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Wild Boar in the Cane Field
One day, a baby girl, Tara, is found, abandoned and covered in flies. She is raised by two mothers in a community rife with rituals and superstition. As she grows, Tara pursues acceptance at all costs. Saffiya, her adoptive mother, and Bhaggan, Saffiya’s maidservant, are victims of the men in their community, and the two women, in turn, struggle and live short but complicated lives. The only way for the villagers to find solace is through the rituals of ancient belief systems.
Tara lives in a village that could be any village in South Asia, and she dies, like many young women in the area, during childbirth. Her short life is dedicated to her efforts to find happiness, despite the fact that she has no hope of going to school or making any life choices in the feudal, patriarchal world in which she finds herself.
Poignant and compelling, Wild Boar in the Cane Field depicts the tragedy that often characterizes the lives of those who live in South Asia―and demonstrates the heroism we are all capable of even in the face of traumatic realities.
Tara lives in a village that could be any village in South Asia, and she dies, like many young women in the area, during childbirth. Her short life is dedicated to her efforts to find happiness, despite the fact that she has no hope of going to school or making any life choices in the feudal, patriarchal world in which she finds herself.
Poignant and compelling, Wild Boar in the Cane Field depicts the tragedy that often characterizes the lives of those who live in South Asia―and demonstrates the heroism we are all capable of even in the face of traumatic realities.
- GenresFiction
256 pages, Paperback
First published September 17, 2019
3 people are currently reading
936 people want to read
About the author
Anniqua Rana
3 books24 followersAnniqua lives in California with her husband and two sons. When she's not working as an educator in the community college system, she visits her family in Pakistan and England. The rest of the time, she reads, cooks, travels, and enjoys mystical music and poetry and does whatever it takes to keep her grounded and happy.
Her debut novel, Wild Boar in the Cane Field, will be published in September 2019.
Wild Boar in the Cane Field introduces a world of magic realism, in which a fly-covered baby girl, Tara, is found and raised by two mothers in a community rife with rituals and superstition. As she grows, Tara pursues acceptance at all costs. Saffiya, her adoptive mother, and Bhaggan, Saffiya’s maidservant, are victims of the men in their community, and the two women, in turn, struggle and live short but complicated lives. The only way for the villagers to find solace is through the rituals of ancient belief systems.
Tara lives in a village that could be any village in South Asia, and she dies, like many young women in the area, during childbirth. Her short life is dedicated to her efforts to find happiness despite the fact that she has no hope of going to school or making any life choices in the feudal, patriarchal world in which she finds herself.
This novel depicts the tragedy of all the lives in the region and demonstrates the heroism that each person aspires toward despite the traumatic realities they face.
Shanti Sekaran, author of The Prayer Room and Lucky Boy, has this to say about the novel:
“…we are gifted a world that is vibrant and richly imagined. The narrative voice is tender and patient in its portrayal of how tradition touches modernity, how the ancients sway the imaginations of the young.”
And Awais Khan, author of In the Company of Strangers says, “An astonishing novel that transports the reader to rural Pakistan. The author paints a vivid picture that shocks and enthralls. Rural Pakistan is seldom written about and even when it is, the overall effect isn’t convincing, but with a host of unforgettable characters and a gripping plot, Wild Boar in the Cane field towers over other contemporary literature. This is a debut you will fall in love with.”
Chapters from the novel and articles by the author have been published in Noyo River Review, Delay Fiction, International Education, Listening to the Voices, and Naya Daur TV. A chapter has also been performed through Play on Words at the San Jose Museum of Modern Art and another will be performed at Lit Crawl, San Francisco.
Email: anniqurana65 at gmail dot com
Her debut novel, Wild Boar in the Cane Field, will be published in September 2019.
Wild Boar in the Cane Field introduces a world of magic realism, in which a fly-covered baby girl, Tara, is found and raised by two mothers in a community rife with rituals and superstition. As she grows, Tara pursues acceptance at all costs. Saffiya, her adoptive mother, and Bhaggan, Saffiya’s maidservant, are victims of the men in their community, and the two women, in turn, struggle and live short but complicated lives. The only way for the villagers to find solace is through the rituals of ancient belief systems.
