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The Book of Everlasting Things
On a January morning in 1938, Samir Vij first locks eyes with Firdaus Khan through the rows of perfume bottles in his family’s ittar shop in Lahore. Over the years that follow, the perfumer’s apprentice and calligrapher’s apprentice fall in love with their ancient crafts and with each other, dreaming of the life they will one day share. But as the struggle for Indian independence gathers force, their beloved city is ravaged by Partition. Suddenly, they find themselves on opposite sides: Samir, a Hindu, becomes Indian and Firdaus, a Muslim, becomes Pakistani, their love now forbidden. Severed from one another, Samir and Firdaus make a series of fateful decisions that will change the course of their lives forever. As their paths spiral away from each other, they must each decide how much of the past they are willing to let go, and what it will cost them.
Lush, sensuous, and deeply romantic, The Book of Everlasting Things is the story of two lovers and two nations, split apart by forces beyond their control, yet bound by love and memory. Filled with exquisite descriptions of perfume and calligraphy, spanning continents and generations, Aanchal Malhotra’s debut novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.
Lush, sensuous, and deeply romantic, The Book of Everlasting Things is the story of two lovers and two nations, split apart by forces beyond their control, yet bound by love and memory. Filled with exquisite descriptions of perfume and calligraphy, spanning continents and generations, Aanchal Malhotra’s debut novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.
482 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 27, 2022
528 people are currently reading
21012 people want to read
About the author
Aanchal Malhotra
8 books514 followersAanchal Malhotra is a writer and oral historian from New Delhi. She is the co-founder of the Museum of Material Memory, and the author of two critically acclaimed books, Remnants of a Separation and In the Language of Remembering, that explore the human history and generational impact of the 1947 Partition. The Book of Everlasting Things is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 692 reviews
December 9, 2025
no one can say i haven't tried to like historical fiction.
but it turns out that's not the same as actually liking it.
this is just not my type of book, sorry. (i guess unsurprising, since i didn't pick it — it was for a substack post in which i let you guys choose my reads.)
sweeping dramas tend to frustrate me. i don't even understand why the crush two teenagers had on each other had the staying power it takes to last 70 years, let alone why these two had to dedicate their lives to making not only themselves but everyone around them miserable over it.
sorry but...we have agency. pick up a pen. send a text.
i know i'm being cavalier, but i struggled with the way emotions are conveyed in this book, and that is a core issue. two unrelated characters have the exact same reaction to parallel situations, for example. we are told, "he was sad," for another, more often than we are shown sadness.
there are things i liked about this — the things i learned about this history, and about, randomly, perfume (even if both were through info-dumps) — but they weren't what i would have needed to fall in love with it.
and the ending killed any chance of that anyway.
bottom line: i could not have tried harder to like this book i would have never read by my own choosing.
but it turns out that's not the same as actually liking it.
this is just not my type of book, sorry. (i guess unsurprising, since i didn't pick it — it was for a substack post in which i let you guys choose my reads.)
sweeping dramas tend to frustrate me. i don't even understand why the crush two teenagers had on each other had the staying power it takes to last 70 years, let alone why these two had to dedicate their lives to making not only themselves but everyone around them miserable over it.
sorry but...we have agency. pick up a pen. send a text.
i know i'm being cavalier, but i struggled with the way emotions are conveyed in this book, and that is a core issue. two unrelated characters have the exact same reaction to parallel situations, for example. we are told, "he was sad," for another, more often than we are shown sadness.
there are things i liked about this — the things i learned about this history, and about, randomly, perfume (even if both were through info-dumps) — but they weren't what i would have needed to fall in love with it.
and the ending killed any chance of that anyway.
bottom line: i could not have tried harder to like this book i would have never read by my own choosing.
January 5, 2023
In a Nutshell: An epic romantic drama spanning decades, focussing on two characters whose lives were upended by the 1947 partition of India & Pakistan. Expected more focus on the partition, but this remains character-oriented than country-oriented. Nevertheless, an interesting read.
Story Synopsis:
I had heard a lot about acclaimed writer-historian Aanchal Malhotra’s ‘Remnants of a Separation: A History of the Partition through Material Memory’ and have been meaning to read it since ages. But when I saw that she has written her first fiction novel set around the Indo-Pak partition, I knew I had to give it a try. Reading a fictional work written by a historian has plenty of pros and plenty of cons as well.
Where the book worked for me:
😍 I learnt a lot about perfumery (and ittar-making) and calligraphy, and when I say a lot, I mean A LOT!
😍 If you are a historical fiction reader, you might have read plenty of stories about European experiences during WWI or WWII. But hardly anyone knows that Indian soldiers (referred to as the ‘British Indian Army’ under the colonial rule) played a massive role in both the wars. This book finally highlights that “we were also there”. We were also killed. We also suffered. And it wasn’t even our war! While this wasn’t the primary focus of the story, it still gets enough attention, and I appreciate the inclusion and that line: “We were also there”.
😍 Though the details of the partition weren’t as extensive as I had expected, the pain comes out clearly nonetheless. This isn’t the best book I have read about our country’s forced split, but it is among the better ones. I applaud the author’s decision to present both sides of the story (Hindu & Muslim) without siding with either.
😍 The characters are sketched very realistically. None of them are perfect but almost real human beings with their delicate egos and their blatant flaws. There are plenty of memorable secondary characters.
😍 Though I still refuse to accept that a ten-year-old boy and an eight-year-old girl can have an instant romantic connect, the rest of the relationship between Samir and Firdaus is developed nicely. I love their closeness, their rapport, and their sacrifices for each other. The first two sections are focussed on them, and these were easily the best sections of the book.
😍 The historical depiction of Lahore seems spot on. The city is described in such wonderful detail that I could almost picture it before my eyes. The advantage of having a historian as an author is that the accuracy is reliable and believable.
😍 The prose is lyrical and mesmerising. The author has a knack for stringing words beautifully, and there are plenty of quotable quotes. There are also many Hindi words and phrases, but these are explained well or are guessable from context.
