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The Radiance of a Thousand Suns
Niki’s determination to complete her dead father’s unfinished book, his life’s work, takes her from India to New York City where her pursuit of a mysterious immigrant woman turns into an obsession that begins to imperil her daughter, her marriage, and, eventually, Niki herself.
When a blizzard blankets NYC, Niki finds herself on a path where the present and past collide violently. Propulsive and poetic, this elegant literary thriller melds the fervour of Punjab with the frenzy of New York.
Spanning the cataclysms of Partition and 9/11, via the brutality of Emergency and the pogrom of 1984, the novel explores the impossible choices women are forced to make in the face of violence, the ties that connect them across ages, and the secrets they store.
Interweaving the epic Mahabharata, the poetry of Bulleh Shah, and the legend of Heer, The Radiance of a Thousand Suns is a novel about the mythic and the intimate, about stories on tapestry and mobs that recur, about home and love and history and those heartbreaking moments when they all come crashing together.
When a blizzard blankets NYC, Niki finds herself on a path where the present and past collide violently. Propulsive and poetic, this elegant literary thriller melds the fervour of Punjab with the frenzy of New York.
Spanning the cataclysms of Partition and 9/11, via the brutality of Emergency and the pogrom of 1984, the novel explores the impossible choices women are forced to make in the face of violence, the ties that connect them across ages, and the secrets they store.
Interweaving the epic Mahabharata, the poetry of Bulleh Shah, and the legend of Heer, The Radiance of a Thousand Suns is a novel about the mythic and the intimate, about stories on tapestry and mobs that recur, about home and love and history and those heartbreaking moments when they all come crashing together.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 15, 2019
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510 people want to read
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February 4, 2024
“Mittar pyaare nu, haal mureedan da kehna, to my beloved friend, of my plight do tell.”
When I say I found my footing through this story so raw, I mean that while I was floating in a universe of things that hurt and that killed, I had found a place that would not let me stumble and fall. A place that would hold me in and not let me go.
I’ve wondered why history has always been fascinating to me. Was it because no matter how further and out in the world one comes, there’s a past that is carried on their shoulders? A past that though pains a lot, is the only connection of theirs to the people who lived to tell their stories and the ones who died with theirs right within them, yearning to come out? It’s high time that these stories come out of the chest, like a spring that has been suppressed for far too long.
I am haunted. I am in awe. This is a story unlike anything I’ve read before. It took me back to a time that I had not seen, not experienced, but a time that felt as real as the ghosts of reality dancing in front of my eyes. I had never lived in that time, my elders wouldn’t talk to me about it, but still I could feel it right inside my heart. It twisted my guts and made me aware that you inherit not just your parents’ features but the life that they, and the people before them have lived. Why had I not been close to the women of my family? Why had fate taken them away from me before I could stand in front of them and drink in all the tales they had to tell? Where in my history had that delicate thread broken?
“Nooran said she never understood why men were the ones from whom the family line supposedly descended. If one were to track it, then all mankind would trace its way back to that first mother. Imagine : each person linked by their umbilical cord who linked back to her mother. The umbilical cord would terminate with each male offspring , continuing only with a female offspring. A woman, therefore, carried within her the memory of all mothers before her.”
The women of this story, though made me realise that there was a part I was missing, also did the work of filling it in. Jyot’s story was bitter. With survivor’s guilt and trauma she was just a husk of a woman she once used to be. When you read about her, you’ll see the darkness that this woman lived through though her name meant light. Biji was the woman who’d look into you through your eyes and see your soul, without you saying a word. Nooran’s words still echo in my mind, “look the world in the eye, puttar!” If I could ask for a boon, it would be to become a Nooran : a tigress with the radiance of a thousand suns.
“Where was home? Where one was welcomed, where one was born but thrown out of, where one fled from?”
Manreet Sodhi Someshwar takes up a story and embroiders through it the tale of Mahabharata, the poetry of Bulle Shah, women in a time that stood as their enemy, and a family whose generations got through the darkest times of history : partition, the pogrom of 1984 and the hate crimes that came with the happening of 9/11. This book is also an ode to womanhood, an ode to the warriors who were lost in the pages of a history that deemed them too insignificant to even honour. It’s an ode to women who lived and the women who are in the making.
It is very apt to say that women’s bodies became battlefields in the games of dominance and power, and though both the sides had someone to blame, nothing could do justice to the ones who lost everything, including themselves, in some of the most unfortunate and brutal situations that rose with the fall in humanity.
If a man understood that everybody is one, would he still be torn into “us” and “them”? Would he still hate the “other”?
I don’t think I could ever do justice to this book. I can just say that if I could trade even the most precious thing of mine to get back those broken, incomplete pieces that these people lost, that they saw being snatched away from them and being burnt to ashes, I would, without hesitating.
When I say I found my footing through this story so raw, I mean that while I was floating in a universe of things that hurt and that killed, I had found a place that would not let me stumble and fall. A place that would hold me in and not let me go.
I’ve wondered why history has always been fascinating to me. Was it because no matter how further and out in the world one comes, there’s a past that is carried on their shoulders? A past that though pains a lot, is the only connection of theirs to the people who lived to tell their stories and the ones who died with theirs right within them, yearning to come out? It’s high time that these stories come out of the chest, like a spring that has been suppressed for far too long.
I am haunted. I am in awe. This is a story unlike anything I’ve read before. It took me back to a time that I had not seen, not experienced, but a time that felt as real as the ghosts of reality dancing in front of my eyes. I had never lived in that time, my elders wouldn’t talk to me about it, but still I could feel it right inside my heart. It twisted my guts and made me aware that you inherit not just your parents’ features but the life that they, and the people before them have lived. Why had I not been close to the women of my family? Why had fate taken them away from me before I could stand in front of them and drink in all the tales they had to tell? Where in my history had that delicate thread broken?
“Nooran said she never understood why men were the ones from whom the family line supposedly descended. If one were to track it, then all mankind would trace its way back to that first mother. Imagine : each person linked by their umbilical cord who linked back to her mother. The umbilical cord would terminate with each male offspring , continuing only with a female offspring. A woman, therefore, carried within her the memory of all mothers before her.”
The women of this story, though made me realise that there was a part I was missing, also did the work of filling it in. Jyot’s story was bitter. With survivor’s guilt and trauma she was just a husk of a woman she once used to be. When you read about her, you’ll see the darkness that this woman lived through though her name meant light. Biji was the woman who’d look into you through your eyes and see your soul, without you saying a word. Nooran’s words still echo in my mind, “look the world in the eye, puttar!” If I could ask for a boon, it would be to become a Nooran : a tigress with the radiance of a thousand suns.
“Where was home? Where one was welcomed, where one was born but thrown out of, where one fled from?”
Manreet Sodhi Someshwar takes up a story and embroiders through it the tale of Mahabharata, the poetry of Bulle Shah, women in a time that stood as their enemy, and a family whose generations got through the darkest times of history : partition, the pogrom of 1984 and the hate crimes that came with the happening of 9/11. This book is also an ode to womanhood, an ode to the warriors who were lost in the pages of a history that deemed them too insignificant to even honour. It’s an ode to women who lived and the women who are in the making.