Tara lives in a village that could be any village in South Asia, and she dies, like many young women in the area, during childbirth. Her short life is dedicated to her efforts to find happiness despite the fact that she has no hope of going to school or making any life choices in the feudal, patriarchal world in which she finds herself.
This novel depicts the tragedy of all the lives in the region and demonstrates the heroism that each person aspires toward despite the traumatic realities they face.
Shanti Sekaran, author of The Prayer Room and Lucky Boy, has this to say about the novel:
“…we are gifted a world that is vibrant and richly imagined. The narrative voice is tender and patient in its portrayal of how tradition touches modernity, how the ancients sway the imaginations of the young.”
And Awais Khan, author of In the Company of Strangers says, “An astonishing novel that transports the reader to rural Pakistan. The author paints a vivid picture that shocks and enthralls. Rural Pakistan is seldom written about and even when it is, the overall effect isn’t convincing, but with a host of unforgettable characters and a gripping plot, Wild Boar in the Cane field towers over other contemporary literature. This is a debut you will fall in love with.”
Chapters from the novel and articles by the author have been published in Noyo River Review, Delay Fiction, International Education, Listening to the Voices, and Naya Daur TV. A chapter has also been performed through Play on Words at the San Jose Museum of Modern Art and another will be performed at Lit Crawl, San Francisco.
Email: anniqurana65 at gmail dot com
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
October 6, 2019
**ARC received by BookSparks in exchange for an honest review**
“We, the flies, were witness three times. We witnessed Tara’s desertion, and her death, and her rebirth through her daughter, Shahida.”
Wild Boar in the Cane Field, is a debut novel by Anniqua Rana, that sweeps readers to the underprivileged, rural Pakistan. The story portrays the short life of the protagonist, Tara, who’s been abandoned on a train when she was only one week old and then was found and raised by two mothers.
I really liked the author’s narration style - it was so easy and simple and most of the time I felt like I was listening to someone casually talking to me rather than reading sentences in a novel. Also, I think the author did a great job of showing the hardships of going through identity crisis and absolutely loved the vivid scenes of life happening in Punjab.
However, I wasn’t a big fan of this novel. The story had an overall sad heylo around it and I felt drained after I finished it and put it down. The main reason I couldn’t thoroughly enjoy the book was that right from the beginning when I saw the book description by the author, I started reading the book with the end in mind and knew there was no hope at all! I knew the book was a tragedy with an even more tragic ending so I was rather glum reading it from start to finish. On a final note, I'm sure I would have picked up this book to read even if I wasn't provided with an ARC because I just love novels taking place in the Southern Asia, regardless of book description.
“We, the flies, were witness three times. We witnessed Tara’s desertion, and her death, and her rebirth through her daughter, Shahida.”
Wild Boar in the Cane Field, is a debut novel by Anniqua Rana, that sweeps readers to the underprivileged, rural Pakistan. The story portrays the short life of the protagonist, Tara, who’s been abandoned on a train when she was only one week old and then was found and raised by two mothers.
I really liked the author’s narration style - it was so easy and simple and most of the time I felt like I was listening to someone casually talking to me rather than reading sentences in a novel. Also, I think the author did a great job of showing the hardships of going through identity crisis and absolutely loved the vivid scenes of life happening in Punjab.
However, I wasn’t a big fan of this novel. The story had an overall sad heylo around it and I felt drained after I finished it and put it down. The main reason I couldn’t thoroughly enjoy the book was that right from the beginning when I saw the book description by the author, I started reading the book with the end in mind and knew there was no hope at all! I knew the book was a tragedy with an even more tragic ending so I was rather glum reading it from start to finish. On a final note, I'm sure I would have picked up this book to read even if I wasn't provided with an ARC because I just love novels taking place in the Southern Asia, regardless of book description.