Where the book could have worked better for me:
💔 The disadvantage of having a historian as an author is that there are way too many historical data incorporated in the story, whether they are necessary to the plot or not. Having some data helps, but when random characters start spouting random data, it seems extraneous.
💔 I thought that this was a story about the partition. However, a great chunk of the initial buildup is towards the romance between Samir and Firdaus. Then there are a few chapters on the partition itself, and the rest is about the characters’ lives much after the partition. I guess calling this a family epic or a historical romance would be more accurate than assuming it to be partition literature.
💔 The middle section of the book is too repetitive. Characters seem to say and think the same thing over and over again. Oh, the number of times there is a reference to “pistachio eyes”! It is so irritating after a while!
The audiobook experience:
The audiobook, clocking at 17hrs 22 min, is narrated by Deepti Gupta. I have heard plenty of audiobooks narrated by Indian origin narrators but this is the first time I felt like I was listening to an Indian. Her voice took a while to grow on me, but after a while, I got into the groove. Furthermore, there are plenty of French lines in the plot, and Gupta handles them equally well. Her male voices weren’t too friendly on my ears, but otherwise, she put up a pretty good performance. I would surely recommend the audio version, especially as the book is quite ponderous in between.
PS: I can't tell you how thrilled I was to hear Indian introductory music at the start and the end of the audiobook. Such small touches make such a big difference to our experience.
All in all, this is a book that goes much beyond what it promises – it covers partition, history, romance, tragedy, family relationships, PTSD,… This isn’t necessarily a good thing. In attempting so much, I feel that it lost its core focal point. I have seen this happen with many debut authors; they want to include every topic under the sun into their first book itself. Why? Keep some themes in stock for your next work!
It is still a good enough book, but it could have been marvellous had it been finetuned and all the superfluous arcs had been edited away. I did learn a lot about our history; it just wasn’t the kind of history I expected to learn!
Recommended to those looking for an authentic Indian historical fiction, a story of a tragic relationship, and a glimpse of the Indo-Pak ethos of the era. Not recommended if you want “romantic romance” or a detailed look at the post-partition violence.
3.5 stars, rounding up for the audio version.
My thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “The Book of Everlasting Things”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.
———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Facebook | Twitter
Story Synopsis:
When ten-year-old trainee perfumer Samir Vig met eight-year-old trainee calligrapher Firdaus Khan in Lahore in 1938, there was an instant connection between them. About a decade later, Samir and Firdaus are hoping for a beautiful future together when there’s devastating news: the British are finally leaving India, but the country is to be divided into India and Pakistan. At first, no one knows where Lahore will end up as it has a Hindu-majority population. But once the new borders become known, the battle lines between old friends are drawn. Caught in the religious and political melee are the two young lovers. Destiny takes them away from each other, and only time can tell if they will meet again.
The story spans multiple countries and almost eight decades.
I had heard a lot about acclaimed writer-historian Aanchal Malhotra’s ‘Remnants of a Separation: A History of the Partition through Material Memory’ and have been meaning to read it since ages. But when I saw that she has written her first fiction novel set around the Indo-Pak partition, I knew I had to give it a try. Reading a fictional work written by a historian has plenty of pros and plenty of cons as well.
Where the book worked for me:
😍 I learnt a lot about perfumery (and ittar-making) and calligraphy, and when I say a lot, I mean A LOT!
😍 If you are a historical fiction reader, you might have read plenty of stories about European experiences during WWI or WWII. But hardly anyone knows that Indian soldiers (referred to as the ‘British Indian Army’ under the colonial rule) played a massive role in both the wars. This book finally highlights that “we were also there”. We were also killed. We also suffered. And it wasn’t even our war! While this wasn’t the primary focus of the story, it still gets enough attention, and I appreciate the inclusion and that line: “We were also there”.
😍 Though the details of the partition weren’t as extensive as I had expected, the pain comes out clearly nonetheless. This isn’t the best book I have read about our country’s forced split, but it is among the better ones. I applaud the author’s decision to present both sides of the story (Hindu & Muslim) without siding with either.
😍 The characters are sketched very realistically. None of them are perfect but almost real human beings with their delicate egos and their blatant flaws. There are plenty of memorable secondary characters.
😍 Though I still refuse to accept that a ten-year-old boy and an eight-year-old girl can have an instant romantic connect, the rest of the relationship between Samir and Firdaus is developed nicely. I love their closeness, their rapport, and their sacrifices for each other. The first two sections are focussed on them, and these were easily the best sections of the book.
😍 The historical depiction of Lahore seems spot on. The city is described in such wonderful detail that I could almost picture it before my eyes. The advantage of having a historian as an author is that the accuracy is reliable and believable.
😍 The prose is lyrical and mesmerising. The author has a knack for stringing words beautifully, and there are plenty of quotable quotes. There are also many Hindi words and phrases, but these are explained well or are guessable from context.
Where the book could have worked better for me:
💔 The disadvantage of having a historian as an author is that there are way too many historical data incorporated in the story, whether they are necessary to the plot or not. Having some data helps, but when random characters start spouting random data, it seems extraneous.
💔 I thought that this was a story about the partition. However, a great chunk of the initial buildup is towards the romance between Samir and Firdaus. Then there are a few chapters on the partition itself, and the rest is about the characters’ lives much after the partition. I guess calling this a family epic or a historical romance would be more accurate than assuming it to be partition literature.
💔 The middle section of the book is too repetitive. Characters seem to say and think the same thing over and over again. Oh, the number of times there is a reference to “pistachio eyes”! It is so irritating after a while!
The audiobook experience:
The audiobook, clocking at 17hrs 22 min, is narrated by Deepti Gupta. I have heard plenty of audiobooks narrated by Indian origin narrators but this is the first time I felt like I was listening to an Indian. Her voice took a while to grow on me, but after a while, I got into the groove. Furthermore, there are plenty of French lines in the plot, and Gupta handles them equally well. Her male voices weren’t too friendly on my ears, but otherwise, she put up a pretty good performance. I would surely recommend the audio version, especially as the book is quite ponderous in between.
PS: I can't tell you how thrilled I was to hear Indian introductory music at the start and the end of the audiobook. Such small touches make such a big difference to our experience.
