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Jinnah Often Came to Our House
India, 1904. The young and dashing Sultan Kowaishi has just returned from London to Bombay after passing his barrister exam. Among the first persons he meets is Mohammed Ali Jinnah, already an advocate of note, and is quickly drawn to him. It is also the time when Jinnah decides to join the Indian National Congress, soon to become its brightest star. The stir against the British rule holds no interest for Sultan but it attracts his wife Rehana, and, inexorably, weaves its way into their lives. In this brilliant saga of love and betrayal, pain and redemption, set amidst the long struggle for freedom and its terrible twin, the call for Pakistan, we confront questions that are as relevant today as they were a hundred years ago. Questions of identity, of purpose, of the shackles of a thousand memories . . .
498 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2015
75 people are currently reading
526 people want to read
About the author
Kiran Doshi
9 books10 followersKiran Doshi studied history, politics and law in Bombay before joining the Indian Foreign Service in 1962 for a 35-year-long career which not infrequently saw him tackling relations with Pakistan, always an important, exciting but ultimately frustrating task. He is the author of Birds of Passage, a greatly engrossing and hilarious novel set in the world of India-Pakistan-USA diplomacy, and Diplomatic Tales, short stories written in comic verse. He lives in Delhi with his wife Razia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
November 28, 2020
I didn't know much about Jinnah except that he was the one who created Pakistan despite all odds , causing much loss of lives and wealth .
I never knew he was suave and educated , as well as almost an agnostic person. I never knew he was more British than the British and a 3rd generation converted Hindu.
The Jinnah I met in this book was totally different from my imaginary Jinnah ...
After reading how he slowly changed from pro India to anti Hindu and India , I wonder how the history would have been rewritten if he remained the same man as he was in the beginning .
The Gandhi I met here was almost identical to my mental image of him. I wish I knew more about the real Kasturba who would have suffered much .
Could meet Motilal Nehru, but Jawaharlal still remains an enigma.
Will there be a sequel focussing upon the life of Kashmira?
After reading this book , I was silently ruminating about current state of affairs in India as well as the ugly Indo Pak issues.
I never knew he was suave and educated , as well as almost an agnostic person. I never knew he was more British than the British and a 3rd generation converted Hindu.
The Jinnah I met in this book was totally different from my imaginary Jinnah ...
After reading how he slowly changed from pro India to anti Hindu and India , I wonder how the history would have been rewritten if he remained the same man as he was in the beginning .
The Gandhi I met here was almost identical to my mental image of him. I wish I knew more about the real Kasturba who would have suffered much .
Could meet Motilal Nehru, but Jawaharlal still remains an enigma.
Will there be a sequel focussing upon the life of Kashmira?
After reading this book , I was silently ruminating about current state of affairs in India as well as the ugly Indo Pak issues.
December 14, 2020
"Truth is so hard to tell, it sometimes needs fiction to make it plausible."
This was my first instance of reading in details about Jinnah. Loved the way his character was built up!
On the fictional line, the courtship period of Sultan and Rehana was heartwarming, sprinkled with intelligent and witty conversations and letter exchanges.
Felt some parts were stretched and a bit of drag (from 60% to 80%), because I was so immersed in Jinnah and Gandhi family tree and their related Wikipedia references, that the fictional story itself started feeling like a drag!
Overall: Very much recommended for its simplicity, witticism, and 'fictional' portrayal of ground reality!
This was my first instance of reading in details about Jinnah. Loved the way his character was built up!
On the fictional line, the courtship period of Sultan and Rehana was heartwarming, sprinkled with intelligent and witty conversations and letter exchanges.
Felt some parts were stretched and a bit of drag (from 60% to 80%), because I was so immersed in Jinnah and Gandhi family tree and their related Wikipedia references, that the fictional story itself started feeling like a drag!
Overall: Very much recommended for its simplicity, witticism, and 'fictional' portrayal of ground reality!
October 23, 2019
Jinnah Often came to our house by Kiran Doshi is an absolute treasure. This massive book will engross you cover to cover. Each character develops beautifully, weaving India's history alongside.
My favourite aspect about this book is how we get to see the human side of our political leaders. In the epicenter of the book is life of Rehana and Sultan. Husband and wife from a wealthy, important family of Bombay. Between the story of their life and the Independence struggle, we learn endlessly about Jinnah.
I'm looking at the struggle for independence in a whole new light. The dynamics between Gandhi and Jinnah is so interesting to understand. How his personal life unfolded parallel to his political one, ensuing chaos on both sides.
Rehana is a beautiful character, carved with such care and attention. Her relationship with every character in the book gives you so much to think about. Sultan emulates the trouble with previlage and patriarchy, which he constantly is trying to break free from.
Jinnah himself leaves me quite perplexed, his actions and inactions directly contributed to the divide of India, and I'm not sure how I feel about him.
I'm unable to do justice in describing this book. Please please do read it!
My favourite aspect about this book is how we get to see the human side of our political leaders. In the epicenter of the book is life of Rehana and Sultan. Husband and wife from a wealthy, important family of Bombay. Between the story of their life and the Independence struggle, we learn endlessly about Jinnah.
I'm looking at the struggle for independence in a whole new light. The dynamics between Gandhi and Jinnah is so interesting to understand. How his personal life unfolded parallel to his political one, ensuing chaos on both sides.
Rehana is a beautiful character, carved with such care and attention. Her relationship with every character in the book gives you so much to think about. Sultan emulates the trouble with previlage and patriarchy, which he constantly is trying to break free from.
Jinnah himself leaves me quite perplexed, his actions and inactions directly contributed to the divide of India, and I'm not sure how I feel about him.
I'm unable to do justice in describing this book. Please please do read it!
September 6, 2018
The best way to learn history is to weave it into a story, a fictional tale with a dash of drama. When an author does that, and does it well, history becomes a captivating story rather than a dry collection of facts. It becomes easier to understand, to sympathise and to identify with. That’s exactly what Kiran Doshi does so very brilliantly in this book of his - Jinnah Often Came to Our House.
So he takes one of the most intriguing characters from Indian history - Jinnah, puts him in the story of Sultan and Rehana and sets it in the backdrop of the Indian struggle for Independence.
What we have then is a gripping book.
The story begins with Sultan a well-to-do upper class Kowaishi Mohammedon lawyer, or barrister, as they were called then. He is in the process of separating from his English wife. He then woos and weds Rehana, sets up his practice and goes on to make a mark in the Indian legal system. He vows to remain apolitical, to stay away from the freedom struggle, to focus on being just a lawyer. He fights cases for Hindus and Muslims alike, hence the nickname Azad.
This is also as much, perhaps more, the story of Rehana - the only surviving child of a forward thinking Muslim professor. She falls for the witty Sultan and fits into his life and his family like a long-lost piece of jigsaw. She wins over Bari phuppi, the matriarch of the family, who bestows a grant on her to set up a school for muslim girls (which she later opens up to all girls). Strongly influenced by Gandhi ji, Rehana later joins the Congress and fights for India’s freedom.
Most of all, this is the story of Jinnah, woven beautifully, inextricably with these two characters. Jinnah who is Sultan’s very famous senior and later, a friend. Jinnah, who parries and argues with Rehana in Shakespearean quotes and also nurses a soft spot for her.
The book talks about his turbulent marriage with Ruttie, the effervescent Parsi girl young enough to be his daughter (he was just three years younger than her father) and his brotherly affection for his (quite unpleasant) sister, Fatima. It talks about his journey from a pork eating, cigarette smoking liberal Muslim who believed firmly in Hindu and Muslim unity, to the man who fathered a separate nation for the Muslims.