July 30, 2019
A brilliant debut, one of the best in recent years. Anniqua Rana's novel sheds light on issues that are routinely swept under the rug in Pakistan. It exposes the poverty-stricken underbelly of Pakistan in a very unique way with believable characters and a magical setting. I remember reading a scene where the protagonist is in the kitchen as a young girl, and that one scene evokes so many feelings! The smell of the food mixed with the overpowering stench of sweat in the punishing heat of summer. Anniqua Rana is a compelling new voice, and I would wholeheartedly recommend this novel!
August 1, 2019
Wild Boar in the Cane Field , a debut novel by Anniqua Rana, is an interesting read. Set in rural Punjab, all the characters are all village folk who do not have the privilege of anything more than a very basic education, yet the themes that come up are anything but pastoral or quaint. Through the actions and thoughts of these semi-literate people, the reader is brought face to face with issues of identity, class, freedom, patriarchy, and discrimination.
Maria wants to knead the dough in her mistress’s kitchen, but isn’t allowed to because her mother is a sweeper and her father cleans the sewers. Somehow the effects of their professions are passed on to their little girl, but this doesn’t dampen Maria’s spirit at all. This is just how things are. Tara, the protagonist, treats her like a younger sister and lets her knead the dough when no one’s looking. Rules are made to be broken, especially if you don’t have a solid family structure to show you how to be. That is Tara’s tragedy.
She doesn’t know who she is and how or where she fits in. Maria is fortunate because she knows exactly where she belongs. The novel is dark and intense, and doesn’t leave you long after you’ve finished the last chapter.
Maria wants to knead the dough in her mistress’s kitchen, but isn’t allowed to because her mother is a sweeper and her father cleans the sewers. Somehow the effects of their professions are passed on to their little girl, but this doesn’t dampen Maria’s spirit at all. This is just how things are. Tara, the protagonist, treats her like a younger sister and lets her knead the dough when no one’s looking. Rules are made to be broken, especially if you don’t have a solid family structure to show you how to be. That is Tara’s tragedy.
She doesn’t know who she is and how or where she fits in. Maria is fortunate because she knows exactly where she belongs. The novel is dark and intense, and doesn’t leave you long after you’ve finished the last chapter.
September 15, 2019
The infusion of South Asian culture was absolutely fascinating to read about. The rituals, customs, and day to day life of Tara and her family and friends was intimate and genuine. In a way, parts of this story reminded me of A Woman is No Man, which I absolutely LOVED. Tara's character was complex, complicated, and so real. I'm sure she is an archetype of a Punjab woman. The themes and topics are heavy and thought-provoking. If you enjoy reading about life in other cultures, you should definitely pick this one up!
August 1, 2019
Just finished reading Anniqua Rana’s debut novel, Wild Boar in the Cane Field. It is a fascinating story not just in the tale she tells, but in the form of the telling. There is the larger narrative which is the main plot of the story, but there are also many conflicting personal narratives just below the surface.
We catch glimpses of these individual narratives throughout the novel giving us a feeling of being on different planes and a being faced with a variety of ‘truths’. Rana captures this reality of life seamlessly, embedding it in the flow of her storytelling. It is a technique which allows the reader to enter a surreal world where a swarm of flies can be the witness to the lives of these village people and Tara, the poor baby girl abandoned on a train in a filthy rag.
We catch glimpses of these individual narratives throughout the novel giving us a feeling of being on different planes and a being faced with a variety of ‘truths’. Rana captures this reality of life seamlessly, embedding it in the flow of her storytelling. It is a technique which allows the reader to enter a surreal world where a swarm of flies can be the witness to the lives of these village people and Tara, the poor baby girl abandoned on a train in a filthy rag.
August 1, 2019
I am in the process of reading it and so far it has been an exceptional read. Very few English language authors have tried to explore rural Punjab and Ms Rana does so brilliantly in her debut novel. A great story telling technique and brilliant depiction of characters.
October 24, 2019
This beautifully written book with its detailed descriptions transported me to a different place and culture while exploring universal themes of power, patriarchy, hope and transcendence. Looking forward to more works from this author.