All in all, this is a book that goes much beyond what it promises – it covers partition, history, romance, tragedy, family relationships, PTSD,… This isn’t necessarily a good thing. In attempting so much, I feel that it lost its core focal point. I have seen this happen with many debut authors; they want to include every topic under the sun into their first book itself. Why? Keep some themes in stock for your next work!
It is still a good enough book, but it could have been marvellous had it been finetuned and all the superfluous arcs had been edited away. I did learn a lot about our history; it just wasn’t the kind of history I expected to learn!
Recommended to those looking for an authentic Indian historical fiction, a story of a tragic relationship, and a glimpse of the Indo-Pak ethos of the era. Not recommended if you want “romantic romance” or a detailed look at the post-partition violence.
3.5 stars, rounding up for the audio version.
My thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “The Book of Everlasting Things”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.
———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Facebook | Twitter
February 20, 2023
The Book of Everlasting Things by Aanchal Malhotra was both a moving historical fiction novel and a heartbreaking romance story that spanned decades. It took place in Hindustan in a city called Lahore where Hindus, Muslims and all religious sects lived side by side in harmony. These people of different religious groups worked along side one another and frequented each other’s shops. There was a coexistence that was treated with respect by all that lived in Lahore. That peaceful coexistence lasted until 1947. Leading up to that time, Muslims started to become increasingly vocal and insistent about establishing their own country that they would call Pakistan. No one knew exactly where Pakistan would be situated but the Muslims were determined to establish their own country free of Hindu people. In 1947, The Partition occurred. After much destruction, looting, fires, violence and deaths, a separate Pakistan and India were established. Aanchai Malhotra vividly described the unrest that preceded The Partition and even the skepticism and disbelief that some felt about it. I had no prior knowledge about this historic event even though I had read several books that portrayed the friction between the Hindu people and Muslims. What a time of upheaval and loss on both sides! The city of Lahore was ravaged by The Partition. I listened to the audiobook that was brilliantly narrated by Deepti Gupta.
The Vij family had lived in Lahore for many generations. They owned and operated a clothing and textile business that was quite successful until the start of World War I. Vivik, the eldest son of the Vij family, decided to join the war and fight for the British. He was anxious to leave Lahore and seek adventure. His family tried to persuade Vivik to change his mind but their efforts fell on deaf ears. It was years before Vivik returned to Lahore. There had been little correspondence between Vivik and his family while he fought in the war. When Avik finally returned, he was a changed man. He never shared any details about his time that he was away with anyone. Avik remained solitary and avoided all festivities, large gatherings and loud noises. Then months after Avik returned home he suggested that the family abandon their clothing and textile business that was failing and open up an Ittar (perfume) shop. Avik soon discovered that his younger brother’s son, Samir, had an extraordinary sense of smell so Avik commissioned Samir to become his apprentice in the perfume shop. Samir was ten years old. On a morning in 1938, after Samir had been his uncle’s apprentice for a while, the Khan family entered the perfume shop. The Khan family were calligraphers and they were looking for a perfume to scent their papers. Nine year old, Firdaus was her father’s apprentice in their calligraphy business. While Firdaus’s father conducted business with Samir’s uncle Firdaus wandered through the shop until she locked her pistachio eyes on Samir. There was an instant connection between the two that over the years cultivated into such a strong love for one another. It did not matter that Samir was Hindu and Firdaus was Muslim until The Partition. When Samir’s entire family was killed as a result of The Partition he went to Firdaus and her family but he was no longer welcomed and he was sent away. Firdaus denied Samir her love and he was sent away. What would happen to Samir? He had lost his entire family and the only home he ever knew. Where would he go? Would he ever get over Firdaus’s rejection of him? Could he forget about Firdaus over time or would she forever haunt his thoughts and dreams?
The Book of Everlasting Things by Aanchal Malhotra was her debut novel. Her prose was almost lyrical. The research for The Book of Everlasting Things was impeccable. I was immediately drawn into the story of this multi-generational saga. The art of perfumery was fascinating to learn about as well. The Book of Everlasting Things was about discovery, love, customs, tragedy, loss, culture and history. There were five parts to The Book of Everlasting Things. It was a rather long audiobook ( 17 hours and 22 minutes) but I was so invested in the story that I didn’t seem to mind. The Book of Everlasting Things was well plotted and the characters were well developed, endearing and believable for the most part. I really enjoyed listening to The Book of Everlasting Things and I highly recommend it. Publication was December 27, 2022.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of The Book of Everlasting Things by Aanchal Malhotra through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Vij family had lived in Lahore for many generations. They owned and operated a clothing and textile business that was quite successful until the start of World War I. Vivik, the eldest son of the Vij family, decided to join the war and fight for the British. He was anxious to leave Lahore and seek adventure. His family tried to persuade Vivik to change his mind but their efforts fell on deaf ears. It was years before Vivik returned to Lahore. There had been little correspondence between Vivik and his family while he fought in the war. When Avik finally returned, he was a changed man. He never shared any details about his time that he was away with anyone. Avik remained solitary and avoided all festivities, large gatherings and loud noises. Then months after Avik returned home he suggested that the family abandon their clothing and textile business that was failing and open up an Ittar (perfume) shop. Avik soon discovered that his younger brother’s son, Samir, had an extraordinary sense of smell so Avik commissioned Samir to become his apprentice in the perfume shop. Samir was ten years old. On a morning in 1938, after Samir had been his uncle’s apprentice for a while, the Khan family entered the perfume shop. The Khan family were calligraphers and they were looking for a perfume to scent their papers. Nine year old, Firdaus was her father’s apprentice in their calligraphy business. While Firdaus’s father conducted business with Samir’s uncle Firdaus wandered through the shop until she locked her pistachio eyes on Samir. There was an instant connection between the two that over the years cultivated into such a strong love for one another. It did not matter that Samir was Hindu and Firdaus was Muslim until The Partition. When Samir’s entire family was killed as a result of The Partition he went to Firdaus and her family but he was no longer welcomed and he was sent away. Firdaus denied Samir her love and he was sent away. What would happen to Samir? He had lost his entire family and the only home he ever knew. Where would he go? Would he ever get over Firdaus’s rejection of him? Could he forget about Firdaus over time or would she forever haunt his thoughts and dreams?