It is very apt to say that women’s bodies became battlefields in the games of dominance and power, and though both the sides had someone to blame, nothing could do justice to the ones who lost everything, including themselves, in some of the most unfortunate and brutal situations that rose with the fall in humanity.
If a man understood that everybody is one, would he still be torn into “us” and “them”? Would he still hate the “other”?
I don’t think I could ever do justice to this book. I can just say that if I could trade even the most precious thing of mine to get back those broken, incomplete pieces that these people lost, that they saw being snatched away from them and being burnt to ashes, I would, without hesitating.
November 3, 2024
"if the Mahabharata is the template for India, Draupadi is the template for Indian women, right? Why then have successive retellers of the epic cast her in the mould of a vixen-wimp? Where has Draupadi gone missing? And where, indeed, are Draupadi's daughters?'
'Why are there no takers for women's stories? Why do we not want to talk about the violence that men have repeatedly inflicted on women? Why is there no song or drama or narrative around it? Why are women told to stuff their stories down their throats and stitch up their mouths?'"
Our history books tell us about how India attained independence, but remains silent on the losses suffered due to Partition. We remember the assassination of India Gandhi but choose to forget the horrors unleased on the Sikh community in the days following it. But even when those stories are told, the specific violence inflicted on women is underplayed. Radiance of a Thousand Suns is an attempt to tell the stories of the women.
Jyot Kaur was six years old at the time of Partition. Her father chose to sacrifice the women of his family to ensure their honour remained untouched. Miraculously she survived, and reached India mounted (like Yamraj) on a buffalo what dropped dead after depositing its charge. Thirty seven years later, Jyot once again lost her entire family in the riots of 1984. The intergenerational quest for her story forms the backbone of the book. As the author puts it, what links 1947 and 1984 is not war and peace, but war and silence, or maybe it is violence and silence.
The silence are the stories that women bottle up inside them, because they are not permitted to tell their stories. These are not just stories of large scale violence inflicted by strangers, but also everyday violence by members of the family. It is the silence that patriarchy and an misplaced sense of honour forces on women.
The narrative straddles time and space. Lahore, Ferozpur, Chandigarh, Delhi, Calcutta, New York, Hong Kong. 1947, 1977, 1984, 2001, 2014 and all the years connecting them. We meet four generations of feminist Nalwas, we meet survivors of violence and people working with survivors. There are references to the Mahabharata which contains every story worth telling, and to the words of Bhulle Shah which could explain every situation. And at the centre is Nooran- who held within herself the radiance of a thousand suns.
The book is a powerful work of storytelling. One that gets better with every subsequent read.
'Why are there no takers for women's stories? Why do we not want to talk about the violence that men have repeatedly inflicted on women? Why is there no song or drama or narrative around it? Why are women told to stuff their stories down their throats and stitch up their mouths?'"
Our history books tell us about how India attained independence, but remains silent on the losses suffered due to Partition. We remember the assassination of India Gandhi but choose to forget the horrors unleased on the Sikh community in the days following it. But even when those stories are told, the specific violence inflicted on women is underplayed. Radiance of a Thousand Suns is an attempt to tell the stories of the women.
Jyot Kaur was six years old at the time of Partition. Her father chose to sacrifice the women of his family to ensure their honour remained untouched. Miraculously she survived, and reached India mounted (like Yamraj) on a buffalo what dropped dead after depositing its charge. Thirty seven years later, Jyot once again lost her entire family in the riots of 1984. The intergenerational quest for her story forms the backbone of the book. As the author puts it, what links 1947 and 1984 is not war and peace, but war and silence, or maybe it is violence and silence.
The silence are the stories that women bottle up inside them, because they are not permitted to tell their stories. These are not just stories of large scale violence inflicted by strangers, but also everyday violence by members of the family. It is the silence that patriarchy and an misplaced sense of honour forces on women.
The narrative straddles time and space. Lahore, Ferozpur, Chandigarh, Delhi, Calcutta, New York, Hong Kong. 1947, 1977, 1984, 2001, 2014 and all the years connecting them. We meet four generations of feminist Nalwas, we meet survivors of violence and people working with survivors. There are references to the Mahabharata which contains every story worth telling, and to the words of Bhulle Shah which could explain every situation. And at the centre is Nooran- who held within herself the radiance of a thousand suns.
The book is a powerful work of storytelling. One that gets better with every subsequent read.
October 19, 2021
“History books record the independence of India, not its twin, the Partition of India.”
The Radiance of a Thousand Suns is a family saga spanning over three generations and covering three important events in the history of the world and its linkage with the minority community of India- Sikhs.
The saga is a tale of friendship, trust, betrayal, and last but not least- Women.
About the Plot
The story is divided into 3 parts spanning three generations:
1. 1977-1984- This period signifies the arbitrary usage of power, handicapped judicial system, Emergency in the nation and assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi followed by Anti- Sikh riots.
2. 1984-2014- This part of the book deals with the life of Jyot, an enigmatic character and a vital link in the story, whose silence is more haunting than her tragic life.
3. 2014- This last part of the book is about Niki, the narrator of the story who is determined to complete her late father’s book on documenting the lives of 1984 survivors. Her obsession with Jyot takes a dramatic turn when Jyot’s past collides with her present.
What is different about this Book?
As a Sikh, the subject of 1984 has always felt personal to me and in the pursuit of finding more, I have read a good amount of books on the same subject but what makes this book stand out is the way it is written.
The book has touched not only important events of history but also feminism, politics, society, racism, immigration, extremism and the legal system of the country. A hauntingly beautiful saga has not one protagonist but every character is the face of this novel, from Niki’s caretaker Nooran to her grandmother’s friend, each character conveys something.
The allegory of Mahabharata (The great Indian Epic) and mentions of legendary poet Bulleh Shah are cherries on the top.
Although I am not a person who easily gets swayed away by the covers, the book Cover Design by Rashmi Gupta looks like a bright Indian wedding invitation card which is a clever marketing strategy but it’s all worth it.
Favourite Quote-
“If the Mahabharata is the template for India, Draupadi is the template for Indian Women, right? Why then have successive retellers of the epic cast her in the mould of a vixen-vamp?”
Final Verdict- 5/5
The Radiance of a Thousand Suns is a family saga spanning over three generations and covering three important events in the history of the world and its linkage with the minority community of India- Sikhs.
The saga is a tale of friendship, trust, betrayal, and last but not least- Women.
About the Plot
The story is divided into 3 parts spanning three generations:
1. 1977-1984- This period signifies the arbitrary usage of power, handicapped judicial system, Emergency in the nation and assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi followed by Anti- Sikh riots.
2. 1984-2014- This part of the book deals with the life of Jyot, an enigmatic character and a vital link in the story, whose silence is more haunting than her tragic life.
3. 2014- This last part of the book is about Niki, the narrator of the story who is determined to complete her late father’s book on documenting the lives of 1984 survivors. Her obsession with Jyot takes a dramatic turn when Jyot’s past collides with her present.
What is different about this Book?
As a Sikh, the subject of 1984 has always felt personal to me and in the pursuit of finding more, I have read a good amount of books on the same subject but what makes this book stand out is the way it is written.