May 1, 2025
Completely out of my comfort zone, but an intriguing story of life in rural Punjab. It needs to be noted that this book is really sad. The entire story is blanketed with sorrow and despair, void of hope from beginning to end. It does explore interesting topics and offers a look into a culture I’m not familiar with, but it’s probably not something one would want to read when feeling down.
October 2, 2019
2.5 stars
Let me get one warning out of the way right off the bat, this book is very sad. Would not recommend reading it if you’re already feeling down (like I was when I read it, oops!). About halfway through reading this book I added it to my “Currently Reading” tab on Goodreads and found that there was a more complete synopsis there. The back of the book doesn’t have as much info on it. I was upset to see a major spoiler in it (don’t worry I took it out of the synopsis I provided above). So another warning that if you don’t want to know what happens at the end of the book, don’t read the full synopsis on Goodreads.
Wild Boar in the Cane Field is a debut novel by Anniqua Rana that takes us to a village in Pakistan. I really enjoyed reading about a setting and culture that isn’t seen in literature enough. Most of the characters are women with fierce and passionate personalities and the main character, Tara, is the fiercest of them all. We get to experience Tara’s whole life with her adopted family, and one of my favorite parts of the book was watching her grow up from a self-absorbed pre-teen (weren’t we all?) to a strong and independent woman. Tara always questions the norms of her culture’s traditions, which brings up very important topics on feminism throughout the book. I wanted to see Tara break through more chains and stand up for herself more, but it often felt like she just went along with whatever life brought her, rather than taking control over her own life.
Many aspects of this book started out very bland for me in the beginning. I didn’t particularly connect with Tara, so I had a hard time caring about her problems. I felt like the pace of the novel started out slow, and the writing was repetitive and did too much telling instead of showing. All of these aspects improved throughout the novel. Tara showed character growth and I started to root for her happiness. The pacing picked up towards the last 1/3 of the novel, and the writing became beautifully descriptive (where was this before??). Overall, it didn’t take me very long to read, and I am glad I read it, but it did not leave me with any hopeful vibes that I usually look for in a good book. A great book can be sad and still leave you with hope or at least a learned lesson, which I did not feel I got from this book.
Let me get one warning out of the way right off the bat, this book is very sad. Would not recommend reading it if you’re already feeling down (like I was when I read it, oops!). About halfway through reading this book I added it to my “Currently Reading” tab on Goodreads and found that there was a more complete synopsis there. The back of the book doesn’t have as much info on it. I was upset to see a major spoiler in it (don’t worry I took it out of the synopsis I provided above). So another warning that if you don’t want to know what happens at the end of the book, don’t read the full synopsis on Goodreads.
Wild Boar in the Cane Field is a debut novel by Anniqua Rana that takes us to a village in Pakistan. I really enjoyed reading about a setting and culture that isn’t seen in literature enough. Most of the characters are women with fierce and passionate personalities and the main character, Tara, is the fiercest of them all. We get to experience Tara’s whole life with her adopted family, and one of my favorite parts of the book was watching her grow up from a self-absorbed pre-teen (weren’t we all?) to a strong and independent woman. Tara always questions the norms of her culture’s traditions, which brings up very important topics on feminism throughout the book. I wanted to see Tara break through more chains and stand up for herself more, but it often felt like she just went along with whatever life brought her, rather than taking control over her own life.
Many aspects of this book started out very bland for me in the beginning. I didn’t particularly connect with Tara, so I had a hard time caring about her problems. I felt like the pace of the novel started out slow, and the writing was repetitive and did too much telling instead of showing. All of these aspects improved throughout the novel. Tara showed character growth and I started to root for her happiness. The pacing picked up towards the last 1/3 of the novel, and the writing became beautifully descriptive (where was this before??). Overall, it didn’t take me very long to read, and I am glad I read it, but it did not leave me with any hopeful vibes that I usually look for in a good book. A great book can be sad and still leave you with hope or at least a learned lesson, which I did not feel I got from this book.
Read
August 12, 2019Wild Boar in the Cane Field is an incredibly tender depiction of people who are, more often than not, relegated to the periphery of society. The protagonist, Tara, is a foundling; a baby girl abandoned on a train. Raised by two mothers in rural Punjab, she struggles to find a sense of belonging and personal happiness.
