Tag: Family Drama

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Review: The Geometry of God

Rating: 3 Stars

I started reading The Geometry of God by Uzma Aslam Khan, without any idea what it was about. I’m always looking for good Pakistani authors, so when a book club I follow started reading this book, I decided to join in. I wasn’t disappointed.

The Geometry of God is the story of two sisters, Amal the practical one, and Mehwish who is blind; and their grandfather, Zahoor, a scientist. Most people consider Zahoor a heretic . When a fourth character, Noman, enters the story, he unleashes a chain of events that goes on to have consequences for all of them.

The thing that I liked the most about this book is how unapologetically Pakistani it is. Khan is not afraid to use Urdu and Punjabi to describe things that can only be described in these languages. The best part is that Khan does not compromise the Urdu words used in the book. The tenses and forms used are mostly correct, as used in real life, not like some weird translation of English words.

There are references that only people from the subcotinent understand; like the Manjha (kite string) sharpened with powdered glass, taking countless lives in Lahore during the festival of Basant; or the double knot in the shalwar. It is refreshing to read about things that are as normal as breathing to us but sound alien to others.

The most interesting voice in the book is that of Mehwish. I cannot applaud Khan enough for writing a character who is blind but who has vision and imagination. The way Mehwish thinks and classifies things is brilliant. The parts where she is the narrator require more concentration but are so funny and poignant that you want to meet Mehwish in real life!

Another thing in favour of the book is that it doesn’t pander to the western narrative. It shows Pakistan in a way relatable to the common Pakistani. Most people considered Zia’s regime restrictive. The Afghan refugees were considered a menace gifted to us by the U.S in the 80s Pakistan. No one has ever thought of the United States of America or Russia as anything other than the ones responsible for the plight of our country. They arecertainly not the saviors of anyone.

The things that didn’t resonate with me in this book have to do with me personally more than the writing. I have been a history buff, mostly good with dates, but only until the Zia regime. Because that is just history that I have not lived in or been too young to understand. After that, it’s just Benazir, Nawaz, Benazir, Nawaz, Musharraf, Zardari, Nawaz and Imran for me. I don’t remember much about the first 2 terms of either Benazir or Nawaz, and that seriously messed up some timelines of the book in my head. This confusion made it a bit difficult to understand the political environment of the time.

Another problem that I had was with all the philosophy and narrative in this book. Sometimes I feel like my mind has become foggy and unable to grasp difficult ideas, and this book made the feeling stronger. While I understood most of what Nana and his friends went on about, it still felt too verbose. I had to go back and read everything a few more times to get the actual meaning, and that was just more work for me.

Overall, The Geometry of God is a good, solid book written from a very desi perspective. It is likely to resonate with most people who like reading books without passing judgment on religion and morals.

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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.

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Review: A Place For Us

Rating: 4 Stars

All individuals are a unique sum of their life experiences, so much so that reading the same book at different stages in your life sometimes results in completely different reactions. The place where I am right this moment in my life made A Place For Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza resonate with me very deeply.

The book starts off with the wedding of Hadia, the eldest daughter of Rafiq and Layla. We are immediately made aware of the tensions within the family, as Amar, the youngest and only son, returns after 3 years of leaving his family, to do his duty by his sister. In all this, there is also Huda, the typical middle child, overlooked by not only by the family, but also by the author herself.

As we go back and forth in time, we are given a glimpse into the life of a Muslim couple who moves to the US from India, and try to bring up their three children according to Muslim and Indian traditions and culture. As is the case in most cases, the children all try to rebel in their own individual way.

Being a parent bringing up my kids in a foreign land, while I understand the worries of the parents and their fear of the children losing their religion, I don’t agree with trying to scare them into conforming. As this book shows, pulling the strings too tight causes them to break ultimately. When you have two children who are good at being obedient, it is natural to assume that the same mode of parenting will work on the third. Most of the time this is not so. We, as parents, know our children better than anyone else, and this is why sometimes we need to keep our egos aside and change our ways in order to avoid regrets later.

The book jumps from one time to another without any warning, and as the pattern starts becoming evident, you realize the importance of all the different instances from the eyes of three people, Hadia, Amar and Layla. We see how small betrayals and forgotten reactions all lead to the eventual breaking up of this loving family. We also see how people form opinions according their own understanding of the situation, instead of trying to find the real facts.

It is very sad that open communication is something that is lacking in most of our interactions, especially when it comes to families. In most families, the father is considered the one who lays down the laws, the disciplinarian, the person his own children are hesitant to approach. In such families, the mother assumes the role of the middleman, the one who is responsible for changing the father’s mind. No one realizes that some things are lost in translation when you have indirect communication. This can sometimes cause rifts in families that become almost impossible to breach over time.

As I read the book, there were a few instances where I felt that the writer did give in to stereotypes, and the constant strain of “The Ali Boy” was really getting on my nerves. So, I was completely ready to give this book 4 stars and move on. Then came the last part.

What was missing in the whole book was there in the last part. As I read about a man trying to do his best by his family, I couldn’t help but feel for that man. A person brought up to hide his feelings can never feel comfortable letting his emotions show. The way Mirza has written about Rafiq’s thoughts is moving and heart wrenching. The struggles of a father who is unable to voice his love for his children, are brought to life in the last part of the book. I couldn’t help but think of my own father, who while lying in bed, too sick to move, and in so much pain, was worried about how he had been unfair to his son! It all felt personal, and I want to admit that I cried while reading the last part of this beautiful book.

This is a book that is meant for everyone. I even found myself wanting my teenage son to read it even if only to understand how parents love their children in their own different ways. A beautiful book that will stay with me for a long time.

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