The book has touched not only important events of history but also feminism, politics, society, racism, immigration, extremism and the legal system of the country. A hauntingly beautiful saga has not one protagonist but every character is the face of this novel, from Niki’s caretaker Nooran to her grandmother’s friend, each character conveys something.
The allegory of Mahabharata (The great Indian Epic) and mentions of legendary poet Bulleh Shah are cherries on the top.
Although I am not a person who easily gets swayed away by the covers, the book Cover Design by Rashmi Gupta looks like a bright Indian wedding invitation card which is a clever marketing strategy but it’s all worth it.
Favourite Quote-
“If the Mahabharata is the template for India, Draupadi is the template for Indian Women, right? Why then have successive retellers of the epic cast her in the mould of a vixen-vamp?”
Final Verdict- 5/5
August 24, 2019
"If the radiance of a thousand suns
Were to burst at once into the sky
That would be like the splendour of the Mighty One..." Oppenheimer
Quoted from the Bhagavad Gita after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Wow! This was a superb book, that I will be unable to articulate the it's brilliance here! The author combines stories of partition, the 1984 riots and the principles of Sikhism, Hinduism and Sufism and how ultimately oneness connects the human race. One of the many pertinent aspects of this novel was the way these themes and experiences were interconnected and then told through some very strong female voices. Just brilliant! Why on earth had I never heard of this book?
Were to burst at once into the sky
That would be like the splendour of the Mighty One..." Oppenheimer
Quoted from the Bhagavad Gita after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Wow! This was a superb book, that I will be unable to articulate the it's brilliance here! The author combines stories of partition, the 1984 riots and the principles of Sikhism, Hinduism and Sufism and how ultimately oneness connects the human race. One of the many pertinent aspects of this novel was the way these themes and experiences were interconnected and then told through some very strong female voices. Just brilliant! Why on earth had I never heard of this book?
November 3, 2019
The radiance of a thousand suns (2019) is a book written by Manreet Sodhi and covers the stories of periods in history marred by violence and the lust for being righteous, of doing justice at the expense of human lives. This book covers spectrum of emotions from the turbulent times of Partition of India in 1947 when two brothers from the same mother were torn apart by the desperation of the blue blood of The “Great” Britain. Those times left mouth filled with dust of hatred and hands full of blood of violence. Violence erupted once again in 1984 to tear apart the motherland India into more fractions and those skirmishes led to operation blue star and eventually Indira Gandhi got killed. Sikh community became the new target and people started demanding blood for blood. But as Mahatma Gandhi says, an eye for an eye makes the world blind; the violence leads to loss of souls which were not even a participant. Some so innocent that they didn’t even understand religion.
I have been longing to read history from different perspectives as the history we read states mere facts and the chronology of how events happened. Perspectives take us to that place and conjure up a world that is hard to find in historical accounts, the memories come alive, emotions are revived, the mourning gets new tears and it makes the reader uncomfortable of one’s ignorance. In such an attempt, I picked up this book, “The radiance of thousand suns”. Perhaps a coincidence but the books I have recently bought or been gifted are about history being retold from the eyes of women like “The palace of illusions” which retells the great epic Mahabharata from the eyes of Draupadi and “The women’s courtyard” by Khadija Mastoor which the depiction of partition by a Pakistani women and I have noticed a wider range of emotions in the writing of women when they recreate history, perhaps by virtue of being a mother.
The story is spun around the Nalwa family with three generations, affected by violence in some form or the other and the youngest one, Niki witnesses all three in the most magnified form as she is on a journey to complete her father’s book. The book aims to narrate the forgotten stories of pain and agony of the times, the times of 1947 and 1984. The book’s central characters are Niki, Nooran, Biji, Jyot and Papa.
Biji is the victim of the violence of 1947 when she came to India from Lahore and eventually lost her husband in the 1971 Pakistan-India war. She is also a human rights activist and finds Jyot on a buffalo after 6 year old who comes to the camp from Pakistan to India. Niki is born amidst the chaos of emergency when doctors are busy to stop procreation by sterilizing men instead of helping a woman to give birth to a child. Niki’s father is a lawyer and goes an extra mile to help people who were struck by the vagaries of the emergency and saves young men from being branded as terrorists and from being shot down by the police. Nooran is the most interesting character in the movie and the book has been named after her as she has a “radiance of a thousand sun” like the Oppenheimer’s bomb. Her thoughts are very thought-provocating and make you question the foundations of religion, patriarchy, marriage and other relationships around us.
“I will tell you what”, Nooran said, “give men one condition – just one condition – then watch them straighten up like bamboos.”
“What condition?” Niki asked.
“A man has to give birth, physical birth, like a woman does. After which, he can go kill one person. Five children? Here, take five licenses to kill. See how all killings stop.”
This is one visionary thought of Nooran who claims that all killing would stop if men had to bear a child. She also feels religion as something created by men to take charge over women in the name of God. It gives a sanction to them to control every aspect of women’s life. Women are the most affected in times of violence, losing their fathers, husbands and their children in whom they invest emotionally and being physically and economically disadvantaged, they are rallied over like bogies of train, pulled by the whims and fancies of men.
Dadima used to say this often that women are always pregnant with stories. There is some story or the other which always remains undelivered because men in their lives discourage them from discussing of unfortunate times which women witness more closely than men do. Nalwa family has a near perfect life but a sudden misfortune comes with death of Nooran who dies while protecting Nikki from a group of men who tried groping her. But Nooran is alive in the hearts of Niki and she remembers Nooran at every stage of her life imagining what would have Nooran done if she was there. Niki’s father resolves to write a book based on the accounts of survivors of ‘47 and ‘84
“Women’s stories, men’s stories, enemies’ stories, friend’s stories- we need more stories. So that we can break the silence. So that we can remember, mourn, grapple with the violence within us, the violence that makes us kill our brothers, kill our women, kill our Nooran – “
Papa bowed his head. He cupped his face in his hands. Sobs shook his back.
The story takes a slow pace after Niki goes to IIM for an MBA and becomes a victim like many other students in India who do not know what to do with their lives and in a desperation to earn money so that she can she support women later, she drops the idea of pursuing gender studies further. Dadi ma is busy with her work in Delhi and very unhappy with the progress of rehabilitating the victims.
“You can slaughter people in public, but the police won’t register a case. When they do, the judge won’t pronounce guilt because there is no evidence. When you can’t scare off witnesses, you wait for them to die.”
Another enigmatic character in the book is Jyot whose path crosses with the Nalwa family quiet often. After Dadi ma is unable to adopt Jyot, she finds her home in Machiwara in a Gurudwara and she lives happily there and is blessed with four lovely children and a caring husband but her happiness does not last long as her husband is killed on a road skirmish during the anti-sikh riots in 1984. Her children die a mysterious death and she does not share about it to anyone and lives a rather lonely life in U.S.A. where she now works as a volunteer at an N.G.O. named SAAYA. She does a lot of attempts to take her life but she doesn’t die because she is perhaps pregnant with a story.
What is she hiding?