While there are no villains or heroes in this novel, unintended events triggered by a decision are sometimes as tragic and intense as any villainous act, and given the meagre opportunities available to this community, their efforts appear even more heroic in context. Bibi Saffiya, her servant Amman Bhaggan with her three sons, and Maria, the daughter of farm laborers, who works for Saffiya, make up the household run by women in a male-dominated society. In addition, there is the village maulvi (local priest) and his wife who, along with the Sain Makhianwala (deceased holy man in his shrine), make up the support system available to this struggling marginalized community. Ancient belief systems intertwine with more recent religious practices giving the villagers much needed support.
Rana has woven universal themes of identity, love, and freedom into the fabric of rural south Asia in a manner that makes the lives of her characters vivid and poignant. In this richly imagined landscape she places characters whose actions shock and enthrall us twice over. First because of the fact that they occur and secondly because given the circumstances we cannot imagine any other way forward. Her use of evocative metaphors creates a world that is simultaneously intense and bleak, reminiscent of the prose of Thomas Hardy and rural England. At the same time, Rana uses magical realism as a technique to carry the reader into a world where the supernatural is a relevant to the lives of its inhabitants as the mundane events of a village. It is this combination of literary styles that creates a unique experience for the reader. This debut novel is a truly authentic depiction of the reality of rural Pakistan.
While there are no villains or heroes in this novel, unintended events triggered by a decision are sometimes as tragic and intense as any villainous act, and given the meagre opportunities available to this community, their efforts appear even more heroic in context. Bibi Saffiya, her servant Amman Bhaggan with her three sons, and Maria, the daughter of farm laborers, who works for Saffiya, make up the household run by women in a male-dominated society. In addition, there is the village maulvi (local priest) and his wife who, along with the Sain Makhianwala (deceased holy man in his shrine), make up the support system available to this struggling marginalized community. Ancient belief systems intertwine with more recent religious practices giving the villagers much needed support.
Rana has woven universal themes of identity, love, and freedom into the fabric of rural south Asia in a manner that makes the lives of her characters vivid and poignant. In this richly imagined landscape she places characters whose actions shock and enthrall us twice over. First because of the fact that they occur and secondly because given the circumstances we cannot imagine any other way forward. Her use of evocative metaphors creates a world that is simultaneously intense and bleak, reminiscent of the prose of Thomas Hardy and rural England. At the same time, Rana uses magical realism as a technique to carry the reader into a world where the supernatural is a relevant to the lives of its inhabitants as the mundane events of a village. It is this combination of literary styles that creates a unique experience for the reader. This debut novel is a truly authentic depiction of the reality of rural Pakistan.
September 14, 2019
This was such a beautiful coming of age story about a girl named Tara. In my mind it was Kite Runner meets Where The Crawdads Sing. Tara is a young girl who was abandoned by her mother as a newborn, and raised by Bibi Saffiya (a wealthy land owner) and Amman Bhaggan (Saffiya's trusty servant).
The story of Tara is all about trying to challenge the norms and find what makes you happy. Tara is not the type of girl to just go along with what she's being told, and is constantly searching for herself.
Wild Boar in the Cane Fields is written in a very nice and full circle way. I was interested the entire time. As this book is based on a different culture than my own, some of the terms used were confusing. I tried my best to search up the meanings of words I didn't understand, but I don't believe that this took away from the enjoyment or message of the book.
Would recommend to anyone who likes books about 'coming of age', female leads, and empowerment.
The story of Tara is all about trying to challenge the norms and find what makes you happy. Tara is not the type of girl to just go along with what she's being told, and is constantly searching for herself.
Wild Boar in the Cane Fields is written in a very nice and full circle way. I was interested the entire time. As this book is based on a different culture than my own, some of the terms used were confusing. I tried my best to search up the meanings of words I didn't understand, but I don't believe that this took away from the enjoyment or message of the book.
Would recommend to anyone who likes books about 'coming of age', female leads, and empowerment.
September 16, 2019
"𝘐 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘶𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪��𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘯."
