her meeting with her Indian relatives. This makes it even more imperative for her to go back home and figure out what she wants from life.

Essentially a love story, Salt And Saffron also takes a look at the deeper consequences of the Indo-Pak partition; the deeply ingrained prejudices that are passed down through generations in the form of class and caste. How family history is written through stories that become legends as time passes.

Kamila Shamsie is an excellent writer and it is hard to find fault in her writing. She takes very real elements from her surroundings and turns them into a riveting story. The only problem is that since this book is written from the perspective of a particular class, it might be difficult to relate to for people who do not belong to that class. However, this does not stop me from appreciating her craft and her command of words. She is definitely a master storyteller.

Posted on

Family In The Time Of Pandemic

If the last few months have taught me anything, it’s the importance of family in my life. I have been worried about aunts, uncles and cousins; trying to keep in touch with them as much as I can. It is not easy since my family is spread all over the world. They live in all kinds of crazy time zones, but social media makes it possible. I will forever be grateful to modern technology for this.

I have a large family. My father had five siblings, while my mother has six. It might seem strange in this day and age, but the love among the siblings also transferred into their offspring. So, having cousins living far away in other countries didn’t stop us from loving each other, even when there was no internet or cell phones. To others it still seems like a strange dynamic, but this has always been our normal.

During this lock down, I have had the opportunity to re-connect with the elders who I have looked up to all my life. I have worried about them, scolded them, cried with them and listened to them while they scolded me. It has been the closest that I have ever felt to them; all while sitting in our homes in different countries and sometimes even continents.

As for my cousins, it is sometimes difficult to make people understand that my cousins are my oldest friends. I was friends with them before I knew what friendship was. We have navigated our lives together, giving each other support and encouragement. Even though blood bonds us, our ties are so much more than just that. And that goes for all of them, no matter how much older or younger they are, they’re still my go-to for problem solving, brain storming and even hand holding.

I once read a book called We Were Liars, and it was easy to relate to the relationships in that book. I too have cousins with whom I used to spend days getting in trouble with. And, honestly, there are some of us who are entirely capable of killing each other too! As our world comes closer to opening up, I just wanted to write down how these last few months have made me thankful for all the people who I have always taken for granted. My constants. My family.

Exit mobile version