The Book of Everlasting Things by Aanchal Malhotra was her debut novel. Her prose was almost lyrical. The research for The Book of Everlasting Things was impeccable. I was immediately drawn into the story of this multi-generational saga. The art of perfumery was fascinating to learn about as well. The Book of Everlasting Things was about discovery, love, customs, tragedy, loss, culture and history. There were five parts to The Book of Everlasting Things. It was a rather long audiobook ( 17 hours and 22 minutes) but I was so invested in the story that I didn’t seem to mind. The Book of Everlasting Things was well plotted and the characters were well developed, endearing and believable for the most part. I really enjoyed listening to The Book of Everlasting Things and I highly recommend it. Publication was December 27, 2022.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of The Book of Everlasting Things by Aanchal Malhotra through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 23, 2022
**ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review**
Lets get this out of the way - I usually do not appreciate books that explore persistent grief and arrested development. I find constant focusing on the past and inability to move on repetitive and boring and sadly solid chunk of this book focuses on exactly that.
The Book of Everlasting Things follows life of Samir Vij - a boy that was born with very sensitive nose - and is split into 5 parts. First 2 parts are absolutely delightful and quickly drew me into the life on Anarkali Bazaar in Lahore. Descriptions of smell and how Samir was growing up and exploring the world of perfume were so vivid and sensual that they made me want to buy another fragrance (would totally go into sandalwood now). There are a lot of micro-tales inserted into the plot that paint Lahore in fascinating colors and have sent me on some very satisfactory internet searches. Samir himself was quite difficult for me to understand since his world is dominated by the scent but I was still liking him a lot. Unfortunately, first discordant note in this otherwise quite enjoyable book happened when Firdaus entered Samir's life and from there it went downhill for me.
When reading the synopsis of this book I was hoping that Samir and Firdaus will get the same amount of focus but unfortunately thats not the case here. Its a story about Samir and partially his uncle Vivek while Firdaus is just this vague person that is being loved for no apparent reason other than smelling in certain way. I do get the fact that the love between Samir (Hindu) and Firdaus (Muslim) is used as a parallel of the relationship between India and Pakistan but its executed rather poorly and made me question if the romance part of this book was really as star-crossed as the blurb made it sound to be. When it comes to describing the Partition (separation of Pakistan and India) I feel like there were not enough information of what was happening and why, flattening the whole conflict to the simple difference of "you are muslim and we are not" and I found it rather disappointing. So the unthinkable happens, riots and rising tension strips Samir of everything and he flees to Europe to put some distance between his trauma and himself. And thats the part I found quite boring.
Samir experienced severe psychological damage and that renders him unable to move on so for the rest 250+ pages you will observe him obsessing about the past and thinking only about the people that are gone. There are some intriguing pieces here and there (following his uncle Vivek memoirs about fighting in France during the First World War, creating new perfumes itp) that helped me slog through this story so in the end I was quite relieved when I finished this book.
And let me tell you this: aching for a lover that you have not seen for more than a decade is not romantic. It's unhealthy.
Lets get this out of the way - I usually do not appreciate books that explore persistent grief and arrested development. I find constant focusing on the past and inability to move on repetitive and boring and sadly solid chunk of this book focuses on exactly that.
The Book of Everlasting Things follows life of Samir Vij - a boy that was born with very sensitive nose - and is split into 5 parts. First 2 parts are absolutely delightful and quickly drew me into the life on Anarkali Bazaar in Lahore. Descriptions of smell and how Samir was growing up and exploring the world of perfume were so vivid and sensual that they made me want to buy another fragrance (would totally go into sandalwood now). There are a lot of micro-tales inserted into the plot that paint Lahore in fascinating colors and have sent me on some very satisfactory internet searches. Samir himself was quite difficult for me to understand since his world is dominated by the scent but I was still liking him a lot. Unfortunately, first discordant note in this otherwise quite enjoyable book happened when Firdaus entered Samir's life and from there it went downhill for me.
When reading the synopsis of this book I was hoping that Samir and Firdaus will get the same amount of focus but unfortunately thats not the case here. Its a story about Samir and partially his uncle Vivek while Firdaus is just this vague person that is being loved for no apparent reason other than smelling in certain way. I do get the fact that the love between Samir (Hindu) and Firdaus (Muslim) is used as a parallel of the relationship between India and Pakistan but its executed rather poorly and made me question if the romance part of this book was really as star-crossed as the blurb made it sound to be. When it comes to describing the Partition (separation of Pakistan and India) I feel like there were not enough information of what was happening and why, flattening the whole conflict to the simple difference of "you are muslim and we are not" and I found it rather disappointing. So the unthinkable happens, riots and rising tension strips Samir of everything and he flees to Europe to put some distance between his trauma and himself. And thats the part I found quite boring.
Samir experienced severe psychological damage and that renders him unable to move on so for the rest 250+ pages you will observe him obsessing about the past and thinking only about the people that are gone. There are some intriguing pieces here and there (following his uncle Vivek memoirs about fighting in France during the First World War, creating new perfumes itp) that helped me slog through this story so in the end I was quite relieved when I finished this book.
And let me tell you this: aching for a lover that you have not seen for more than a decade is not romantic. It's unhealthy.
December 16, 2024
Interesting novel about the Partition of India, with themes of romance and separation, borders and nationalism, and how individual relationships are subject to greater societal forces. I can see why people who enjoy prose that engages with the senses would like The Book of Everlasting Things. Unfortunately for me the writing style was a bit too run-on and the characters a little too flat for me to immerse myself in the book. Still, appreciate this book for covering a subject that does not receive enough attention.
June 20, 2022
India, in 1937, Samir begins his apprentice at ittar shop in Lahore. His uncle, Vivek, is a perfumer and sees the boy’s extraordinary gift for sense of smell. He takes Samir to different places to learn the whole prospect of the business. Along the way revealing the art of distillation, history of flowers and its scent, knowledge of ingredients.