The Review
The biggest strength of this book is its smooth gently-flowing narrative that keeps the reader turning pages.
It gives a fascinating glimpse of the Bombay of the early 20th century. It talks about upper class Muslims of that time, when men went hunting and got together at clubs to gossip; when the streets were washed by the bhishtees and the first Rolls Royce rolled out; the time when electric fans, flush toilets and hydraulic lifts were things only the very high-class could afford. It was absolutely fascinating.
While I was aware of the facts that lead up to partition I had little idea of the way the Congress spearheaded the freedom struggle, the various factions within it, the motivations of the people who joined it as also those of the few who decided to stay away. There was also the formation of the Muslim League, the way Jinnah initially distanced himself from it, decried it for trying to split the country on communal lines and then how he joined it because, as he said, better him than a conservative Muslim.
He continues to work for an Independent India till the Gandhi wave takes over the Nation, sidelining him completely. From the most respected man of the country he is suddenly lost in this wave, turning angry and bitter. It broke my heart a little bit to watch him change page by page until finally, driven largely by his ego, he decides to write a different history. And we watch as he singlehandedly forges a new country banishing India and Pakistan to eternal enmity.
The book opened me up to new perspectives.
For instance there’s Gandhi. I have come a long way from idolising him to demonising him in my early youth, to now finally accepting him as an extraordinary man who had his flaws. The book reinforces that image. I could see how frustrating it would have been to live and fight along a man like Gandhi. Many of his decisions made sense only to him, though they were right on principle they took away from the freedom struggle. For people like Bhagat Singh and Subhash Chandra Bose and perhaps even Jinnah in the beginning, the freedom struggle was supreme but for Gandhi it was his principles that were most important.
Despite all the complications, the twists and turns, Kiran Doshi manages to tell this tale simply and with plenty of humour.
Last Thought: Absolute must-read.
So he takes one of the most intriguing characters from Indian history - Jinnah, puts him in the story of Sultan and Rehana and sets it in the backdrop of the Indian struggle for Independence.
What we have then is a gripping book.
The story begins with Sultan a well-to-do upper class Kowaishi Mohammedon lawyer, or barrister, as they were called then. He is in the process of separating from his English wife. He then woos and weds Rehana, sets up his practice and goes on to make a mark in the Indian legal system. He vows to remain apolitical, to stay away from the freedom struggle, to focus on being just a lawyer. He fights cases for Hindus and Muslims alike, hence the nickname Azad.
This is also as much, perhaps more, the story of Rehana - the only surviving child of a forward thinking Muslim professor. She falls for the witty Sultan and fits into his life and his family like a long-lost piece of jigsaw. She wins over Bari phuppi, the matriarch of the family, who bestows a grant on her to set up a school for muslim girls (which she later opens up to all girls). Strongly influenced by Gandhi ji, Rehana later joins the Congress and fights for India’s freedom.
Most of all, this is the story of Jinnah, woven beautifully, inextricably with these two characters. Jinnah who is Sultan’s very famous senior and later, a friend. Jinnah, who parries and argues with Rehana in Shakespearean quotes and also nurses a soft spot for her.
The book talks about his turbulent marriage with Ruttie, the effervescent Parsi girl young enough to be his daughter (he was just three years younger than her father) and his brotherly affection for his (quite unpleasant) sister, Fatima. It talks about his journey from a pork eating, cigarette smoking liberal Muslim who believed firmly in Hindu and Muslim unity, to the man who fathered a separate nation for the Muslims.
The Review
The biggest strength of this book is its smooth gently-flowing narrative that keeps the reader turning pages.
It gives a fascinating glimpse of the Bombay of the early 20th century. It talks about upper class Muslims of that time, when men went hunting and got together at clubs to gossip; when the streets were washed by the bhishtees and the first Rolls Royce rolled out; the time when electric fans, flush toilets and hydraulic lifts were things only the very high-class could afford. It was absolutely fascinating.
While I was aware of the facts that lead up to partition I had little idea of the way the Congress spearheaded the freedom struggle, the various factions within it, the motivations of the people who joined it as also those of the few who decided to stay away. There was also the formation of the Muslim League, the way Jinnah initially distanced himself from it, decried it for trying to split the country on communal lines and then how he joined it because, as he said, better him than a conservative Muslim.
He continues to work for an Independent India till the Gandhi wave takes over the Nation, sidelining him completely. From the most respected man of the country he is suddenly lost in this wave, turning angry and bitter. It broke my heart a little bit to watch him change page by page until finally, driven largely by his ego, he decides to write a different history. And we watch as he singlehandedly forges a new country banishing India and Pakistan to eternal enmity.
The book opened me up to new perspectives.
For instance there’s Gandhi. I have come a long way from idolising him to demonising him in my early youth, to now finally accepting him as an extraordinary man who had his flaws. The book reinforces that image. I could see how frustrating it would have been to live and fight along a man like Gandhi. Many of his decisions made sense only to him, though they were right on principle they took away from the freedom struggle. For people like Bhagat Singh and Subhash Chandra Bose and perhaps even Jinnah in the beginning, the freedom struggle was supreme but for Gandhi it was his principles that were most important.
Despite all the complications, the twists and turns, Kiran Doshi manages to tell this tale simply and with plenty of humour.
Last Thought: Absolute must-read.
November 20, 2020
सब कहाँ कुछ लाला-ओ-गुल में नुमायाँ हो गयीं
ख़ाक में क्या सूरतें होंगी कि पिन्हाँ हो गयीं
Only a few stories have bloomed. Wonder about those that lay hidden in this rich soil !!!
Starting from 1904 and ending with the deaths of Gandhi and Jinnah, the book is perhaps the first historical fiction (other than biographical novels) that I have read on India's independence movement in the 20th century. And to my delight - it was as good as Amitav Ghosh's "The Glass Palace".
The story centers on Sultan and Rehana Kowaishi who are a progressive Muslim couple in Mumbai and friends with Jinnah. A no. of other supporting characters including family members and ofcourse Jinnah and Gandhi have been well fleshed out. And the personal lives have been beautifully interwoven with the political. And the trajectory of Jinnah's character was depicted very well.
I kept avoiding it as there is a lot of apologism and lying in the name of harmony when we tackle the subject of partition. And the publisher was not Penguin (Why ???). Thankfully a couple of friends on goodreads gave good reviews and I finally picked it up.
We are a continuous civilization of 1000s of years and a few million square kilometers. Hopefully more authors like Kiran Doshi and Sujit Saraf keep coming up with their stories.
ख़ाक में क्या सूरतें होंगी कि पिन्हाँ हो गयीं
Only a few stories have bloomed. Wonder about those that lay hidden in this rich soil !!!
Starting from 1904 and ending with the deaths of Gandhi and Jinnah, the book is perhaps the first historical fiction (other than biographical novels) that I have read on India's independence movement in the 20th century. And to my delight - it was as good as Amitav Ghosh's "The Glass Palace".
The story centers on Sultan and Rehana Kowaishi who are a progressive Muslim couple in Mumbai and friends with Jinnah. A no. of other supporting characters including family members and ofcourse Jinnah and Gandhi have been well fleshed out. And the personal lives have been beautifully interwoven with the political. And the trajectory of Jinnah's character was depicted very well.
I kept avoiding it as there is a lot of apologism and lying in the name of harmony when we tackle the subject of partition. And the publisher was not Penguin (Why ???). Thankfully a couple of friends on goodreads gave good reviews and I finally picked it up.
We are a continuous civilization of 1000s of years and a few million square kilometers. Hopefully more authors like Kiran Doshi and Sujit Saraf keep coming up with their stories.