After the death of Papa ji, Niki bears the responsibility to complete the book he had left incomplete and she moves to U.S. with her husband and her daughter, Mehar. The backbone of the book is Jyot’s story and in a quest to know her story, Niki also starts volunteering at SAAYA so remains close to her. In a particular incidence, when there is fire all around and people are rushing back and forth around the SAAYA building, Jyot sits down on the floor, makes choori with action of her hands and feeds her four children with her hands and then puts them to sleep, two on each side. Niki watches this with a heavy heart as she knows that in case of similar environment, women tend to recreate the trauma and she sympathizes with Jyot but it is still unclear what is the reason behind the unforgiveneess?
The epilogue puts me to tears where the entire story makes sense and the truth Jyot has been hiding becomes known to Niki and I am sure it will move you to tears.
The book has been beautifully written by the writer and I can only imagine the kind of turmoil that she would have had to go through while researching and writing this book. I love stories which are heavy on emotions and this was one masterpiece that I read. It is surely my favorite read of 2019 and I hope to read her other works too. You will invest a lot in the characters of the book and I promise you will not be disappointed as the characters have been developed meticulously and they just stay with you. After finishing the book, I was not sure how I will fill the void left by Jyot, Niki, Nooran and their stories.
I am glad that I found the book or rather, the book found me. I am glad it did.
I have been longing to read history from different perspectives as the history we read states mere facts and the chronology of how events happened. Perspectives take us to that place and conjure up a world that is hard to find in historical accounts, the memories come alive, emotions are revived, the mourning gets new tears and it makes the reader uncomfortable of one’s ignorance. In such an attempt, I picked up this book, “The radiance of thousand suns”. Perhaps a coincidence but the books I have recently bought or been gifted are about history being retold from the eyes of women like “The palace of illusions” which retells the great epic Mahabharata from the eyes of Draupadi and “The women’s courtyard” by Khadija Mastoor which the depiction of partition by a Pakistani women and I have noticed a wider range of emotions in the writing of women when they recreate history, perhaps by virtue of being a mother.
The story is spun around the Nalwa family with three generations, affected by violence in some form or the other and the youngest one, Niki witnesses all three in the most magnified form as she is on a journey to complete her father’s book. The book aims to narrate the forgotten stories of pain and agony of the times, the times of 1947 and 1984. The book’s central characters are Niki, Nooran, Biji, Jyot and Papa.
Biji is the victim of the violence of 1947 when she came to India from Lahore and eventually lost her husband in the 1971 Pakistan-India war. She is also a human rights activist and finds Jyot on a buffalo after 6 year old who comes to the camp from Pakistan to India. Niki is born amidst the chaos of emergency when doctors are busy to stop procreation by sterilizing men instead of helping a woman to give birth to a child. Niki’s father is a lawyer and goes an extra mile to help people who were struck by the vagaries of the emergency and saves young men from being branded as terrorists and from being shot down by the police. Nooran is the most interesting character in the movie and the book has been named after her as she has a “radiance of a thousand sun” like the Oppenheimer’s bomb. Her thoughts are very thought-provocating and make you question the foundations of religion, patriarchy, marriage and other relationships around us.
“I will tell you what”, Nooran said, “give men one condition – just one condition – then watch them straighten up like bamboos.”
“What condition?” Niki asked.
“A man has to give birth, physical birth, like a woman does. After which, he can go kill one person. Five children? Here, take five licenses to kill. See how all killings stop.”
This is one visionary thought of Nooran who claims that all killing would stop if men had to bear a child. She also feels religion as something created by men to take charge over women in the name of God. It gives a sanction to them to control every aspect of women’s life. Women are the most affected in times of violence, losing their fathers, husbands and their children in whom they invest emotionally and being physically and economically disadvantaged, they are rallied over like bogies of train, pulled by the whims and fancies of men.
Dadima used to say this often that women are always pregnant with stories. There is some story or the other which always remains undelivered because men in their lives discourage them from discussing of unfortunate times which women witness more closely than men do. Nalwa family has a near perfect life but a sudden misfortune comes with death of Nooran who dies while protecting Nikki from a group of men who tried groping her. But Nooran is alive in the hearts of Niki and she remembers Nooran at every stage of her life imagining what would have Nooran done if she was there. Niki’s father resolves to write a book based on the accounts of survivors of ‘47 and ‘84
“Women’s stories, men’s stories, enemies’ stories, friend’s stories- we need more stories. So that we can break the silence. So that we can remember, mourn, grapple with the violence within us, the violence that makes us kill our brothers, kill our women, kill our Nooran – “
Papa bowed his head. He cupped his face in his hands. Sobs shook his back.
The story takes a slow pace after Niki goes to IIM for an MBA and becomes a victim like many other students in India who do not know what to do with their lives and in a desperation to earn money so that she can she support women later, she drops the idea of pursuing gender studies further. Dadi ma is busy with her work in Delhi and very unhappy with the progress of rehabilitating the victims.
“You can slaughter people in public, but the police won’t register a case. When they do, the judge won’t pronounce guilt because there is no evidence. When you can’t scare off witnesses, you wait for them to die.”
Another enigmatic character in the book is Jyot whose path crosses with the Nalwa family quiet often. After Dadi ma is unable to adopt Jyot, she finds her home in Machiwara in a Gurudwara and she lives happily there and is blessed with four lovely children and a caring husband but her happiness does not last long as her husband is killed on a road skirmish during the anti-sikh riots in 1984. Her children die a mysterious death and she does not share about it to anyone and lives a rather lonely life in U.S.A. where she now works as a volunteer at an N.G.O. named SAAYA. She does a lot of attempts to take her life but she doesn’t die because she is perhaps pregnant with a story.
What is she hiding?
After the death of Papa ji, Niki bears the responsibility to complete the book he had left incomplete and she moves to U.S. with her husband and her daughter, Mehar. The backbone of the book is Jyot’s story and in a quest to know her story, Niki also starts volunteering at SAAYA so remains close to her. In a particular incidence, when there is fire all around and people are rushing back and forth around the SAAYA building, Jyot sits down on the floor, makes choori with action of her hands and feeds her four children with her hands and then puts them to sleep, two on each side. Niki watches this with a heavy heart as she knows that in case of similar environment, women tend to recreate the trauma and she sympathizes with Jyot but it is still unclear what is the reason behind the unforgiveneess?
The epilogue puts me to tears where the entire story makes sense and the truth Jyot has been hiding becomes known to Niki and I am sure it will move you to tears.
The book has been beautifully written by the writer and I can only imagine the kind of turmoil that she would have had to go through while researching and writing this book. I love stories which are heavy on emotions and this was one masterpiece that I read. It is surely my favorite read of 2019 and I hope to read her other works too. You will invest a lot in the characters of the book and I promise you will not be disappointed as the characters have been developed meticulously and they just stay with you. After finishing the book, I was not sure how I will fill the void left by Jyot, Niki, Nooran and their stories.
I am glad that I found the book or rather, the book found me. I am glad it did.