One day, a family of Khans arrives at the shop and makes an offer. Altof Khan is skilled in calligraphy and he wanted his daughter, Firdaus, to learn this ancient art as well. He offers a label inscribed by Altaf and illuminated by Firdaus in exchange for a battle of special fragrance. And with the story of this family, the beautiful art of calligraphy is woven.
As the Great War rages in Europe, in Lahore, there is a talk of separate state. How will it affect the people of different religions? The rift between people begins to surface, when the Muslim seller refuses to sell fruit to the Hindu priest.
The two young people, Samir and Firdaus, as they continue study their ancients crafts, their paths constantly cross, and feelings develop between them. But then, when Partition happens of their city, Hindu Samir becomes Indian and Muslim Firdaus becomes Pakistani.
The story has a spellbinding feel, which is given by the art of perfumery and calligraphy. I was engrossed by it at first. After about 30% my interested started waning as the story wasn’t making much progression. As much as I love character driven stories and this magical feel of perfumery and calligraphy, I slowly started disconnecting from the story as at some points it started having that feel of repetition when I wanted the story to progress. I’m also familiar with the conflict presented in this story, so maybe it was another reason that it didn’t engross me fully to the end to find out what happens next. And personally, I’m not into love stories, and that’s another aspect that can keep your interest if you like love stories.
I still highly recommend this book as it does have that magical feel.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
One day, a family of Khans arrives at the shop and makes an offer. Altof Khan is skilled in calligraphy and he wanted his daughter, Firdaus, to learn this ancient art as well. He offers a label inscribed by Altaf and illuminated by Firdaus in exchange for a battle of special fragrance. And with the story of this family, the beautiful art of calligraphy is woven.
As the Great War rages in Europe, in Lahore, there is a talk of separate state. How will it affect the people of different religions? The rift between people begins to surface, when the Muslim seller refuses to sell fruit to the Hindu priest.
The two young people, Samir and Firdaus, as they continue study their ancients crafts, their paths constantly cross, and feelings develop between them. But then, when Partition happens of their city, Hindu Samir becomes Indian and Muslim Firdaus becomes Pakistani.
The story has a spellbinding feel, which is given by the art of perfumery and calligraphy. I was engrossed by it at first. After about 30% my interested started waning as the story wasn’t making much progression. As much as I love character driven stories and this magical feel of perfumery and calligraphy, I slowly started disconnecting from the story as at some points it started having that feel of repetition when I wanted the story to progress. I’m also familiar with the conflict presented in this story, so maybe it was another reason that it didn’t engross me fully to the end to find out what happens next. And personally, I’m not into love stories, and that’s another aspect that can keep your interest if you like love stories.
I still highly recommend this book as it does have that magical feel.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 29, 2024
A feast of history, love and scent.
Our star-crossed lovers are the Muslim daughter of a calligrapher and the Hindu nephew of a parfumeur. Against the backdrop of the Partition, and the birth of Pakistan, their families are torn apart, and each lover has to find a new path in a new country.
The author is a historian and is able to paint her locations vividly and intimately.
In the same vein as Perfume, the body of different scents are dissected, examined and displayed with reverence. (Think less murdery psycho vibes and more romantic long lost love energy).
“And just as Firdaus was committing these beauty spots to memory, Samir looked up, catching her eye. Even with eyes closed Samir would have discerned her presence, for her smell had become imprinted in his memory. As he sat in the calligraphy studio the fragrance of rose with orange peel and creamy milk would waft up to him. The pungent gram flower, the unusual vanilla and smoky substance…Often when he returned to the ittar shop, after the lesson, he’d gather the ingredients that reminded him of Firdaus’ scent and inhale them one by one.”
This book is at heart a story about love. At surface level it is deeply sad that Firdaus and Samir long for each other for decades, and that their love is never extinguished. It makes for a great story but in reality they (especially Samir) waste years and subsequent loves, never fully able to stay present to the life and family in front of them.
If you like learning about history through historical fiction, and you are enthralled by an author’s attempts to bring to life a sense through words, this book is for you.
Our star-crossed lovers are the Muslim daughter of a calligrapher and the Hindu nephew of a parfumeur. Against the backdrop of the Partition, and the birth of Pakistan, their families are torn apart, and each lover has to find a new path in a new country.
The author is a historian and is able to paint her locations vividly and intimately.
In the same vein as Perfume, the body of different scents are dissected, examined and displayed with reverence. (Think less murdery psycho vibes and more romantic long lost love energy).
“And just as Firdaus was committing these beauty spots to memory, Samir looked up, catching her eye. Even with eyes closed Samir would have discerned her presence, for her smell had become imprinted in his memory. As he sat in the calligraphy studio the fragrance of rose with orange peel and creamy milk would waft up to him. The pungent gram flower, the unusual vanilla and smoky substance…Often when he returned to the ittar shop, after the lesson, he’d gather the ingredients that reminded him of Firdaus’ scent and inhale them one by one.”
This book is at heart a story about love. At surface level it is deeply sad that Firdaus and Samir long for each other for decades, and that their love is never extinguished. It makes for a great story but in reality they (especially Samir) waste years and subsequent loves, never fully able to stay present to the life and family in front of them.
If you like learning about history through historical fiction, and you are enthralled by an author’s attempts to bring to life a sense through words, this book is for you.
April 14, 2024
https://www.instagram.com/p/CxIvy8drX...
A rich saga of enduring love and artistic pursuit. Lush and all encompassing, this novel is journey into the essence of not only perfume and calligraphy, but the senses as a whole; how our experiences color our perception of art and our surroundings, how our memories and desires take physical shape, how our secrets are laid bare in the art we create, the silent words that exist in a scent, a line, a hand reaching to the night breeze. This is a highly detailed account of the consequences of political division, the pain of separation, and the lives we build after tragedy; it is a testimony to the idea that although things may not happen in the way we want, although we may loose a great love, everything will come together in the most unexpected of ways. A rewarding, heartrending read that pulses with tangible descriptions and emotions.