March 4, 2017
True Wonderer
"Those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad." ~Ancient Proverb
The irony is, that this proverb is used by Jinnah's character in the book. 'Muhammad Ali Jinnah' to my mind, is undoubtedly, the most controversial figure in the Indian freedom struggle. An unorthodox well educated Muslim barrister from London, who driven by ambition single-handedly changed the fate of the Indian subcontinent, by doing the very thing that he had opposed for most of his political career, until the fated 1937 Indian provincial elections .i.e inciting communal tensions between Hindus and Muslims, and thus, becoming the poster boy for the British policy of 'Divide & Rule'.
Kiran Doshi has earned my respect, by seamlessly joining History and Fiction in his second published novel 'Jinnah Often Came to our House'. One of the most difficult task for any Historical fiction writer would be to create anticipation in the story, people already know what happened, so to make them curious and WANT to know and feel surprised would be quite a feat. He has achieved this by keeping the story centralized to Bombay and to the leaders directly involved with it, Jinnah (Obviously) and Gandhi (to some extent, because the story of Jinnah would never be complete without The Mahatma). Also from his own admission by not thinking ahead and letting the story develop. The result is a 663 page(Kindle edition) long magnum opus. Though one thing is to be noted, that this is in no way a comprehensive work on Jinnah's life, rather this story provides a common man's perspective of the man and the time. This is something which, admittedly, bothered me in the beginning, but, than i realized was actually worthwhile, these people (Gandhi, Nehru, Jinnah, etc.) are now Legends, they have gained (or if not will gain in a few decades) the status of TITANS among men, where every word that they have ever said would be treated as Gold and their criticism by anyone as outright blasphemy. So, now, almost 70 years since independence seeing them as human, capable of everything that ails a normal person, struggling and faltering , indecisive and proud is almost a reminder that "If there is a single quality that is shared by all great men, it is vanity" (~Yousuf Karsh). And how true, if only the Congress had realized that sooner, if only Jinnah was given his desired pound of flesh, if only his ego was soothed and massaged, if only Nehru or Gandhi would not have sidelined him and implored him to stay as the bridge between Congress and the league, if only Jinnah himself could have realized that what he was starting would lead to the creation of such unprecedented hate that it could last centuries, if only,if only, if only, ahhhh...We would be living in a completely different world.
But no, we can learn but never alter History. The story follows the 'Kowaishi' family in Bombay from 1903 till 1948, it Starts with the eldest son of the family 'Sultan' returning from London after completing his law studies, marrying 'Rehana' his beautiful and well educated impressionable wife and joining the Bombay high court as a barrister, much like Jinnah and than finally meeting the man in flesh. And from there it adapts to all that has to come, adding a whole lot of drama in between taking input from the social norms, beliefs and stereotypes of that time period. Bombay in the 1900's would have been quite a place, i was transported to it, actively imagining it through the author's writing and experience. The effect of the freedom struggle from 'Gokhale' to 'Tilak' to 'Jinnah' to 'Gandhi' on the common masses was an interesting touch. How the people perceived the struggle, their doubts, hopes from these leaders were something to wonder about. The story gives you everything it promises in its description, at time i felt that the story dragged a bit, that maybe near the end it focused more on the family drama than on the effect of Jinnah or the freedom struggle on the tale. But the characters never became redundant, in its style and length it reminded me of 'Karambhoomi' though the two books are completely different in essence, the tale of sacrifice and transformation was the common denominator. Mr. Doshi has in my opinion done a great job on the book, the story though sometimes becoming dull was never truly boring, though a lengthy tale, the time period i suppose, demanded it's share of words, the story had to react to so much.
The only complaint i have are the last chapters, they seemed rushed, and if the intention was to induce a sense of urgency in the reader well than it felt more irritating than exciting. And the complete biasness against the newly formed state's administration, though in most of the novel Mr.Doshi had used fiction to blunt the wounds of history, but in the last few chapters the directness was like an open handed slap to the face. Which was surprising for me as i expected him to keep the whole story blunt till the end, him being a diplomat and all. This novel, told a story of a people divided and how that division came to be, what started it, The partition of Bengal?, The separate electorates policy?, The Muslim Royals like Aga khan ?, The indifference and self surety of IN Congress?, Jinnah?. Lessons each and lessons all, i see the current political state of India and am horrified to see that we have yet to learn a lot of them still. Perhaps this fictional tale would help. Perhaps we should be mindful of the lessons, because as George Santayana famously wrote "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it". And Its about time!.
"Those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad." ~Ancient Proverb
The irony is, that this proverb is used by Jinnah's character in the book. 'Muhammad Ali Jinnah' to my mind, is undoubtedly, the most controversial figure in the Indian freedom struggle. An unorthodox well educated Muslim barrister from London, who driven by ambition single-handedly changed the fate of the Indian subcontinent, by doing the very thing that he had opposed for most of his political career, until the fated 1937 Indian provincial elections .i.e inciting communal tensions between Hindus and Muslims, and thus, becoming the poster boy for the British policy of 'Divide & Rule'.
Kiran Doshi has earned my respect, by seamlessly joining History and Fiction in his second published novel 'Jinnah Often Came to our House'. One of the most difficult task for any Historical fiction writer would be to create anticipation in the story, people already know what happened, so to make them curious and WANT to know and feel surprised would be quite a feat. He has achieved this by keeping the story centralized to Bombay and to the leaders directly involved with it, Jinnah (Obviously) and Gandhi (to some extent, because the story of Jinnah would never be complete without The Mahatma). Also from his own admission by not thinking ahead and letting the story develop. The result is a 663 page(Kindle edition) long magnum opus. Though one thing is to be noted, that this is in no way a comprehensive work on Jinnah's life, rather this story provides a common man's perspective of the man and the time. This is something which, admittedly, bothered me in the beginning, but, than i realized was actually worthwhile, these people (Gandhi, Nehru, Jinnah, etc.) are now Legends, they have gained (or if not will gain in a few decades) the status of TITANS among men, where every word that they have ever said would be treated as Gold and their criticism by anyone as outright blasphemy. So, now, almost 70 years since independence seeing them as human, capable of everything that ails a normal person, struggling and faltering , indecisive and proud is almost a reminder that "If there is a single quality that is shared by all great men, it is vanity" (~Yousuf Karsh). And how true, if only the Congress had realized that sooner, if only Jinnah was given his desired pound of flesh, if only his ego was soothed and massaged, if only Nehru or Gandhi would not have sidelined him and implored him to stay as the bridge between Congress and the league, if only Jinnah himself could have realized that what he was starting would lead to the creation of such unprecedented hate that it could last centuries, if only,if only, if only, ahhhh...We would be living in a completely different world.
But no, we can learn but never alter History. The story follows the 'Kowaishi' family in Bombay from 1903 till 1948, it Starts with the eldest son of the family 'Sultan' returning from London after completing his law studies, marrying 'Rehana' his beautiful and well educated impressionable wife and joining the Bombay high court as a barrister, much like Jinnah and than finally meeting the man in flesh. And from there it adapts to all that has to come, adding a whole lot of drama in between taking input from the social norms, beliefs and stereotypes of that time period. Bombay in the 1900's would have been quite a place, i was transported to it, actively imagining it through the author's writing and experience. The effect of the freedom struggle from 'Gokhale' to 'Tilak' to 'Jinnah' to 'Gandhi' on the common masses was an interesting touch. How the people perceived the struggle, their doubts, hopes from these leaders were something to wonder about. The story gives you everything it promises in its description, at time i felt that the story dragged a bit, that maybe near the end it focused more on the family drama than on the effect of Jinnah or the freedom struggle on the tale. But the characters never became redundant, in its style and length it reminded me of 'Karambhoomi' though the two books are completely different in essence, the tale of sacrifice and transformation was the common denominator. Mr. Doshi has in my opinion done a great job on the book, the story though sometimes becoming dull was never truly boring, though a lengthy tale, the time period i suppose, demanded it's share of words, the story had to react to so much.