Wild Boar In The Cane Field is one of those books that transports you to another place and time. Viewing the world through the eyes of a teen girl, Tara, we are introduced to a life and the culture in rural Pakistan. The story follows women who work hard and have survived many heartbreaking struggles. Some of these tough times broke them, while others left them emotionally stronger. A touching story that reminds you that there is beauty in life, but there is also pain and suffering. Sometimes life isn't fair and it isn't what you expected, but you have to keep fighting for yourself.
In stores tomorrow 9/17/2019.
𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘳: 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 Bo𝘰𝘬 S𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.
Wild Boar In The Cane Field is one of those books that transports you to another place and time. Viewing the world through the eyes of a teen girl, Tara, we are introduced to a life and the culture in rural Pakistan. The story follows women who work hard and have survived many heartbreaking struggles. Some of these tough times broke them, while others left them emotionally stronger. A touching story that reminds you that there is beauty in life, but there is also pain and suffering. Sometimes life isn't fair and it isn't what you expected, but you have to keep fighting for yourself.
In stores tomorrow 9/17/2019.
𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘳: 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 Bo𝘰𝘬 S𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.
June 14, 2020
It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel. Well written, with so much attention to detail while making sure the audience is captivated with stories from rural Pakistan. A very true depiction of village life, a girl’s journey in womanhood and finding her roots. Really enjoyed this well composed book.
January 26, 2020
Wild boar in the cane field
By Anniqua Rana
"Even as a child, I wondered how supreme I was, given that our rankings had to do with things over which we had no control. It mattered if we were of a different sex. It mattered if we knew more or less than others. It mattered if we looked a certain way. But most of all, it mattered when we were born and to whom"
Anniqua Rana's melancholic account of a young girls life, her hopes, desires and their futility, make for an intriguing read.
Tara was abandoned in a train, found and raised by two women, a mistress and her servant in rural Pakistan. Her life was confined to the house, the cane fields and the shrine beyond the village.
The book transports the reader deep into the life of rural Pakistan. It portrays the simplicity of rural life, the dependencies on the few friends and neighbors, and the limitations of experiences within those confines. The book touches on topics such as the fate of women in a patriarchal culture and the hold of superstitious beliefs.
It's an poignant tale of a girl who grew up knowing her value only from the perspective of others, never realising her true potential as a person, a story we often see recurring in rural areas.
Anniqua has lent a beautiful voice to this tale, invoking a sense of pathos, with an original storyline and incorporating magical realism into the rural setting where folklore and superstitions have a stronghold even today.
I've recently started a bookstagram account. For more posts and reviews, click on link. Happy reading
https://instagram.com/monarazareviews...
By Anniqua Rana
"Even as a child, I wondered how supreme I was, given that our rankings had to do with things over which we had no control. It mattered if we were of a different sex. It mattered if we knew more or less than others. It mattered if we looked a certain way. But most of all, it mattered when we were born and to whom"
Anniqua Rana's melancholic account of a young girls life, her hopes, desires and their futility, make for an intriguing read.
Tara was abandoned in a train, found and raised by two women, a mistress and her servant in rural Pakistan. Her life was confined to the house, the cane fields and the shrine beyond the village.
The book transports the reader deep into the life of rural Pakistan. It portrays the simplicity of rural life, the dependencies on the few friends and neighbors, and the limitations of experiences within those confines. The book touches on topics such as the fate of women in a patriarchal culture and the hold of superstitious beliefs.
It's an poignant tale of a girl who grew up knowing her value only from the perspective of others, never realising her true potential as a person, a story we often see recurring in rural areas.
Anniqua has lent a beautiful voice to this tale, invoking a sense of pathos, with an original storyline and incorporating magical realism into the rural setting where folklore and superstitions have a stronghold even today.
I've recently started a bookstagram account. For more posts and reviews, click on link. Happy reading
https://instagram.com/monarazareviews...