June 20, 2020
Thank you to Harper Collins for the Advanced Reader's Copy
Poignant and heart breaking, Manreet Sodhi Someshwar's The Radiance of a Thousand Suns unearths the hidden violence of the Indian Partition War and the subsequent anti-Sikh movement. Mixing in centuries old Mahabharata, decades old women's history and modern day New York, Someshwar creates a spell binding tale. From the domestic to the global stage, women are always subject to the threat of violence and rarely is it told in such a clear voiced manner.
As a South Asian, I appreciated this book as it brought to light aspects of my history that I didn't know about. When we talk about Partition, we talk about all the male freedom fighters. And yet, it is women who bear the brunt of war crimes. Women who are raped and shamed and beaten and abandoned. Women who hide in the shadows, waiting to exhale and tell their stories. Women like the powerful and complicated Jyoti Kaur, the mysterious figurehead Niki seeks out in the streets of New York. A gorgeous and powerful read.
Poignant and heart breaking, Manreet Sodhi Someshwar's The Radiance of a Thousand Suns unearths the hidden violence of the Indian Partition War and the subsequent anti-Sikh movement. Mixing in centuries old Mahabharata, decades old women's history and modern day New York, Someshwar creates a spell binding tale. From the domestic to the global stage, women are always subject to the threat of violence and rarely is it told in such a clear voiced manner.
As a South Asian, I appreciated this book as it brought to light aspects of my history that I didn't know about. When we talk about Partition, we talk about all the male freedom fighters. And yet, it is women who bear the brunt of war crimes. Women who are raped and shamed and beaten and abandoned. Women who hide in the shadows, waiting to exhale and tell their stories. Women like the powerful and complicated Jyoti Kaur, the mysterious figurehead Niki seeks out in the streets of New York. A gorgeous and powerful read.
August 23, 2021
I am still a bit shaken and in awe of the book. I will do a detailed review but this book hit me hard in a way very few books have done. As a part of a family affected by partition, and having lived in Delhi in 1984, this is lived history. Nooran, Dadima all felt like people I knew. I still can't form clear words. It's a must read in my opinion. Will come back and do a better job of my review.
September 14, 2020
A book which on the surface seems to be about a daughter’s determination to complete her dead father’s unfinished book is much more than that. Yes, Niki, the daughter leaves no stone unturned to fulfil her father’s wish, but the book is more than a description of just that. It draws the reader’s attention to various issues which most of us either tend to overlook or accept as a given. In that way, It makes the reader think; it makes the reader reflect.
The story takes the reader back in time to the horrific days of the partition of the country in 1947 and its aftermath. It moves further to describe the pogrom of 1984 and drives home an extremely valid point which is how human lives are always sacrificed at the altar of religious and political agendas. It reiterates the fact that times may change, people may change, but this sad reality can never change. Religion, politics will always be used to incite people, to divide them and to spread hatred and violence. The book draws a parallel between three significant events which have taken place in the history of humankind, starting with the horrors of 1947, moving on to 1984 and then to as recent as 2011. All three point in the same direction which is that people with divisive agendas will always be there and will prevail over reason and logic. It is up to the rest of us as to how we deal with them. The link that the author has established gives a lot of food for thought.
Another valid point which Manreet makes is the impact of such events on women. She points out that the role of women at such times is conveniently forgotten or maybe isn’t even recognized in the first place. It is always the men who get talked about. The spotlight is always on those famous men who laid down their lives when a nation got built or when a cause was fought. Why doesn’t anyone ever talk about women? Don’t they suffer, when they face poverty, terror, when they lose their husbands, their children when their daughters, sisters or friends or they get raped or abused? History doesn’t talk about them; the world ignores them. Why? Is it because of the age-old patriarchy, the bane of our societies?
And then as if giving a retort to all this Manreet says, ’A woman’s answer to destruction is to create.’
Here she seems to be mocking the men by telling them to go on destroying because a woman will go on creating. I love this line.
The book has some incredibly strong women from Biji to Nooran to Jyot and of course, Niki. They all face adversity, but that never comes in the way of their courage, their resolve, their goal. The book starts with Biji and Nooran rushing to the hospital amid the mayhem of the Emergency and its sterilization programme to get Niki’s mother to the hospital in time for her delivery. Though they lose her despite their best efforts, the courage and grit of the women cannot be missed.
All the women characters are daring, bold, ready to stand up to injustice no matter what. They don’t fear anyone. If Nooran has the guts to stand up to the men who try to molest a young Niki, then Niki dares to stand up to those who try to terrorize Jyot in New York.
And then there is Jyot, a character whose presence is felt even in her absence. She is the mystery woman who Niki wants to find. The story of her life is heartbreaking, heart-wrenching. One cannot believe that she has been subjected to so much grief, so much pain in one lifetime. One is forced to question the powers that be. Why couldn’t she have lived happily ever after? To go through the tragedy of losing your family twice in a lifetime, cannot be justified. I had tears in my eyes as her story unravelled itself to me.
The book also makes the reader wonder about one more thing. Would men still go to war, still incite violence and hatred if they had to go through the experience of giving physical birth to a living being, a child? If they had to subject themselves to the throes of childbirth, would they still find it easy to take lives? Would they still be able to kill and plunder mercilessly?
The book, while questioning religion, politics and patriarchy tries to in a way soften the blow by making references to the poetry of Bulleh Shah, the legend of Heer and weaves them beautifully into the narrative.
All through the book, there are references to the Mahabharta which keep reminding the reader that certain things have not changed in this world and probably never will. For instance, the ease with which men give up on women, sacrifice them and walk away without a backward glance. And how it is their deeds, their so-called acts of bravery and sacrifice which are remembered till posterity and all that woman do is conveniently brushed under the carpet.
A beautiful book, very well written and once you pick it up you can’t put it down. At least that’s what happened with me.
Three different times, spread apart by several years, by generations but the story remains the same, and the roots can be traced back to the Mahabharata.
History repeats itself!
The story takes the reader back in time to the horrific days of the partition of the country in 1947 and its aftermath. It moves further to describe the pogrom of 1984 and drives home an extremely valid point which is how human lives are always sacrificed at the altar of religious and political agendas. It reiterates the fact that times may change, people may change, but this sad reality can never change. Religion, politics will always be used to incite people, to divide them and to spread hatred and violence. The book draws a parallel between three significant events which have taken place in the history of humankind, starting with the horrors of 1947, moving on to 1984 and then to as recent as 2011. All three point in the same direction which is that people with divisive agendas will always be there and will prevail over reason and logic. It is up to the rest of us as to how we deal with them. The link that the author has established gives a lot of food for thought.
Another valid point which Manreet makes is the impact of such events on women. She points out that the role of women at such times is conveniently forgotten or maybe isn’t even recognized in the first place. It is always the men who get talked about. The spotlight is always on those famous men who laid down their lives when a nation got built or when a cause was fought. Why doesn’t anyone ever talk about women? Don’t they suffer, when they face poverty, terror, when they lose their husbands, their children when their daughters, sisters or friends or they get raped or abused? History doesn’t talk about them; the world ignores them. Why? Is it because of the age-old patriarchy, the bane of our societies?
And then as if giving a retort to all this Manreet says, ’A woman’s answer to destruction is to create.’
Here she seems to be mocking the men by telling them to go on destroying because a woman will go on creating. I love this line.