The only complaint i have are the last chapters, they seemed rushed, and if the intention was to induce a sense of urgency in the reader well than it felt more irritating than exciting. And the complete biasness against the newly formed state's administration, though in most of the novel Mr.Doshi had used fiction to blunt the wounds of history, but in the last few chapters the directness was like an open handed slap to the face. Which was surprising for me as i expected him to keep the whole story blunt till the end, him being a diplomat and all. This novel, told a story of a people divided and how that division came to be, what started it, The partition of Bengal?, The separate electorates policy?, The Muslim Royals like Aga khan ?, The indifference and self surety of IN Congress?, Jinnah?. Lessons each and lessons all, i see the current political state of India and am horrified to see that we have yet to learn a lot of them still. Perhaps this fictional tale would help. Perhaps we should be mindful of the lessons, because as George Santayana famously wrote "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it". And Its about time!.
August 5, 2025
Jinnah often came to our house by Kiran Doshi is a creatively written book that not only tells us about the vicious transformation of Mohammed Ali Jinnah from a secular politician who got the tag of the ambassador of 'Hindu-Muslim' unity from Sarojini Naidu to the communal rabble-rouser who played a vital role in the partition of India and created Pakistan, but also the tale of a prosperous Muslim family of Bombay on whose home Jinnah used to come often and how this family had seen the worst of India's partition and lost some of their close ones in the mayhem of the partition of India. The readers will learn many things from this story, especially about the freedom movement of India. Do read this.
May 10, 2016
The main idea behind the book is exciting. Discovery of historical personalities from perspective of common men lived during that period and that too in a novel. 80% of the book did justice to all the characters and looked them as humans. The rest 20% of the book just reinforces the view that 'Majority of Indians whether Muslims or Hindus, writing fiction or non-fiction, do not have guts to say something good about Pakistan and its founding leaders. I said majority, as I know some people with balanced thought like Gulzar and Khushwant Singh'.
The last pages of the book sound like script of a crap movie by likes of J.P. Dutta. I wanted to give 5 stars to book till I gone through last chapters, I would rate it at 2.5.
The last pages of the book sound like script of a crap movie by likes of J.P. Dutta. I wanted to give 5 stars to book till I gone through last chapters, I would rate it at 2.5.
September 29, 2016
I loved this book. Certainly it could have used some footnotes or a glossary (the editors do not try to translate foreign phrases, which are used abundantly) but all in all, it was so engaging. Being sorely ignorant of the Indian-Pakistan partition, I hadn't realized that ultimately this would be the subject of this novel. I'm so glad I read it--it sorts out a lot of events for me. The characters are immensely engaging and believable, the subplot of an Indian Muslim family (here's where the fiction develops) held my attention completely. I've never finished reading The Raj Quartet which I started a few years back, and I am sure I'll revisit it after this.
August 9, 2017
#BookReview #JinnahOftenCameToOurHouse
I had almost sworn off reviewing books altogether. But this book, the winner of The Hindu Literary Prize, 2016 could not be resisted - this review virtually wrote itself in a single burst of typing, extracted from fingers throbbing with pain.
A thoroughly fascinating piece of historical fiction, it looks at the period from 1903 to 1948 through the eyes of a wealthy Muslim family of Bombay. Sultan and Rehana Kowaishi move in the best circles of society and are well-acquainted with the city's leading British and nationalist figures, including Jinnah. Through a very well-spun narrative, Kiran Doshi takes us through the transformation of Jinnah from nationalist to separatist, and of the people around him.
But the story is about more than Jinnah and the freedom struggle, it's about the people who made it possible and their lives and loves and the things that made them tick. Unfolding like a classic, Jinnah Often came to our house is a book I would easily recommend to anyone with a passing interest in that time in history.
The full-length review is available at the link below. I've been told its one of the better things I've written. I don't know whether that's saying much, but for whatever it's worth...
http://percytheslacker.blogspot.in/20...
I had almost sworn off reviewing books altogether. But this book, the winner of The Hindu Literary Prize, 2016 could not be resisted - this review virtually wrote itself in a single burst of typing, extracted from fingers throbbing with pain.
A thoroughly fascinating piece of historical fiction, it looks at the period from 1903 to 1948 through the eyes of a wealthy Muslim family of Bombay. Sultan and Rehana Kowaishi move in the best circles of society and are well-acquainted with the city's leading British and nationalist figures, including Jinnah. Through a very well-spun narrative, Kiran Doshi takes us through the transformation of Jinnah from nationalist to separatist, and of the people around him.
But the story is about more than Jinnah and the freedom struggle, it's about the people who made it possible and their lives and loves and the things that made them tick. Unfolding like a classic, Jinnah Often came to our house is a book I would easily recommend to anyone with a passing interest in that time in history.
The full-length review is available at the link below. I've been told its one of the better things I've written. I don't know whether that's saying much, but for whatever it's worth...
http://percytheslacker.blogspot.in/20...
December 7, 2020
A book catches your attention in the first chapter or it does not. This belongs to the the first category. And it was a delight to read this book. The fiction part is so well woven into the historical background, it was simply awesome. And the characters - especially Gandhi and Jinnah - have been portrayed as normal humans with their own follies, without taking the sides. The events flow like a real-life narrative. The characters of Bari Phuppi, Rehana, Sultan, Hina, Dhondav & Firoz have been very well etched out. One can almost feel each of them while reading them. Other readers have written enough about the story so will not go into the details.
A very very satisfying read. One needs to take a break after such a book to savor it...
A very very satisfying read. One needs to take a break after such a book to savor it...
January 22, 2020
I'm glad I read this because I learned a lot about India's independence struggle, a topic that I knew shamefully little about.
My gladness basically ends there. The titular Jinnah - by far the most interesting character - dips out of the book in the second half, his exploits related to the reader secondhand from other characters as well as the narrator. Jinnah makes what can only be describes as a heel turn, from a prickly but earnest man who thinks only of India, to a selfish politician hellbent on exploiting the rift between Hindus and Muslims for his own gain.
I'm aware that a lot of this basically happened in history, but instead of showing Jinnah's perspective or attempting to explain his motivations, Doshi basically shrugs and throws up his hands. This is criminally lazy writing! I finished the book feeling a little more informed but extremely cheated.
My gladness basically ends there. The titular Jinnah - by far the most interesting character - dips out of the book in the second half, his exploits related to the reader secondhand from other characters as well as the narrator. Jinnah makes what can only be describes as a heel turn, from a prickly but earnest man who thinks only of India, to a selfish politician hellbent on exploiting the rift between Hindus and Muslims for his own gain.
I'm aware that a lot of this basically happened in history, but instead of showing Jinnah's perspective or attempting to explain his motivations, Doshi basically shrugs and throws up his hands. This is criminally lazy writing! I finished the book feeling a little more informed but extremely cheated.