A rich saga of enduring love and artistic pursuit. Lush and all encompassing, this novel is journey into the essence of not only perfume and calligraphy, but the senses as a whole; how our experiences color our perception of art and our surroundings, how our memories and desires take physical shape, how our secrets are laid bare in the art we create, the silent words that exist in a scent, a line, a hand reaching to the night breeze. This is a highly detailed account of the consequences of political division, the pain of separation, and the lives we build after tragedy; it is a testimony to the idea that although things may not happen in the way we want, although we may loose a great love, everything will come together in the most unexpected of ways. A rewarding, heartrending read that pulses with tangible descriptions and emotions.
January 8, 2023
My seventh book of the year and I'm already floored by the beauty a single text can hold.
...history was never just about the events that had once transpired. It was also about who narrated the events and who heard them; who wielded time, fashioned the years, lived, or resisted them; and who ultimately was bequeathed the archive. (286)
The Book of Everlasting Things considers the human cost of the Partition. Decisions that seem political, perhaps economic or geographical, have a human cost, and Malhotra weighs the balance in her exquisite debut novel. She considers two families whose adherence to ancient arts bring them into friendship, crossing religious boundaries. Choices make our lives as much as our personal histories, and the legacies gifted us in our DNA, and the characters of this book live in this complex world of nature and nurture.
I loved every second of reading this masterful book. Its emotional power is equalled only by its immaculately wrought setting. The Book of Everlasting Things checked all of my boxes with its premise alone, but it exceeded my internal hype. Malhotra writes beautifully, because this is not her first book though it is her first novel. I am intrigued by the oral history and work with material culture that she has done elsewhere. In many ways those interests made this book, though I never felt she was petting her favorite topics at the expense of the story. The Book of Everlasting Things is a treasure to cherish for generations.
...history was never just about the events that had once transpired. It was also about who narrated the events and who heard them; who wielded time, fashioned the years, lived, or resisted them; and who ultimately was bequeathed the archive. (286)
The Book of Everlasting Things considers the human cost of the Partition. Decisions that seem political, perhaps economic or geographical, have a human cost, and Malhotra weighs the balance in her exquisite debut novel. She considers two families whose adherence to ancient arts bring them into friendship, crossing religious boundaries. Choices make our lives as much as our personal histories, and the legacies gifted us in our DNA, and the characters of this book live in this complex world of nature and nurture.
I loved every second of reading this masterful book. Its emotional power is equalled only by its immaculately wrought setting. The Book of Everlasting Things checked all of my boxes with its premise alone, but it exceeded my internal hype. Malhotra writes beautifully, because this is not her first book though it is her first novel. I am intrigued by the oral history and work with material culture that she has done elsewhere. In many ways those interests made this book, though I never felt she was petting her favorite topics at the expense of the story. The Book of Everlasting Things is a treasure to cherish for generations.
April 22, 2023
It is 3:00 am in the morning. The sky is violet with light traces of dawn, a slightly cloudy overbearing and the incessant heat of the summer keeps me awake as I finally mutter the last few words of the book, “Khazin-e-Firdaus, the Keeper of Paradise”. Taking a deep breath, I realised how ‘The Book of Everlasting Things’ had kept me captive within the folds and creases of its pages, that I was perhaps living in two worlds, first was my present and the other was within Lahore and France, cruising my way through Shahalami Gate, Wazir Khan Mosque, Anarkali Bazaar, Paris, and Grasse. I descended into the perfumistic ittars of Samir Vij and the illuminated nashtaliqs of Firdaus Khan like Alice through the rabbit hole. Bordering around the themes of Partition and World War I, ‘The Book of Everlasting Things’ intertwines the story of Samir and Firdaus, spanning for almost a century, beyond religion and time, separated by Partition, yet everlasting in each other’s memories, till the end.
“Can you imagine a heart, a single beating heart?
Well, divide the heart into two pieces. That is how it happened.
With a single incision, Hindustan became India and Pakistan.”
This novel, through its themes of separation and belonging weaves a powerful story spanning across generations through the medium of perfume and calligraphy which is the first of its kind that I have ever read in South Asian literature. Having read Aanchal’s earlier works, I was not surprised by the intricacy that went into the research behind this book, but I was certainly amused by the breadth of the knowledge incorporated into this fictional tale that it felt as if each character truly exists in some part of this realistic cosmos. As a grandchild of Partition, having inherited the heaviness of such a traumatic and magnanimous event, the grief and loss resonated the most with me. Aanchal with her lyric acuity brings life to each character finally building a generational bridge between the survivors and the inheritors of Partition.
Through her empathetic storytelling, Aanchal brews the stories of lost cities, where the main ingredient remains smell. The olfactory sense within the common man is quite under-appreciated, so when a story like this uses heavily-researched material to embrace the lives of each character, you begin experiencing smells merely by reading, and that is an extraordinary feat by the writer.
Yet, what enchanted me the most was the exploration of emotions and lives through mere perfumery. How does one enclose belonging within a vial? How does one dissociate from their roots? Can’t the past and present beautifully intermingle? Can I inherit memories and recreate them in liquid? Samir exactly tries to explore these various human emotions throughout his entire life engaging in love, loss, redemption, and belonging. While most of the memories are associated with his Firdaus, she fights a different battle within the changing demography of Lahore through duty over desire and ultimately succumbing to her only love, Samir. Both the characters, so human and delicate in nature, bring forward a certain realism, with their own virtues and vices, that it sometimes seemed I was a private spectator of their moments, supposedly reserved for the lovers.
Paired with these emotions, comes another aspect of the novel, which is its inspiration from the Great War or World War I. Indians, quite rarely known for their participation in the war, forms the basis of the story for both Vivek Vij and his nephew Samir Vij, in terms of inherited trauma of the war. Finding solace within perfumery, Vivek becomes the guiding light for Samir, whilst opening up a haunting past, to which Samir succumbs, devastating his curated present.
Therefore, amongst various aspects of this novel, I personally found myself in Anouk Adams and Samir Khan, each an inheritor of one part of Partition. Their shock, silence, questions, emotions of betrayal… I resonated with every part of them, finding a haunting similarity between their relationship with their respective grandparents and my life. Perhaps, there is always some truth to every fiction. The sense of finding refuge in a land for whom you are as good as a tourist, is painful especially when you share the same language, culture and ethnicity, yet find yourself searching for the vital element of identity through the fearful question of "Whom Am I?"
