The Silent and the Lost

by Abu Zubair

The Silent and the Lost
Alex Salim McKensie, a war baby of the 1971 Bangladesh War of Independence, is adopted by the McKensies, an American family that has lost their only son in Vietnam. Years later, Alex falls in love with Sangeeta Rai, but their happiness is threatened when the enigma of his birth casts a dark shadow over their relationship.
The Silent and the Lost opens with the wedding of Alex and Sangeeta in Brentwood, California on a sunny Saturday in 1997, then travels back into the boiling cauldron of political clashes of East Pakistan in early 1971. Through the eyes of newlywed Nahar Sultana, her husband, student activist Rafique Chowdhury, and their friends we are immersed into the nine months of revolution that created Bangladesh.
On March 25, 1971, Nahar, Rafique, Nazmul and the Rahmans find themselves in the center of Operation Searchlight at Dacca University. Miraculously surviving, they escape to Sheetalpur village. Longing for vengeance and freedom, Nazmul and Rafique leave for the Mukthi Bahini guerrilla camps in Agartala, India. In a twist of fate, in a brutal family betrayal, Nahar is captured by the Pakistani Army. Destitute and in utter despair, tortured and mad, Nahar grips desperately to her last scintilla of hope—Rafique’s return.
Two generations spread across two continents, thousands of miles apart, are brought jarringly together when Alex begins his search for answers to his beginnings. He discovers that his own struggle for happiness is inextricable from the history that he finds himself part the genocide that in 1971 ultimately created out of East Pakistan the new nation of Bangladesh.
Set in a pivotal point of time, The Silent and the Lost powerfully chronicles the history of a revolutionary change in the socio-political landscape of the sub-continent, and takes us on a sinuous journey into a passionate and breathtaking untold account of heroism and betrayal, family and friendship, love and anguish—of the lives of the characters and millions of others swept up in the unfolding unrest, mayhem and suppressed genocide.

East Pakstan 1971, East Pakistan Genocide, Bangladesh Genocide, Ethnic Cleansing, 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, 1971 Bangladesh War of Independence, 1947 India-Pakistan Independence, U.S. South East Asia Foreign Policy, Birongana, War Baby, Multiracial adoption, India Pakistan War, Massacre by Pakistan Army, India Pakistan War, Rape Victims 1971 East Pakistan, Graveless Genocide, Ethnic Cleansing, 1971 Bangladesh War of Independence

Genres: Bangladesh, The United States Of America, Historical Fiction, Fiction

442 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 25, 2011

About the author

Abu Zubair is an author, an electrical engineer and a California farmer.
He was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh. His father was the Joint Director of Industries of East Pakistan.
He lived through the horrific nine months of the Bangladesh War of Independence and wrote ‘Memoirs of a Child,’ an essay describing his experience during 1971, that won the Shankar Children’s Award from the Prime Minister of India, Mrs. Indira Gandhi in 1973.
At the age of fourteen he was awarded a scholarship to Phillips Academy Andover, Massachusetts. Since then he has been living in the USA.
He holds degrees from Boston University in Computer Science, Computer Engineering and Electrical Engineering and is a member of the Tau Beta Pi honorary Engineering society. While attending Occidental College, he was awarded the Bendix Award for Physics.
He started Zubair Interfaces, Inc. a hardware design company after his graduate work, and before that he worked as a Hardware Design Engineer for several US corporations. He owns an agricultural farm in Southern California.
At an early age Zubair’s passion for poetry and writing lead to his childhood poems on Freedom and Curiosity amongst others being published in the Morning News and Observer.
The Silent and the Lost is his debut novel set against the Bangladesh War of Independence in 1971.

Reviews

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://thejoyofthewrittenword.wordpre... (See my blog post for review plus pictures!!)


When I think of a descriptive word that best describes “The Silent and the Lost” by Abu Zubair, the only word that applies is “beauty”. Beauty in the pages and hardcover binding; beauty in the picture and artwork of the front cover; beauty in Abu Zubair’s words, sentences, paragraphs, and chapters; beauty in the relationships described; beauty in the flow of this incredible novel. Once opened, I did not want to let go. When I read the last word – I wanted more. And the unusual, undeniable juxtaposition is that the root topic is one of deep unrest, family betrayal, and world struggle and war. Genocide. True life facts of history wound up in a story bound to reach the heart of readers, in a way that will change the reader forever.

Before reading Abu Zubair’s novel, my own knowledge of what happened between West Pakistan – East Pakistan – Bangladesh – was sadly lacking, even though my friend circle includes individuals whose own heritage springs from these conflicts. That humbles me, and at the same time, makes me a little embarrassed – now having read “The Silent and the Lost”. How could I have been so unaware of something that happened in my lifetime, happened as my high school years were ending, and university loomed on the horizon? I shake my head in wonder that, at no time since high school or university, did I learn of the tragic events and sacrificed lives that took place in 1971.