The book has some incredibly strong women from Biji to Nooran to Jyot and of course, Niki. They all face adversity, but that never comes in the way of their courage, their resolve, their goal. The book starts with Biji and Nooran rushing to the hospital amid the mayhem of the Emergency and its sterilization programme to get Niki’s mother to the hospital in time for her delivery. Though they lose her despite their best efforts, the courage and grit of the women cannot be missed.
All the women characters are daring, bold, ready to stand up to injustice no matter what. They don’t fear anyone. If Nooran has the guts to stand up to the men who try to molest a young Niki, then Niki dares to stand up to those who try to terrorize Jyot in New York.
And then there is Jyot, a character whose presence is felt even in her absence. She is the mystery woman who Niki wants to find. The story of her life is heartbreaking, heart-wrenching. One cannot believe that she has been subjected to so much grief, so much pain in one lifetime. One is forced to question the powers that be. Why couldn’t she have lived happily ever after? To go through the tragedy of losing your family twice in a lifetime, cannot be justified. I had tears in my eyes as her story unravelled itself to me.
The book also makes the reader wonder about one more thing. Would men still go to war, still incite violence and hatred if they had to go through the experience of giving physical birth to a living being, a child? If they had to subject themselves to the throes of childbirth, would they still find it easy to take lives? Would they still be able to kill and plunder mercilessly?
The book, while questioning religion, politics and patriarchy tries to in a way soften the blow by making references to the poetry of Bulleh Shah, the legend of Heer and weaves them beautifully into the narrative.
All through the book, there are references to the Mahabharta which keep reminding the reader that certain things have not changed in this world and probably never will. For instance, the ease with which men give up on women, sacrifice them and walk away without a backward glance. And how it is their deeds, their so-called acts of bravery and sacrifice which are remembered till posterity and all that woman do is conveniently brushed under the carpet.
A beautiful book, very well written and once you pick it up you can’t put it down. At least that’s what happened with me.
Three different times, spread apart by several years, by generations but the story remains the same, and the roots can be traced back to the Mahabharata.
History repeats itself!
January 3, 2024
I enjoyed this one. I thought it managed to portray some very complex parts of Indian history in an effective narrative, and I liked the parallels drawn to the Mahabharata
November 18, 2020
I don’t think I have ever quite read a book like this one before. Told across time and across different lands, spanning India, Hong Kong and NYC the story focuses on Nik, whose life mission is to complete her dead fathers’s book. This all encompassing mission becomes an obsession which alters her family life. This book covers the Partition of India in 1947, anti Sikh riots of 1984 and 9/11. This book is stunningly written as it weaves back and forth in time while threading the story of Niki and her father. There is so much information within this book that I was unfamiliar with and I was so happy to get a better window into these events.
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Thank you to #NetGalley and #harpercollins for an arc in exchange for an honest review
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Thank you to #NetGalley and #harpercollins for an arc in exchange for an honest review
June 2, 2021
Set in the background of two traumatic events for the people of Punjab, specifically the Sikh community, this book needs to be read by everyone to understand a woman’s point of view of how it is to be considered as an invisible being or as an object of possession every time a man wanted to prove his superiority! Manreet has been able to bring this to the forefront along with the weight of the inter-generational trauma that women carry within them until they realise that it is okay to deliver it and be rid of the pain and discomfort for good (which sometimes takes a few life times).
The radiance of the narrative by author Manreet Sodhi Someshwar is blindingly bright to go through all filtered glasses worn.
The radiance of the narrative by author Manreet Sodhi Someshwar is blindingly bright to go through all filtered glasses worn.
August 28, 2019
Irrespective of where in the world, every living human has witnessed, if not personally suffered some kind of communal violence. So this book is for everyone. People who are willing to listen, people who have empathy, people who know that no privilege works when the mob is furious.
Being a Delhiite, I have personally known many Jyots, and it’s about time their stories are out, beyond homes, neighborhoods, communities.
Manreet bravely strings these stories into this pearl of a book…’The Radiance of a Thousand Suns’.
She beautifully highlights how these women - rich, poor, privileged, unprivileged, orphaned, are all affected by these events and therefore connected with one another.
“A state of permanent pregnancy means that something has not been delivered”- ‘The Radiance of a Thousand Suns’.
Unless these women share their stories, they will not heal and the society will continue to create more of these stories.
‘History repeats itself’ a phrase I heard growing up repeatedly. When there is a radical community-related decision made by politicians, I am reminded of these stories, of women who bore them and men who remained helpless and silent: stories that continue to repeat because no one knew…...the suffering was silent.
Being a Delhiite, I have personally known many Jyots, and it’s about time their stories are out, beyond homes, neighborhoods, communities.
Manreet bravely strings these stories into this pearl of a book…’The Radiance of a Thousand Suns’.
She beautifully highlights how these women - rich, poor, privileged, unprivileged, orphaned, are all affected by these events and therefore connected with one another.
“A state of permanent pregnancy means that something has not been delivered”- ‘The Radiance of a Thousand Suns’.
Unless these women share their stories, they will not heal and the society will continue to create more of these stories.
‘History repeats itself’ a phrase I heard growing up repeatedly. When there is a radical community-related decision made by politicians, I am reminded of these stories, of women who bore them and men who remained helpless and silent: stories that continue to repeat because no one knew…...the suffering was silent.
August 17, 2019
This book is a breath of fresh air, set against the conventional narration of history that is typically written through the unidimensional perspectives of (primarily male) characters.
It’s hard to put this down as you follow along the journeys of several strong and beautifully written women - through different generations, countries, and most important, the personal journey these women take as they unravel and put themselves back together. That along with the deeply informative historical context, meticulously detailed setups and descriptions, and moments of uplifting humor make this a must-read for anyone who wants a unique interpretation of several momentous events in history.
It’s hard to put this down as you follow along the journeys of several strong and beautifully written women - through different generations, countries, and most important, the personal journey these women take as they unravel and put themselves back together. That along with the deeply informative historical context, meticulously detailed setups and descriptions, and moments of uplifting humor make this a must-read for anyone who wants a unique interpretation of several momentous events in history.
May 24, 2020
The author's ability to write such a beautiful book that captures violent periods in history and of the sacrifices made. I love how the author wrote about the journeys of the women.
September 7, 2019
This book is like Nooran’s bagh, a colourful tapestry of stories, of Nooran’s fearlessness, Zohra Nalwa’s desire to get justice for riot victims, Niki’s feminism and the desire to complete her father’s work, Meher’s innocent adolescence and Jyot’s sacrifice and suffering.
My full review is at
https://undecidedindubai.wordpress.co...
My full review is at
https://undecidedindubai.wordpress.co...
March 4, 2022
There were so many things that I could identify with, even though I am a male. Challenges of growing up in Punjab and even the ones experienced while I was abroad for a few years. This book trumps "A Thousand Splendid Suns" but will never have so many readers because it tells the story of people from a minority community and mistaken identity (abroad). But I wish that there was a more rivetting culmination to cap it off.
July 21, 2019
A multi-decade, multi-continent journey with a range of wonderful characters. A story about the terrible price paid by humanity, especially by women, when the politics of other-ing is played. A thousand glimpses of compassion amidst violence, hope amidst heartbreak.