To be honest, I cannot encapsulate this beauty of a book within a few words, but I would like to say that this book will always induce a fresh set of tears, each time I re-read it, and I will fall in love with it again and again. An everlasting love so powerful, beyond lines and religion is terrifying, but worth every fight.
"Tumhari yaad ki kashti iss dil ki darya mein doob gayi hai."
“Can you imagine a heart, a single beating heart?
Well, divide the heart into two pieces. That is how it happened.
With a single incision, Hindustan became India and Pakistan.”
This novel, through its themes of separation and belonging weaves a powerful story spanning across generations through the medium of perfume and calligraphy which is the first of its kind that I have ever read in South Asian literature. Having read Aanchal’s earlier works, I was not surprised by the intricacy that went into the research behind this book, but I was certainly amused by the breadth of the knowledge incorporated into this fictional tale that it felt as if each character truly exists in some part of this realistic cosmos. As a grandchild of Partition, having inherited the heaviness of such a traumatic and magnanimous event, the grief and loss resonated the most with me. Aanchal with her lyric acuity brings life to each character finally building a generational bridge between the survivors and the inheritors of Partition.
Through her empathetic storytelling, Aanchal brews the stories of lost cities, where the main ingredient remains smell. The olfactory sense within the common man is quite under-appreciated, so when a story like this uses heavily-researched material to embrace the lives of each character, you begin experiencing smells merely by reading, and that is an extraordinary feat by the writer.
Yet, what enchanted me the most was the exploration of emotions and lives through mere perfumery. How does one enclose belonging within a vial? How does one dissociate from their roots? Can’t the past and present beautifully intermingle? Can I inherit memories and recreate them in liquid? Samir exactly tries to explore these various human emotions throughout his entire life engaging in love, loss, redemption, and belonging. While most of the memories are associated with his Firdaus, she fights a different battle within the changing demography of Lahore through duty over desire and ultimately succumbing to her only love, Samir. Both the characters, so human and delicate in nature, bring forward a certain realism, with their own virtues and vices, that it sometimes seemed I was a private spectator of their moments, supposedly reserved for the lovers.
Paired with these emotions, comes another aspect of the novel, which is its inspiration from the Great War or World War I. Indians, quite rarely known for their participation in the war, forms the basis of the story for both Vivek Vij and his nephew Samir Vij, in terms of inherited trauma of the war. Finding solace within perfumery, Vivek becomes the guiding light for Samir, whilst opening up a haunting past, to which Samir succumbs, devastating his curated present.
Therefore, amongst various aspects of this novel, I personally found myself in Anouk Adams and Samir Khan, each an inheritor of one part of Partition. Their shock, silence, questions, emotions of betrayal… I resonated with every part of them, finding a haunting similarity between their relationship with their respective grandparents and my life. Perhaps, there is always some truth to every fiction. The sense of finding refuge in a land for whom you are as good as a tourist, is painful especially when you share the same language, culture and ethnicity, yet find yourself searching for the vital element of identity through the fearful question of "Whom Am I?"
To be honest, I cannot encapsulate this beauty of a book within a few words, but I would like to say that this book will always induce a fresh set of tears, each time I re-read it, and I will fall in love with it again and again. An everlasting love so powerful, beyond lines and religion is terrifying, but worth every fight.
"Tumhari yaad ki kashti iss dil ki darya mein doob gayi hai."
January 22, 2023
What a lush and luscious read! This book has a sweeping quality and intensely sensual descriptions of perfume-making and, to a lesser extent, calligraphy and papermaking. The writing here evokes and nurtures a reader’s senses and imagination. (The perfumes in this book are all based on real ones. I wish there was a scratch-and-sniff feature here.)
And the emotionality is deep and poignant. The ending brought tears to my eyes. It had been a long and moving journey and experience; I “lived” so many feelings in this read. And when the story wrapped up and in the way that it did, I was choked with a sense of profound sadness and relief as various loose ends were tied up.
I felt well-cared for because the author is a historian and specializes on Partition. She maintains a confident and steady tone and style. The storycrafting is assured and strong. And the references to history are almost effortless and infuse a layer of relevancy as well as urgency. (Please see this article by the author about using history to craft fiction: https://lithub.com/on-transforming-or...)
I’ll add that the Partition isn’t depicted a blatantly gory here (yes, it’s certainly discussed). The trauma is more centered on the emotions and the psyches of the characters who experienced it. And we see how that pain is transmitted to future generations in some way, shape or form. (I share two articles about the Partition here: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/20... and https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/b...
This is a perfect melding of history, beautiful storytelling with luminous descriptions, and a very steady pen in hand.
I readily and gladly recommend this book. I so enjoyed being immersed in this story.
A few quotes:
…She was the keeper of her own private seasons, his silent child who sought refuge in the solitary leaf, the oddly shaped stone, anything that shrank the vastness of the world into the periphery of her palm. It was never flowers, always leaves…
“This is why what we do is important; rather, it is essential. We have the ability to provide a momentary refuge from the maddening world. Smell is an escape, a shelter, a sanctuary…years of inhabiting this shop have made me realize the potency and persuasiveness of perfume, of its ability to tell stories and evoke emotions… Our sense of smell, regarded by so many as secondary, is one of the most extraordinary ways to preserve intimacy, history, and, of course, memory.”
… "And then there were those of us who fought another kind of war, a resistance war. We were the soldiers of beauty and art. Throughout the war, when bullets and blood covered the land, when battles consumed every mind and heart, we were the transporters. We bottled memory, painted paradise, wrote on all that was being forgotten, transcribed the world we were witnessing…a world that may later have required the clarity of retrospect. You see, we were the bridge to the lost civilization. It might seem an insignificant undertaking, when compared to fighting in a battlefield, but it was also essential. This is what art did, what music did, what perfume did, it elevated human life during crisis. We were the transporters, we took people somewhere else…"
And it was in this moment that Firdaus knew he knew. Simply by the way he said the name Samir, with such familiarity and intimacy, making it sound less like a person and more like a place of refuge, a sanctuary, a haven. He knew. She did not understand what was happening or how, but in that moment, in her heart, in every breath that escaped her lips, in every tiny cell of her body, she knew that they shared a person. Her person. Excusing herself abruptly, she went to make the tea and pakoras.