Abu Zubair does not leave much out of his descriptions of war and its tragedies, but nor were his descriptions anywhere near gore or horror. Yes, there was gore in the actual historical events – there was horror in the actual events – but as with any skilled craftsman, Abu Zubair acknowledges and speaks to the gore and horror of these real life events, but he does not glorify the gore and the horror. Which I must say, I keenly appreciated. It allows for the storyline to remain front and centre.

The novel takes place in two time spans: one in 1997 and one in 1971. Each era has its own cast of characters, and there is no challenging maze of events to follow. The reader will easily recognize when the chapter is to be about the events of 1997, and when it will be about the events of 1971. Also, the author’s calendar dates are shown for each section of the book – very helpful.

As I write the year ‘1971’, I am still trying to wrap my head around ‘such events’ happening in ‘this day and age’; and I am also sadly aware that tragic events like this continue to plague our world. And those of us living in North America have so much to be grateful for, with respect to political and religious freedom. Yes, troubles exist in our world but are nowhere near the magnitude of such battles, as the battle for Pakistan.

There are also scenes and chapters of “The Silent and the Lost” that are filled with such love, beauty, and grace – my eyes brimmed over with tears as I transitioned from one generation to another, one chapter to another, and at times even one sentence to another. But not all dreary and sad, this novel includes some very happy and joyful happenings in the lives of the characters. Moments that brought smiles, not tears, to my heart.

I was attracted to the subtle experiences of spirituality expressed or implied by the author about the characters. Admittedly, spirituality is a grace I subconsciously (or consciously) look for no matter which book sits before me. Nevertheless, I believe it was a real element of the story line – spirituality and the lack of spirituality.

Although not necessarily meant in any other way than to comment on Muslim and Hindu differences, I was affected quite deeply by the following short paragraph – affected on a spiritual level, as well as on a moral level. Based on how we need to work toward true peace, in this frequently “peace-less” world.

"Remember, the enemy has penetrated our ranks and will try to create division among us, and through looting create derisions in our ranks. Hindus or Muslims, Bengalis or non-Bengalis, all are our brothers. It is our duty to ensure everyone’s safety." (page 52)

“The Silent and the Lost” reached me on many levels – intellectually, psychologically, spiritually, and not the least of which, emotionally. This is a book I will treasure and re-read again and again. Because the topics which are covered in the books I read and review are so very different, I do not use a numbered rating system. Even if I stated that the ratings held only “in the genre the book was written for”, as humans we love to compare and number comparisons between works of fiction and of non-fiction would be inevitable. So, I steer clear of a number scale. However, if I was to rate “The Silent and the Lost” on a number scale – it would rate the highest number possible. When I received this complimentary book from the author, and it arrived clearly packaged with care, I knew I was holding something very special. I am happy to be able to freely supply my review, and know this book truly is something special.

I highly recommend “The Silent and the Lost” by Abu Zubair be added to everyone’s to-be-read list, and I would be interested to hear everyone’s reaction to, and thoughts of, this book. I certainly welcome comments be added to this post.

[Mayra · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Silent and the Lost is an interesting and educational novel about the war between East and West Pakistan in the 1970s.

The story starts in Brentwood, California in 1997 at the beautiful wedding of Alex Salim McKensie & Sangeeta Rai, a couple deeply in love. Alex, our hero, was adopted at the age of four in Pakistan by an American couple and brought to the United States in 1972. A war baby haunted by the mystery of his identity, Alex decides to travel to Bangladesh to find out about his roots. The story moves back and forth in time, first reverting to 1971 to the heart of the revolution that eventually led to Bangladesh. When we first go back in time, we encounter a newlywed couple, Rafique and Nahar, happily walking the streets full of hope and dreams of freedom.

Their dreams are soon shattered when Pakistani President General Yahya Khan starts Operation Searchlight and West Pakistani soldiers begin their horrific massacre of East Pakistani citizens in an attempt to crush their dreams of independence. But the East Pakistanis don’t give up easily and form guerrillas to fight the oppressors. To Nahar’s dismay, Rafique leaves her to join the guerrillas to fight for what he believes in. Nahar is torn between what she knows is the right thing to do and her love for her husband.

I’m not a historian but the novel seems very well researched and Zubair gives a lot of attention to detail, not only to historical facts but also to the language, setting and description. He skillfully handles the graphic horrors of war without falling into unnecessary gore. The story combines love, war, peace, philosophy and spirituality. In a way, it reads like an epic and many a time the prose sparkles with clarity and vivid images.

I didn’t know about this war so I found the book eye-opening and instructive. That said, it is a heavy read and the pace drags at times. I think the prose could have profited from a harsher copy editor. There are recurrent redundancies and unnecessary details that slow down the progression of the plot.

In spite of these flaws, however, The Silent and the Lost is a novel worth reading and one that historical fiction fans will find appealing and out of the ordinary. It is also one of those stories that stay with readers long after having read it, if only because it reminds us of the horrific events that have taken place in the past, and ones we all should be aware of.