June 30, 2016
Excellent historical fiction. I found myself going to my computer at least once or twice every hour to look up one of the historical characters or one of the major events described in the book. After reading this book, it would seem that the current animosity between Indian and Pakistan can be laid directly at the feet of the British who spent so much effort pitting the Hindus and Muslims against each other in their misguided attempts to continue their rule by doing everything in their power to keep the various ethnic groups of India from working together. It was interesting to read how Hindus and Muslims were initially quite close and worked together in the early part of the 20th century. And how Jinnah, who was actually a very secular person who initially was against the partition of Indian, changed so dramatically to support the partition
February 12, 2017
This is a fabulous narrative that takes the reader on a gripping journey through the volatile fortunes of a modern-minded Muslim family in independence era Bombay.
I can't remember the last time I consumed so many words in one sitting. And I don't remember ever having been so involved in a story. Or felt so personally invested in its characters. Kiran Doshi turns out to be a colourful raconteur par excellence in this historical fiction that came to my notice thanks entirely to The Hindu awarding Kiran Doshi.
I can't remember the last time I consumed so many words in one sitting. And I don't remember ever having been so involved in a story. Or felt so personally invested in its characters. Kiran Doshi turns out to be a colourful raconteur par excellence in this historical fiction that came to my notice thanks entirely to The Hindu awarding Kiran Doshi.
August 27, 2017
What a beautiful piece of historical fiction. This book left me more engrossed than any other book has this year. Loved the familiarity with which the writer creates a whole new world full of details into the lives of each of the characters while Jinnah and the freedom movement go on in the backdrop. Such a painfully beautiful story.
August 13, 2018
A big fan of pre-independence/independence India stories, this book is easily one of the best about the era. Strong characterisation, plot, interweaving of history and fiction, masterful use of language, riveting and inspired pace, this book kept me awake every night till 1 am, since the night I started it. And I couldn't have enough!
Must read more of his work!
Must read more of his work!
February 27, 2016
Incredible
An incredible book that tells a lot about the history of India in the first half of the 20th century. Well written and intriguing. I learned a lot from this story, and enjoyed every page.
An incredible book that tells a lot about the history of India in the first half of the 20th century. Well written and intriguing. I learned a lot from this story, and enjoyed every page.
March 15, 2016
Very interesting work of historical fiction. Not for everyone, but I enjoyed the story as well as the history of India with which I was not familiar.
January 3, 2017
Mediocre. Not worth the time I spent reading it.
January 8, 2017
Mediocre. The plot drags, and it was difficult to continue reading the book as it could not hold my interest beyond a few pages.
January 17, 2017
Boring.
December 29, 2015
unputdownable read
February 24, 2017
A very few writers possess an uncanny ability and envious dexterity to keep the eyes, minds and hearts of the readers glued altogether to their work. As I grabbed the book “Jinnah Often Came to Our House”, I never wanted to part it away even for a while. Of course, it was not possible to read a voluminous hard cover book of over 400 pages in one go; I took four nights to complete it. To say, I read the book would be an understatement as I lived those four nights thoroughly in the most happening era of 1903-1948; I had a few serene and peaceful moments, but, mostly a tumultuous time; yet all engaging, engrossing and pulsating. If one assumes from the title that the book is just a biography of Mohammed Ali Jinnah or a historical sketch of his life, he would be disappointed. However, although, the author declares the novel to be a work of fiction, yet, I found myself trailing through the freedom movement or rather felt myself to be part of it. This is what a good fiction woven out of history produces; not an easy task though.
Like my other favorite writer, Amitav Ghosh, who enlivens historical events and epochs in his works of fiction; Kiran Doshi has achieved that unique distinction with remarkable ease; though, both the authors are totally different in their style, approach and language. He starts very quietly and builds character after character in a very simplistic manner. The innate beauty of the book lies in the author’s knack in evoking the latent emotions and sentiments. No wonder, the reader could find himself as part of the story and for sure finds himself living around the characters.
The book not only makes the reader witness the freedom movement through the prism of a few protagonists who remain impeccable until the end, it also embroils him totally in the melodrama of human feelings, emotions, sentiments, betrayals and sufferings. At times, I could not stop my eyes swelling up with tears and I did feel the pain of others as if I was undergoing that ordeal. Doesn’t it point to the success of the writer? The book also makes one bleed inside his heart over the trauma of people who sacrificed everything they possessed including their own children in their fight for freedom not just from the British rule, but, from injustice, inequities and atrocities heaped upon the Indians by their colonial masters. I too felt so strongly connected to the freedom movement and found my inner self heaping curse over the manner in which the British ruled India, curbed civil rights and liberties, crushed to death those who joined the march for freedom. For instance, one must have read about the savage killings at the Jallianwala Bagh in many historical books and watched the tragedy unfolding in some movies, yet, the way Kiran Doshi chose to express it is something unique. He took the medium of the son of one Hindu freedom fighter dying in the arms of his Muslim friend. Whilst the brother of the deceased took up arms against the invaders, his friend took up writing to express his woes and torments of the foreign rule and later to decry the call for partition.
The book has also laid open sagas of everlasting love and affection between the members of different communities and bound one pair in brother-sister pious relationship while one other in a romantic relationship, which never got consumed, yet, the beauty lay in the subtle romance that prevailed over all the odds. The evolving scenes of love and affection between the members of two families makes one pause or wish to arrest time to live in that beautiful epoch where communal harmony was the mainstay of not only the erstwhile Bombay but throughout the length and the breadth of India. All of the characters in the novel including Jinnah were opposed to the communal electorate and voting on communal lines; yet, Jinnah and his ilk found it to their advantage in the later part of the Thirties which ultimately paved for the infamous Lahore Declaration for a separate nation. The author has echoed the voice of millions to have the girls educated in modern schools and found the pain for such a cause in the heart of an old woman, Barri Phuphi, (elder aunt) who was widowed in her young age in Hyderabad and who became the family head of the Kowaishis.
Whilst the historical figures in the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Lokmanya Tilak, Gokhale, Sarojini Naidu got a bit of prominent place in the book, yet, many others such as Maulana Abulkalam Azad, Sirdar Vallabh Bhai Patel, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and even to a large extent, Jawaharlal Nehru did not figure much. Of course, as the book revolved around a Gujarati Muslim family which had migrated first to Hyderabad and returned to settle in Bombay, the author must be excused.
Now coming to the title and the narration of Jinnah in the book, the writer has carried him throughout the book alongside the protagonist and antagonist in the story. He tried his shots in depicting the personal life of Jinnah which encompassed his legal practice; his eating and drinking habits; his odd love with the daughter of a Parsee businessman; his marriage with that girl, full 24 years younger to him against the will of the bride’s family and her community; her squabbles with the sister of Jinnah who exercised a greater clout on him until his tragic end on a roadside in just one year after the partition and independence. Especially, the metamorphosis through which the author led Jinnah: the continual changes in his political philosophy; his political approach and thoughts until he found himself propelled in the driving seat to demand a separate nation to the chagrin of the congressmen, the party which had made him a politically aware soul; is remarkable. The ultimate question: Does the book invite the reader to be judgmental on character and personality of Jinnah? It does and probably, the only pitfall of allowing a work of fiction to consume a living character in it. Despite the caveat or declaration by the author that the work is fictional, though, he hints historical characters to be exception, when there is a portrayal of a historical character, it is bound to leave an indelible imprint. The reader who has read the biography of Jinnah and historical accounts of the freedom movement would probably vouch that the writer was not very far from reality. The same was the end result of the famous biopic, “The Gandhi”.
The book is not totally free though from occasional hollowness and a couple of times it made me circumspect. The manner in which the unshakable Kowaishi family breaks apart or rather is torn into pieces and which remains splintered until the end made me raise flags. Throwing away one’s wife along with the two growing kids and own mother on the basis of a letter indicating his inability to become father and the consequent suspicion without ascertaining the veracity or hearing the other party was not very much palatable. Though the plot made the author to touch different human facets and aspects of life: implicit and explicit revenge, feeling of vengeance, forgiveness and repentance. Similarly, one would wish the writer to have been more poignant and elaborate in narrating the death of many of his characters in the novel.