November 17, 2019
Partition to today - A tale of Strong Women
Excellent book weaving events from before partition to the current day. Shows the strength of women and the influence of events from Partition to the 1984 riots to current day
Excellent book weaving events from before partition to the current day. Shows the strength of women and the influence of events from Partition to the 1984 riots to current day
June 15, 2022
Bad book review - do not recommend. had to give a 1 star based on good reads not giving other options.
I finished this book, in hopes at some point it would get better even though I was disappointed at the use of terminology that in my opinion hurts my sentiments as a Sikh. It did in places accurately depict how Sikhs were targeted and tortured however If you’re going to write a non-fiction novel which touches upon historical events such as; the partition of india in 1947 and the Anti Sikh Genocide of 1984 you need to accurately portray them to a T or if you can’t do that, leave them out entirely.
Here are a few of the issues that I have with the novel:
- referring to Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhinderanwale and Other Shaheed Singhs as terrorists on multiple occasions throughout the book
- Referring to 1984 as “anti-sikh riots” versus, the genocide that it was
- Agreeing that the 1947 divide of India and Pakistan was created based on religion - for India to be a Hindu country, and Pakistan to be a Muslim country - but then somehow saying Sikhs are the problem and labelling them as separatists when we too were promised land & a nation but just were never given it
- Refers to police encounters with Sikh men and how Sikh men went missing and were taken from the streets or homes - however does not clearly indicate that these were fake encounters and completely innocent men were being targeted, but rather states “the tally of dead terrorists mounting”.
- Talks about when Sikhs went to police stations to file reports / seek help they were greeted with empty prisons - and no police officers which is also untrue Sikhs were not helped as it was a systematic genocide and the police was involved in fake encounters and torturing those who complained
- Spreading further hatred saying that our men were being sent to Pakistan to be trained as terrorists and on their return targeted Hindus so that Punjab could be Hindu Free - what utter bullshit - Sikhs believe in the equality of mankind and that each person has the freedom to choose which religion they practice
- States that militants were taking sanctuary in the Golden Temple - so if they were only there why were another 41 Gurdwaras attacked at the same time?
I couldn’t get past the fact that there was no mention of how the government had strategically planned such a genocide and on multiple occasions made it seem like Sikhs were to blame to really care for the rest of the book regardless of if it spoke about how our men were burned alive, women raped and children brutally murdered. The truth is, the book still doesn’t focus on the entire truth and so for that reason I give it a rating of 0 - do not recommend. If you’re writing non-fiction and are going to include a half-assed/ bias version of the history of my people - leave us out.
I finished this book, in hopes at some point it would get better even though I was disappointed at the use of terminology that in my opinion hurts my sentiments as a Sikh. It did in places accurately depict how Sikhs were targeted and tortured however If you’re going to write a non-fiction novel which touches upon historical events such as; the partition of india in 1947 and the Anti Sikh Genocide of 1984 you need to accurately portray them to a T or if you can’t do that, leave them out entirely.
Here are a few of the issues that I have with the novel:
- referring to Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhinderanwale and Other Shaheed Singhs as terrorists on multiple occasions throughout the book
- Referring to 1984 as “anti-sikh riots” versus, the genocide that it was
- Agreeing that the 1947 divide of India and Pakistan was created based on religion - for India to be a Hindu country, and Pakistan to be a Muslim country - but then somehow saying Sikhs are the problem and labelling them as separatists when we too were promised land & a nation but just were never given it
- Refers to police encounters with Sikh men and how Sikh men went missing and were taken from the streets or homes - however does not clearly indicate that these were fake encounters and completely innocent men were being targeted, but rather states “the tally of dead terrorists mounting”.
- Talks about when Sikhs went to police stations to file reports / seek help they were greeted with empty prisons - and no police officers which is also untrue Sikhs were not helped as it was a systematic genocide and the police was involved in fake encounters and torturing those who complained
- Spreading further hatred saying that our men were being sent to Pakistan to be trained as terrorists and on their return targeted Hindus so that Punjab could be Hindu Free - what utter bullshit - Sikhs believe in the equality of mankind and that each person has the freedom to choose which religion they practice
- States that militants were taking sanctuary in the Golden Temple - so if they were only there why were another 41 Gurdwaras attacked at the same time?
I couldn’t get past the fact that there was no mention of how the government had strategically planned such a genocide and on multiple occasions made it seem like Sikhs were to blame to really care for the rest of the book regardless of if it spoke about how our men were burned alive, women raped and children brutally murdered. The truth is, the book still doesn’t focus on the entire truth and so for that reason I give it a rating of 0 - do not recommend. If you’re writing non-fiction and are going to include a half-assed/ bias version of the history of my people - leave us out.
February 9, 2022
Have we ever wondered why a mob has no religion, war is all about men settling scores of varying scales but the price is always paid by the women and children? The cause may be any, but the cost remains the same! It is this suffering borne by the weakest minorities across all socio-economic and religious backgrounds of our society that has been brought to the fore by Manreet Sodhi Someshwar.
I fell in love with Nooran from the very moment she appeared in the book; the positive thinker, the troubleshooter, the brave one who chose to look every trouble in the eye despite having lost everything to a manmade division that divided her country and even her home.
Jyot took time to grow on me but I always knew there is something more than what meets the eye. A woman as kind and giving can't suddenly turn to become a stone-hearted body living her days out, but I had never expected what she had to live through in the end. Having written a book on my own mother (Mother of All Tales), I can't imagine what fear would have given such courage to a mother as mentioned about Jyot.
I would have liked to read more about Roop - the mother who gave birth to the protagonist of this book. I found the grandmother's work on 84 riot victims added as an afterthought. Biji did not need to 'work' to prove her worth as a compassionate, fiery feminist. Mr Malik intrigued me, and what a story that again started with WWII and reached its crescendo in 47!
The interlayering of Mahabharata was interesting and reminded me about '40 rules of love' by Elif Shafak where the concept of love has been explored in such depth in 2 different time frames. I wonder if I would have preferred Manreet to connect with 'Ma Bharat' a little more.
Overall Manreet has captured the haunting lived realities of the politics, partition and hatred really well. She focused on her characters and their stories and I missed connecting with the places she lived in. I like the fact that despite their respective losses, none of the women were 'bechari and lachaar'. They continued to live with grit, even if it grated their souls within somewhere. Would I have enjoyed the book more had it been shorter by about 20-30 pages? Perhaps.
I fell in love with Nooran from the very moment she appeared in the book; the positive thinker, the troubleshooter, the brave one who chose to look every trouble in the eye despite having lost everything to a manmade division that divided her country and even her home.
Jyot took time to grow on me but I always knew there is something more than what meets the eye. A woman as kind and giving can't suddenly turn to become a stone-hearted body living her days out, but I had never expected what she had to live through in the end. Having written a book on my own mother (Mother of All Tales), I can't imagine what fear would have given such courage to a mother as mentioned about Jyot.