October 24, 2019
The joy of reading is to see through someone else’s eyes. In Anniqua Rana’s Wild Boar in the Cane Field, we accompany Tara, a young orphan, through her days. She was raised by two women—a rich landowner and her servant—who found her on a train when she was a baby ‘wrapped in rags and covered in flies.’ In the small contained world of her South Asian village and those who live there, Tara works hard and grows. Each long day she moves through the texture, touch, and smells of cleaning, cooking, and caring for the two women. Tara also dreams, small dreams of earrings and movies, and larger dreams of a husband, of excitement. The story is a circle, an embrace, with moments of tenderness and sorrow. It is also a spiral, and the flies that greeted us at the opening lead us to the next step.
September 8, 2019
Before I start into my review, I would like to thank Book Sparks for the opportunity to get a copy of this book and the opportunity to be able to review it.
This book was definitely interesting. Unfortunately, I had a very hard time getting engaged with it. While I did enjoy the story, I found my mind kept wandering and I would have to reread pages in order to remember what I had just read. I greatly enjoyed the dynamics between the different characters. I very much enjoyed the final chapter when a lot of my wanderings were finally answered. However, I do wish that the ending had been different
This book was definitely interesting. Unfortunately, I had a very hard time getting engaged with it. While I did enjoy the story, I found my mind kept wandering and I would have to reread pages in order to remember what I had just read. I greatly enjoyed the dynamics between the different characters. I very much enjoyed the final chapter when a lot of my wanderings were finally answered. However, I do wish that the ending had been different
October 29, 2019
I felt a moment of sadness as I bid farewell to the characters I came to live with for the time I spent reading this book. There is an entire world captured in this book, the beauty of which lies in the structure of its writing. The world is built beautifully -- the complex relationships, the characters' dreams and desires, their insecurities and sense of loss, all of which we experience -- and it is only when we come to know this world and inhabit it fully that we are faced with devastation and abandonment. And it is this abandonment, which hovers throughout the span of the book, that stays.
November 11, 2019
Reading this book, it took me to a place in Pakistan and it opened my eyes to what life is like there.
I was transported to reading through the eyes of a teenage girl, her struggles started when she was left on a train covered in flies, and very malnourished.
This book was beautifully written, what an amazing debut book for the author. I loved it, I can’t wait to read more by her.
I was given this book from Booksparks, for an honest review. Thank you so much!!
I was transported to reading through the eyes of a teenage girl, her struggles started when she was left on a train covered in flies, and very malnourished.
This book was beautifully written, what an amazing debut book for the author. I loved it, I can’t wait to read more by her.
I was given this book from Booksparks, for an honest review. Thank you so much!!
September 23, 2019
Absolutely loved it.
A true un-romanticized version of village life. The land owners sense of entitlement and the helplessness of the serfs depicted so realistically.
A true un-romanticized version of village life. The land owners sense of entitlement and the helplessness of the serfs depicted so realistically.
February 1, 2021
I got this book from a friend's bookshelf, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this debut novel. It reminded me a bit of A Thousand Splendid Suns and the Kite Runner: realistic, harsh, beautiful. The characters are all relatable in different ways, and I love how the story unfolds as memories and in real-time.
October 3, 2024
Set in India wealthy widow and her servant find an abandoned baby on a train and bring her back to the widows home. The servant raises her like a daughter. A tragic story of the young women and the servants three sons. It didn’t end well
December 31, 2020
This beautifully rendered and imaginatively descriptive tale takes the reader to a place likely few have visited. Highly recommended.
November 25, 2019
I loved the idea of blatantly owning that this story does not have a happy ending in the synopsis. This girl begins and ends life alone, the story line itself was great, but the delivery is what held this back for me. It's hard to get into a story when you constantly have to stop and look things up or reread sections to see if you could pick up context. There were so many references to things I was unfamiliar with and in most cases they were back to back with one another so there was no context to pick up on so I had to stop and it broke up the story. I've read many stories like this and usually in the beginning chapters it will over define terms to make sure the reader is on the same page, but this one just jumped straight and it took several chapters to really get familiar with all the references to focus back in on the story.
November 18, 2019
It was a simply written but vivid description of rural village life. It was sad from start to finish. However, I couldn’t quite grapple with her artistic choice with the ending.
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