All one in all, a fabulous read which certainly enriches one’s heart and mind. For readers like me who are sensitive and have an extra pound of in built compassion and patriotism, the book is indeed satiating.
Like my other favorite writer, Amitav Ghosh, who enlivens historical events and epochs in his works of fiction; Kiran Doshi has achieved that unique distinction with remarkable ease; though, both the authors are totally different in their style, approach and language. He starts very quietly and builds character after character in a very simplistic manner. The innate beauty of the book lies in the author’s knack in evoking the latent emotions and sentiments. No wonder, the reader could find himself as part of the story and for sure finds himself living around the characters.
The book not only makes the reader witness the freedom movement through the prism of a few protagonists who remain impeccable until the end, it also embroils him totally in the melodrama of human feelings, emotions, sentiments, betrayals and sufferings. At times, I could not stop my eyes swelling up with tears and I did feel the pain of others as if I was undergoing that ordeal. Doesn’t it point to the success of the writer? The book also makes one bleed inside his heart over the trauma of people who sacrificed everything they possessed including their own children in their fight for freedom not just from the British rule, but, from injustice, inequities and atrocities heaped upon the Indians by their colonial masters. I too felt so strongly connected to the freedom movement and found my inner self heaping curse over the manner in which the British ruled India, curbed civil rights and liberties, crushed to death those who joined the march for freedom. For instance, one must have read about the savage killings at the Jallianwala Bagh in many historical books and watched the tragedy unfolding in some movies, yet, the way Kiran Doshi chose to express it is something unique. He took the medium of the son of one Hindu freedom fighter dying in the arms of his Muslim friend. Whilst the brother of the deceased took up arms against the invaders, his friend took up writing to express his woes and torments of the foreign rule and later to decry the call for partition.
The book has also laid open sagas of everlasting love and affection between the members of different communities and bound one pair in brother-sister pious relationship while one other in a romantic relationship, which never got consumed, yet, the beauty lay in the subtle romance that prevailed over all the odds. The evolving scenes of love and affection between the members of two families makes one pause or wish to arrest time to live in that beautiful epoch where communal harmony was the mainstay of not only the erstwhile Bombay but throughout the length and the breadth of India. All of the characters in the novel including Jinnah were opposed to the communal electorate and voting on communal lines; yet, Jinnah and his ilk found it to their advantage in the later part of the Thirties which ultimately paved for the infamous Lahore Declaration for a separate nation. The author has echoed the voice of millions to have the girls educated in modern schools and found the pain for such a cause in the heart of an old woman, Barri Phuphi, (elder aunt) who was widowed in her young age in Hyderabad and who became the family head of the Kowaishis.
Whilst the historical figures in the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Lokmanya Tilak, Gokhale, Sarojini Naidu got a bit of prominent place in the book, yet, many others such as Maulana Abulkalam Azad, Sirdar Vallabh Bhai Patel, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and even to a large extent, Jawaharlal Nehru did not figure much. Of course, as the book revolved around a Gujarati Muslim family which had migrated first to Hyderabad and returned to settle in Bombay, the author must be excused.
Now coming to the title and the narration of Jinnah in the book, the writer has carried him throughout the book alongside the protagonist and antagonist in the story. He tried his shots in depicting the personal life of Jinnah which encompassed his legal practice; his eating and drinking habits; his odd love with the daughter of a Parsee businessman; his marriage with that girl, full 24 years younger to him against the will of the bride’s family and her community; her squabbles with the sister of Jinnah who exercised a greater clout on him until his tragic end on a roadside in just one year after the partition and independence. Especially, the metamorphosis through which the author led Jinnah: the continual changes in his political philosophy; his political approach and thoughts until he found himself propelled in the driving seat to demand a separate nation to the chagrin of the congressmen, the party which had made him a politically aware soul; is remarkable. The ultimate question: Does the book invite the reader to be judgmental on character and personality of Jinnah? It does and probably, the only pitfall of allowing a work of fiction to consume a living character in it. Despite the caveat or declaration by the author that the work is fictional, though, he hints historical characters to be exception, when there is a portrayal of a historical character, it is bound to leave an indelible imprint. The reader who has read the biography of Jinnah and historical accounts of the freedom movement would probably vouch that the writer was not very far from reality. The same was the end result of the famous biopic, “The Gandhi”.
The book is not totally free though from occasional hollowness and a couple of times it made me circumspect. The manner in which the unshakable Kowaishi family breaks apart or rather is torn into pieces and which remains splintered until the end made me raise flags. Throwing away one’s wife along with the two growing kids and own mother on the basis of a letter indicating his inability to become father and the consequent suspicion without ascertaining the veracity or hearing the other party was not very much palatable. Though the plot made the author to touch different human facets and aspects of life: implicit and explicit revenge, feeling of vengeance, forgiveness and repentance. Similarly, one would wish the writer to have been more poignant and elaborate in narrating the death of many of his characters in the novel.
All one in all, a fabulous read which certainly enriches one’s heart and mind. For readers like me who are sensitive and have an extra pound of in built compassion and patriotism, the book is indeed satiating.
May 8, 2017
What do you expect when you come across a political historical fiction? First: A character which is not known to many, has always intrigued the curious minds like me. Second: Blending fiction with facts and figures in such a way that the story doesn't deviate the reader from the main character, in this case, Jinnah. Jinnah Often Came To Our House by Kiran Doshi is about the lives of upper-class Muslims in Bombay at the turn of the 19th century, when India was fighting for its freedom under the leadership of two extraordinary gentlemen, Gandhi and Jinnah.
And how Jinnah deviated from Gandhi and his ideology slowly and gradually, forming a separate nation. The story begins with Sultan Kowaishi, a young Barrister arriving from Britain after studies and meeting his famous senior who is not a typical Mussalman. A pork eating, non-Urdu speaking, indifferent to religion, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, a Shia Lawyer. After the meeting, you get a deep insight into Sultan's life and family, Bari Phuppi, the head of the family, a shopaholic mother, opportunist sisters and a loving father who has done everything right for his children. And ultimately his marriage to the love of his life, Rehana. After establishing a life with Rehana and Sultan's practice taking off as a professional and famous lawyer in Bombay, this part of the novel gradually trickles down to Rehana and Sultan's establishing Ekta School where girls from all communities received equal treatment and education, their separation, years later Sultan realizing his grave mistake and going in search of his children and grandchild, ultimately meeting the divine end.
The other part of the story revolves around Jinnah and his life and his career as a politician, his intimacy with Rehana that could have turned into something else. His troublesome marriage to Ruttie and his cranky and obnoxious sister Fatima. You also come across a different Jinnah, who initially supported Gandhi through and through, but now is gradually drifting away from Gandhi and his confused politics, ultimately leading to Jinnah's demand for a separate state, Pakistan.
Sultan Kowaishi's story acts like a foreground to the political backdrop of Jinnah joining the Indian National Congress. Some well-known characters of history also play an important role in this novel; Gandhi, Tilak, Nehru, Subhash Chandra Bose, and many fictional ones: Dhondav, Griffiths, Pandey, Tehmina, Miriam, Firoz, and many others whose lives change with the political landscape. In between, the writer has also included important chapters from the struggle of Independence of India.