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

GoodReads First Reads Giveaway


I went into this book from a critical point of view. Normally I read for the pleasure and escape of it. But you send me a book the least I could do is write a review.That being said after I read the first paragraph I knew my attempts would be in vain. But Id deal with that later my esp told me I was going to adore this story and needless to say I wasn't wrong.

Now being born in 1984 and slightly ignorant about the world i live in I had no idea the tragedies that unfolded in Bangladesh in 1971. I very much appreciated the footnotes sprinkled threw out the book. As well as the glossary at the end of the book. As i said before from the first paragraph i was hooked. I feel in love with each character no matter how big or small the part. My heart ached along with theirs, I smiled along with them. Abu Zubair wrote so beautifully, so vivdly I found myself envying his brain. The story was so masterfully told i suppose the after word explains why, he was there. He was a child surviving threw 9 months of fear.

Please forgive my grammatical errors im not a writer i severly lack that ability. I am however a reader a lover of books and I honestly look forward to reading more from Abu Zubair. Thank you.

[Ming · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is generally well written and the main story is well imagined. I believe this book was self-published and as a result (this is very notable!), there are some key elements which tarnished the quality of this book for me as a reader. (The reviews here and Amazon seem...um...er... "overwhelming," due to creative marketing(?).)

This debut could have been significantly stronger. Foremost, this book would have benefitted from a rigorous, professional editor. There are grammatical errors, misplaced modifiers, and punctuation mistakes. The language in some areas is over-wrought and jaded. For instance, the conversations between Laura and Jack about Bangladesh and Vietnam were awkward and stilted. The exchange seemed unnatural and forced.

Stylistically, naming brands, such as dresses and perfumes, was distracting and annoying. Also there were some inconsistencies in style. Flourishes in some parts that dragged the reading down were contrasted with some sort of stream of consciousness prose that had me scratching my head as to whose voice or perspective (the author’s?) suddenly entered the flow. Both were unnecessary. And elsewhere some motifs were overused or information repeated within two or three sentences.

Another huge distraction was the peculiar use of footnotes which were strangely out-of-place. They took up to one third of several pages at each occurrence. These would have been better found in an appendix section or perhaps better deleted. It made me wonder why the author needed to include such things. I appreciate the personal relevance and passion around the topics but let the reader enjoy the story without a lot of "outside" commentary or distractions.

I was also perplexed that the author had us come to care about Alex and Sangeeta but then didn’t give us enough about them in the book.

I do look forward to the next book but I’ll be watching to see how it’s published.

[Lori Henrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex is war baby of the 1971 Bangladesh War of Independence, he is adopted by the McKensies in America. The McKensies had recently lost their son in Vietnam. The Silent and the Lost opens with the wedding of Alex and Sangeeta, and then goes back in time to 1971 and the political conflict in East Pakistan.

It is a story of heroism and betrayal, family and friendship, love and anguish. This is the story of the nine months of revolution that created Bangladesh. A story of two generations spread across two continents, thousands of miles apart, brought jarringly together when Alex begins his search for answers into his past.

A masterfully told story about a period in history that was overshadowed by the Vietnam conflict. Until I read this story I wasn't really aware of the conflict that took place in East Pakistan. The characters come alive on these pages. You can't help but feel their pain and wish them the best.

Not a very happy tale - those based a violent history usually aren't. The children that were born as a result of this conflict were at least given an chance to find happy homes and find good families. I am very glad that I read this book.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Silent and the Lost is an interesting and educational novel about the war between East and West Pakistan in the 1970s. A very good book about history I did not even know exsisted. I Really enjoyed reading this book. It is a long story but well worth the Read. Proves so many cultures are differant , but yet we are so much alike in many ways. I won this book on good Reads Thank you Abu for a great book.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Goodreads for the chance to read this book.

This was a very moving story taking place in Bangladesh during 1971. I was 9 years old at the time and do not recall hearing about this revolution, only of VietNam which is mentioned often. The human toll was devastating, as in any war. This story was written with care for description so the reader feels like a part of it.

This was not an enjoyable read nor an easy one (for the most part) due to the subject matter, yet I am glad I had the opportunity to read it. I have a slightly better understanding for a part of the world which I know very little.

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story based in history, it was something I was not familiar with. The thing that bothered me about this book was the footnotes. Footnotes are there to briefly explain something you may not understand, but in this book the footnotes was almost it's own story. I feel the author had trouble cutting down the information, which is fine, but I would have preferred it woven in to the story instead of as a separate story, or footnote.

[Inga Aksamit · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent account of an important international event

Historically accurate, this novel illustrates a tragic chapter in the emergence of Bangladesh. I was an American child living in Dacca at the beginning of the war and this book helped me understand the vague memories I had of a terrifying time before we were evacuated.