I would have liked to read more about Roop - the mother who gave birth to the protagonist of this book. I found the grandmother's work on 84 riot victims added as an afterthought. Biji did not need to 'work' to prove her worth as a compassionate, fiery feminist. Mr Malik intrigued me, and what a story that again started with WWII and reached its crescendo in 47!
The interlayering of Mahabharata was interesting and reminded me about '40 rules of love' by Elif Shafak where the concept of love has been explored in such depth in 2 different time frames. I wonder if I would have preferred Manreet to connect with 'Ma Bharat' a little more.
Overall Manreet has captured the haunting lived realities of the politics, partition and hatred really well. She focused on her characters and their stories and I missed connecting with the places she lived in. I like the fact that despite their respective losses, none of the women were 'bechari and lachaar'. They continued to live with grit, even if it grated their souls within somewhere. Would I have enjoyed the book more had it been shorter by about 20-30 pages? Perhaps.
December 1, 2024
This book has been with me since its publication in 2019, and I finally picked it up. I always say, books choose you—not the other way around.
Initially, I found it challenging to get hooked, but once it took off, I was completely immersed in the storyline. The narrative is beautifully and painfully crafted, set against the backdrop of the 1947 Partition and the 1984 riots. The stark reality hits hard, especially for someone like me who hasn’t delved deeply into these monumental events in our country’s history. Though I wasn’t entirely unaware, this book opened my eyes.
The story revolves around two characters, Jyot and Nikki, whose lives intertwine in profound ways. Watching their journeys unfold is both heartbreaking and heartwarming as the characters grow in their own right. I particularly loved Nooran, another strong, underlying character in the book. In fact, every character resonated with me, becoming a favorite in their own way.
This book moved me to tears, though there were rare moments when it brought a smile to my face. However, the book doesn’t aim to make you smile or entertain you. Its intention is crystal clear—to make you aware of the tragic events that have left scars on the hearts of those who lived through them. For those who are no longer with us, their stories of courage, trauma, guilt, and betrayal remain untold.
Books like these remind you of your privilege and the importance of not sweating the small stuff. Be grateful that you’re not burdened by the legacy of Partition and that you have your family around you.
The author’s research is commendable. The parallels drawn with the Mahabharata, especially with characters like Krishna, Draupadi, and Bhishma, are remarkable. The subtle weaving of these parallels into the narrative adds depth and a logical coherence to the story. It’s truly lovely.
I loved this book. My only critique is that Jyot’s story took too long to unfold. The last few chapters could have been shortened or omitted, as the narrative dragged a bit in the final 50-70 pages. However, this doesn’t diminish the impact of the book, and it still earns a solid 4/5 stars from me.
Initially, I found it challenging to get hooked, but once it took off, I was completely immersed in the storyline. The narrative is beautifully and painfully crafted, set against the backdrop of the 1947 Partition and the 1984 riots. The stark reality hits hard, especially for someone like me who hasn’t delved deeply into these monumental events in our country’s history. Though I wasn’t entirely unaware, this book opened my eyes.
The story revolves around two characters, Jyot and Nikki, whose lives intertwine in profound ways. Watching their journeys unfold is both heartbreaking and heartwarming as the characters grow in their own right. I particularly loved Nooran, another strong, underlying character in the book. In fact, every character resonated with me, becoming a favorite in their own way.
This book moved me to tears, though there were rare moments when it brought a smile to my face. However, the book doesn’t aim to make you smile or entertain you. Its intention is crystal clear—to make you aware of the tragic events that have left scars on the hearts of those who lived through them. For those who are no longer with us, their stories of courage, trauma, guilt, and betrayal remain untold.
Books like these remind you of your privilege and the importance of not sweating the small stuff. Be grateful that you’re not burdened by the legacy of Partition and that you have your family around you.
The author’s research is commendable. The parallels drawn with the Mahabharata, especially with characters like Krishna, Draupadi, and Bhishma, are remarkable. The subtle weaving of these parallels into the narrative adds depth and a logical coherence to the story. It’s truly lovely.
I loved this book. My only critique is that Jyot’s story took too long to unfold. The last few chapters could have been shortened or omitted, as the narrative dragged a bit in the final 50-70 pages. However, this doesn’t diminish the impact of the book, and it still earns a solid 4/5 stars from me.
April 17, 2025
3.5stars.
For a story about the horrors of partition I thought this had a different slant as it delved into the more recent troubles in Punjab in 1984, following the assassination of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. Until recently talking to some new friends from Punjab, I was not aware of the tense situation during the Operation Bluestar. This book brings this to light.
When the story shifts to NYC and Nikki tries to carry on her father’s work I find the tone changed. It seemed to drag out the story, before revealing dark secrets.
For a story about the horrors of partition I thought this had a different slant as it delved into the more recent troubles in Punjab in 1984, following the assassination of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. Until recently talking to some new friends from Punjab, I was not aware of the tense situation during the Operation Bluestar. This book brings this to light.
When the story shifts to NYC and Nikki tries to carry on her father’s work I find the tone changed. It seemed to drag out the story, before revealing dark secrets.
August 31, 2024
This novel belongs in a category of its own – it is a tale of the price women pay by virtue of their sex, an exploration of the history of the Sikh community with a focus on the pivotal events of Partition in 1947 and the anti-Sikh riots in 1984, and a story about a family and the dynamics of religion within a divided subcontinent. As a Sikh woman, I enjoyed this novel on the basis that I’ve never read fiction about my own community and the horrors they have experienced over the past century (though noting the absence of the 1919 massacre). Someshwar’s writing is beautiful; she utilises literary techniques excellently to evoke clear scenes, and I enjoyed how she compared and contrasted Niki’s life in New York with her life in Punjab through her imagery. She framed anti-woman rhetoric in such a way that illustrated how little value is placed on women, and I thought her centring of women within the context of 37 years of violence and discord was unique. In light of the very recent assault and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, twelve years on from the Nirbhaya case, this topic has never been more important.
However, I disagreed with the articulation and politics behind some of her writing and as these appeared fairly close to the beginning of the novel, I was immediately in two minds about how much I was truly enjoying it. I do appreciate that it’s difficult to write something like this without your opinion coming through but I felt quite disillusioned by the characters’ critique of certain historical events without acknowledging their necessity. I could have let that go if it wasn’t for the fact that arrests were discussed without mention of the detained being not guilty and then their extrajudicial killing.
In any case, I would recommend this if you’re unaware of the impact of Partition and 1984 on the Sikh community, but a lot is left untouched so do your research too!
📌 Set in Punjab, India and New York, United States of America against the 20th century relationship between India and the Sikh community.
However, I disagreed with the articulation and politics behind some of her writing and as these appeared fairly close to the beginning of the novel, I was immediately in two minds about how much I was truly enjoying it. I do appreciate that it’s difficult to write something like this without your opinion coming through but I felt quite disillusioned by the characters’ critique of certain historical events without acknowledging their necessity. I could have let that go if it wasn’t for the fact that arrests were discussed without mention of the detained being not guilty and then their extrajudicial killing.
In any case, I would recommend this if you’re unaware of the impact of Partition and 1984 on the Sikh community, but a lot is left untouched so do your research too!
📌 Set in Punjab, India and New York, United States of America against the 20th century relationship between India and the Sikh community.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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