The partition of Bengal, revocation of partition of Bengal, Tilak being exiled (an incident with huge impact in the times), Morley-Minto Reforms, birth of Muslim League, the Rowlatt Act, the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms, Simon Commission and its opposition, the two World Wars and how the British involved India with the lure of freedom to use our people as cannon fodder, the Provincial Elections, and Constituent Assembly, and finally the Independence and partition of India.
Now mixing so many incidents and important instances from history along with a fictional story running in the background is not an easy task. And I must say I am deeply impressed with Kiran Doshi's skill of managing not to leave any loose ends in Jinnah Often Came To Our House. Each of the characters, whether fictional or political, has an important role to play in the story. Initially, when I started reading the book I thought that maybe it's a completely fictional account, I may not be able to know Jinnah through this book.
But as I progressed along with the pages, I got so addicted that I wasn't able to keep the book down. Both Sultan's and Jinnah's lives are intertwined in a such a deliciously complicated way, that it made Jinnah Often Came to Our House one of the great books of 2017 for me! Honestly, I don't have any negative thoughts about Jinnah Often Came To Our House, may be because I was reading about Jinnah for the first time.
But this book by Kiran Doshi has opened a new window in my mind to pursue this really important character who played a significant role in the creation of our nation and Pakistan. People still believe that he was the reason behind the murder and mayhem that happened during the partition, but I never thought so. And Jinnah Often Came To Our House confirmed my beliefs in Jinnah even more.
All in all, Jinnah Often Came To Our House by Kiran Doshi is an absolutely addictive and brilliant book that you should definitely pick up.
And how Jinnah deviated from Gandhi and his ideology slowly and gradually, forming a separate nation. The story begins with Sultan Kowaishi, a young Barrister arriving from Britain after studies and meeting his famous senior who is not a typical Mussalman. A pork eating, non-Urdu speaking, indifferent to religion, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, a Shia Lawyer. After the meeting, you get a deep insight into Sultan's life and family, Bari Phuppi, the head of the family, a shopaholic mother, opportunist sisters and a loving father who has done everything right for his children. And ultimately his marriage to the love of his life, Rehana. After establishing a life with Rehana and Sultan's practice taking off as a professional and famous lawyer in Bombay, this part of the novel gradually trickles down to Rehana and Sultan's establishing Ekta School where girls from all communities received equal treatment and education, their separation, years later Sultan realizing his grave mistake and going in search of his children and grandchild, ultimately meeting the divine end.
The other part of the story revolves around Jinnah and his life and his career as a politician, his intimacy with Rehana that could have turned into something else. His troublesome marriage to Ruttie and his cranky and obnoxious sister Fatima. You also come across a different Jinnah, who initially supported Gandhi through and through, but now is gradually drifting away from Gandhi and his confused politics, ultimately leading to Jinnah's demand for a separate state, Pakistan.
Sultan Kowaishi's story acts like a foreground to the political backdrop of Jinnah joining the Indian National Congress. Some well-known characters of history also play an important role in this novel; Gandhi, Tilak, Nehru, Subhash Chandra Bose, and many fictional ones: Dhondav, Griffiths, Pandey, Tehmina, Miriam, Firoz, and many others whose lives change with the political landscape. In between, the writer has also included important chapters from the struggle of Independence of India.
The partition of Bengal, revocation of partition of Bengal, Tilak being exiled (an incident with huge impact in the times), Morley-Minto Reforms, birth of Muslim League, the Rowlatt Act, the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms, Simon Commission and its opposition, the two World Wars and how the British involved India with the lure of freedom to use our people as cannon fodder, the Provincial Elections, and Constituent Assembly, and finally the Independence and partition of India.
Now mixing so many incidents and important instances from history along with a fictional story running in the background is not an easy task. And I must say I am deeply impressed with Kiran Doshi's skill of managing not to leave any loose ends in Jinnah Often Came To Our House. Each of the characters, whether fictional or political, has an important role to play in the story. Initially, when I started reading the book I thought that maybe it's a completely fictional account, I may not be able to know Jinnah through this book.
But as I progressed along with the pages, I got so addicted that I wasn't able to keep the book down. Both Sultan's and Jinnah's lives are intertwined in a such a deliciously complicated way, that it made Jinnah Often Came to Our House one of the great books of 2017 for me! Honestly, I don't have any negative thoughts about Jinnah Often Came To Our House, may be because I was reading about Jinnah for the first time.
But this book by Kiran Doshi has opened a new window in my mind to pursue this really important character who played a significant role in the creation of our nation and Pakistan. People still believe that he was the reason behind the murder and mayhem that happened during the partition, but I never thought so. And Jinnah Often Came To Our House confirmed my beliefs in Jinnah even more.
All in all, Jinnah Often Came To Our House by Kiran Doshi is an absolutely addictive and brilliant book that you should definitely pick up.
November 24, 2018
"Values were not imbibed only at home, and many of the values imbibed at home were wrong: religious intolerance was imbibed at home, so were fears, superstitions and prejudices. Values imbibed from peers were no better, and were generally worse. As for religious schools, they had their own axes to grind."
This book is my best read so far this year. The emotions together with the premise of pre-independence era so intricately woven into this novel, somehow everything tied up together. This was a lengthy and consuming read for me, so much that I couldn't read anything else apart from this nor could I put it down! The book is a good mix of fiction and reality, a tale mostly of Sultan and Rehana but giving insights to Jinnah and Gandhi as well. In 10th grade , we studied India's struggle for independence in our History syllabus and while it fascinated me , apart from tits and bits here and there I haven't read much about it. But this took me back to the days of my school, when reading it only showed a portion of struggle that our freedom fighters went through to get India independent.
I picked this in August from Kindle and wanted to read it that month considering we gained independence in August, but the length of the book put me off then. The book hs won "The Hindu Literary Prize " in 2016. Kiran Doshi is a former diplomat and has taken bits and pieces into the book from his mother-in-law's life.
Coming to the book, the book is Sultan and Rehana Kowaishi's journey. Sultan ,from an affluent family goes to London for his law degree. While there he impregnates and married an English woman. Jinnah is his classmate, but Sultan is mostly busy with his lady friends and parties while Jinnah focuses on his studies. Sultan separates from his wife with the father's help when he realizes she cheated him and returns to India. His parents want to get him married but no respectable family is ready to give him their daughter owing to rumors about him and his divorce. Here the family comes across Rehana, who is pursuing her BA. Rehana's father is a professor and understands the importance of education. Having lost his wife and other kids to plague, Rehana is his pride and strength. After a meeting at Taj hotel, Rehana decides to marry Sultan, who falls in love with her at the first sight when he sees her getting off the tram.
Kowaishi's are a powerful and educated family but not overly religious. Badi Phuppi is the head of the family.We are taken into a beautiful journey filled with love, laughter, sadness, betrayal and love for country. Sultan starts his practice as a lawyer. Rehana starts a school Ekta for girls , as Badi Phuppi's dream. We come across Sultan's lovable parents, his siblings. Prominently we across Sultan's siblings Amir and Hina in the book .Rehana's pain on being childless for years after er wedding, her joy of becoming a parent. The mild love interest tat Jinnah shows on her is given considerable weight in the story. And then we have Dhondav, Sultan's friend who is one of the main reasons for Rehana to start looking at British rule differently. We are taken through important events in the Independence struggle , Rehana's part in that.
I think this book has to be experienced. This gave me a different view altogether. I hadn't read much about Jinnah earlier, but a nice insight to him is seen here. My favorite character has to be Rehana. This book will forever hold a piece of my heart for how well written it is. Though towards the end , it seemed a bit rushed it was a beautiful journey<3. This book is highly recommended.
This book is my best read so far this year. The emotions together with the premise of pre-independence era so intricately woven into this novel, somehow everything tied up together. This was a lengthy and consuming read for me, so much that I couldn't read anything else apart from this nor could I put it down! The book is a good mix of fiction and reality, a tale mostly of Sultan and Rehana but giving insights to Jinnah and Gandhi as well. In 10th grade , we studied India's struggle for independence in our History syllabus and while it fascinated me , apart from tits and bits here and there I haven't read much about it. But this took me back to the days of my school, when reading it only showed a portion of struggle that our freedom fighters went through to get India independent.
I picked this in August from Kindle and wanted to read it that month considering we gained independence in August, but the length of the book put me off then. The book hs won "The Hindu Literary Prize " in 2016. Kiran Doshi is a former diplomat and has taken bits and pieces into the book from his mother-in-law's life.
Coming to the book, the book is Sultan and Rehana Kowaishi's journey. Sultan ,from an affluent family goes to London for his law degree. While there he impregnates and married an English woman. Jinnah is his classmate, but Sultan is mostly busy with his lady friends and parties while Jinnah focuses on his studies. Sultan separates from his wife with the father's help when he realizes she cheated him and returns to India. His parents want to get him married but no respectable family is ready to give him their daughter owing to rumors about him and his divorce. Here the family comes across Rehana, who is pursuing her BA. Rehana's father is a professor and understands the importance of education. Having lost his wife and other kids to plague, Rehana is his pride and strength. After a meeting at Taj hotel, Rehana decides to marry Sultan, who falls in love with her at the first sight when he sees her getting off the tram.
Kowaishi's are a powerful and educated family but not overly religious. Badi Phuppi is the head of the family.We are taken into a beautiful journey filled with love, laughter, sadness, betrayal and love for country. Sultan starts his practice as a lawyer. Rehana starts a school Ekta for girls , as Badi Phuppi's dream. We come across Sultan's lovable parents, his siblings. Prominently we across Sultan's siblings Amir and Hina in the book .Rehana's pain on being childless for years after er wedding, her joy of becoming a parent. The mild love interest tat Jinnah shows on her is given considerable weight in the story. And then we have Dhondav, Sultan's friend who is one of the main reasons for Rehana to start looking at British rule differently. We are taken through important events in the Independence struggle , Rehana's part in that.
I think this book has to be experienced. This gave me a different view altogether. I hadn't read much about Jinnah earlier, but a nice insight to him is seen here. My favorite character has to be Rehana. This book will forever hold a piece of my heart for how well written it is. Though towards the end , it seemed a bit rushed it was a beautiful journey<3. This book is highly recommended.
September 1, 2020
If you have any interest in early 20th century Indian history, like epic family dramas, enjoy great writing with rich character development, or just want to read a really good book...you should read this. I loved it and I am so sad now that it is over. You should read this book and give it the attention it deserves! And it's free for Kindle Unlimited users.
The plot covers essentially the first half of the 20th century in India and covers different aspects of the Indian independence movement. This is covered told through the story of a Muslim family in Bombay and their involvement with various people involved in the independence movement. It starts in the early 1900s and ends shortly after the death of Jinnah in the newly created Pakistan. We meet characters who are indifferent to the movement, who are deeply invested in Muslim-Hindu unity, and others who give up those ideals to seek a multi-state solution. We meet Gandhi and Jinnah and learn more about the personal lives of other independence leaders. We also learn so much about the different events that take place in this time from India's involvement in WWI, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, Gandhi's arrival in India and the changes that took place in the independence movement as a result of his influence, India's involvement in WWII, the INA, the naval revolt following WWII, and of course partition. We also learn a lot about Jinnah as he evolves from a secular nationalist seeking Muslim-Hindu unity to the architect of Pakistan. We also learn about the varying experiences of women from many different walks of Indian life, the importance of family and friends, the struggles to develop education systems for girls, theosophists and socialists, and so much more.
The book is charming, funny, hopeful, and incredibly sad at different turns. It is so wonderful. I can't recommend it enough. You should go read it now!
The plot covers essentially the first half of the 20th century in India and covers different aspects of the Indian independence movement. This is covered told through the story of a Muslim family in Bombay and their involvement with various people involved in the independence movement. It starts in the early 1900s and ends shortly after the death of Jinnah in the newly created Pakistan. We meet characters who are indifferent to the movement, who are deeply invested in Muslim-Hindu unity, and others who give up those ideals to seek a multi-state solution. We meet Gandhi and Jinnah and learn more about the personal lives of other independence leaders. We also learn so much about the different events that take place in this time from India's involvement in WWI, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, Gandhi's arrival in India and the changes that took place in the independence movement as a result of his influence, India's involvement in WWII, the INA, the naval revolt following WWII, and of course partition. We also learn a lot about Jinnah as he evolves from a secular nationalist seeking Muslim-Hindu unity to the architect of Pakistan. We also learn about the varying experiences of women from many different walks of Indian life, the importance of family and friends, the struggles to develop education systems for girls, theosophists and socialists, and so much more.
The book is charming, funny, hopeful, and incredibly sad at different turns. It is so wonderful. I can't recommend it enough. You should go read it now!
June 13, 2020
If you want to know what Gandhiji and Jinnah were before the partition or independence, this is the book. The facts like Jinnah was a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity and secularism are nicely woven with some fictitious characters. The book emphasizes on the fact how freedom movement had captured the mind of each and every Indian. The way Taj Hotel, Colaba, Peddar road and Matheran are described will mesmerize you. Can you believe that at one point of time Jinnah was a president of Congress and Muslim League both? Can you believe a person could divorce his wife because a doctor tricked him to do so? This and much more.....Don't miss this if you are a fan of Fa-Fi thriller ( Fa-Fi stands for Fact + Fiction)
June 14, 2020
The title of this book is a bait. The book itself takes you to the turn of the twentieth century, you live through the times, charm and all. The plot too follows the historical timeline. The going-ons of the Indian National Army, also of the Indian officers recruited for the world war is new in this work. You don't read much of that in other works of fiction. But where I feel the author goes in overdrive is in suggesting Mr Jinnah romantic interest in the protagonist. Mrs Jinnah and Miss Jinnah (wife and sister) - the two important (and extremely colorful) women in his life - were mentioned in passing and very superficially. The liberties taken in the treatment of Jinnah by the author, I must say, has shaken my sensibilities.
August 29, 2018
It is definitely one of my favorite historical fiction books now — this is how it is done, a story crafted around a well-renowned personality and the social and political situations and developments of the time, caricatured and amalgamated with the personal histories of the fictional characters. Kiran Doshi has made the history of freedom struggle, especially through the vantage point of the national politics of Congress and Muslim League, so easy to comprehend. It also works surprisingly well in answering the communal question which paved the way for the contentious relations between India and Pakistan.
July 18, 2020
One of the rarest gems in the line of political thrillers, portraying one of the most interesting chapters of history of nation states i.e. Freedom struggle of India and then the independence which came along with partition.
More than the struggle itself, the book unleashes the evolution of Jinnah from one extreme to another, from being an ardent advocate of Hindu-Muslim unity to a madman who created separate homeland for Muslims on innumerable dead bodies which ofcourse included Muslims' as well.
The book is thrilling end to end, poisonously addictive and a great show of history clubbed with fiction.
More than the struggle itself, the book unleashes the evolution of Jinnah from one extreme to another, from being an ardent advocate of Hindu-Muslim unity to a madman who created separate homeland for Muslims on innumerable dead bodies which ofcourse included Muslims' as well.
The book is thrilling end to end, poisonously addictive and a great show of history clubbed with fiction.
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