And the emotionality is deep and poignant. The ending brought tears to my eyes. It had been a long and moving journey and experience; I “lived” so many feelings in this read. And when the story wrapped up and in the way that it did, I was choked with a sense of profound sadness and relief as various loose ends were tied up.
I felt well-cared for because the author is a historian and specializes on Partition. She maintains a confident and steady tone and style. The storycrafting is assured and strong. And the references to history are almost effortless and infuse a layer of relevancy as well as urgency. (Please see this article by the author about using history to craft fiction: https://lithub.com/on-transforming-or...)
I’ll add that the Partition isn’t depicted a blatantly gory here (yes, it’s certainly discussed). The trauma is more centered on the emotions and the psyches of the characters who experienced it. And we see how that pain is transmitted to future generations in some way, shape or form. (I share two articles about the Partition here: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/20... and https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/b...
This is a perfect melding of history, beautiful storytelling with luminous descriptions, and a very steady pen in hand.
I readily and gladly recommend this book. I so enjoyed being immersed in this story.
A few quotes:
…She was the keeper of her own private seasons, his silent child who sought refuge in the solitary leaf, the oddly shaped stone, anything that shrank the vastness of the world into the periphery of her palm. It was never flowers, always leaves…
“This is why what we do is important; rather, it is essential. We have the ability to provide a momentary refuge from the maddening world. Smell is an escape, a shelter, a sanctuary…years of inhabiting this shop have made me realize the potency and persuasiveness of perfume, of its ability to tell stories and evoke emotions… Our sense of smell, regarded by so many as secondary, is one of the most extraordinary ways to preserve intimacy, history, and, of course, memory.”
… "And then there were those of us who fought another kind of war, a resistance war. We were the soldiers of beauty and art. Throughout the war, when bullets and blood covered the land, when battles consumed every mind and heart, we were the transporters. We bottled memory, painted paradise, wrote on all that was being forgotten, transcribed the world we were witnessing…a world that may later have required the clarity of retrospect. You see, we were the bridge to the lost civilization. It might seem an insignificant undertaking, when compared to fighting in a battlefield, but it was also essential. This is what art did, what music did, what perfume did, it elevated human life during crisis. We were the transporters, we took people somewhere else…"
And it was in this moment that Firdaus knew he knew. Simply by the way he said the name Samir, with such familiarity and intimacy, making it sound less like a person and more like a place of refuge, a sanctuary, a haven. He knew. She did not understand what was happening or how, but in that moment, in her heart, in every breath that escaped her lips, in every tiny cell of her body, she knew that they shared a person. Her person. Excusing herself abruptly, she went to make the tea and pakoras.
January 4, 2023
This book was a very sentimental and heart touching read. I love how much the book emphasizes the chaos that comes with hatred. The following list is what worked for me and what didn’t.
👍🏻This book was very very romantic in nature. The words kind of flew off the page and it just left a very romantic aura.
👍🏻it was very nice to see a part of my country’s history on paper and maybe I have watched too much Bollywood but reading this kind of gave the feeling of watching a Bollywood movie
👍🏻it taught me a lot about the partition and discovered a lot of emotions that I wasn’t previously aware of
👍🏻very detailed and really follows through with each event
👍🏻I can not stress how much I loved how the “insignificant details” turned out to be such big plot pieces in the future
👍🏻I really liked Firdaus and Samir’s love even though it was a bit dramatic at times
👍🏻I love the multigenerational aspect. I think it really emphasizes the impact of the partition
👍🏻later I will say I thought the author showed bias often but I will like to address that she didn’t “insult” anybody too much. Particularly, figures like Ghandi and Muhammad Jinnah because a lot of times that tends to happen and it’s really intolerable!
👍🏻 I did think about this book quite a lot. Especially while using any type of perfume I didn’t use in quite a while. I love perfumes so this was an interesting read on that part. I think perfume carry a lot of nostalgia and this shows
😾 I think the book was unnecessarily long. There were a lot of extra details and at points it got quite repetitive.
😾the summary is quite misleading honestly. Although it says this is Samir and Firdaus’s love story, it’s honestly just Samir and his uncle’s story which INCLUDES Firdaus. Additionally, the partition was just a obstacle in Samir’s life that left quite a impact. I haven’t read many novels about partition but I think this one was not as good as it had potential to be
😾a lot of the times the author seemed quite bias. Additionally, the author just focused on one opinion which was the anti-partition people. The people who rooted for the partition seemed to be classified as ignorant and inconsiderate or old. I would have appreciated some educated opinions of young people who were in favor of the partition and were peacefully protesting. The book also failed the give proper reasoning as to why the partition could have taken place. Like I GENUINELY believed the Muslims were shown as bad guys who wanted partition for no reason
😾 I also didn’t like a lot of the Muslim rep in the book it seemed quite stereotypical at times.
😾 also I have said this before but the book is very repetitive. The author constantly uses the same words and phrases over long passages of the book. Additionally, I don’t remember much about the character’s personality. To me it seemed that the Firdaus and Samir’s love had to do a lot with looks. Besides Firdaus being quiet and a calligrapher and lucky because her father decided not to marry her off I don’t remember anything about her. But I do remember her pistachio eyes and her scent. And Samir’s beauty marks and his occupation is all I remember about him.
😾I really don’t appreciate the love at first sight concept but it seemed to be tolerable here because that’s how a lot of traditional love in south Asia worked. (Atleast for my family) yet I don’t think of it as something for The two of them to dwell on for the rest of their lives. Like if you think about it one date and a few silent conversations and like 388 letters does not put one in a position to commit forever. Additionally they both were teens when they separated so how could he just obsess over her even as an old man when literally everything must have changed. This brings me onto my next point…
😾the characters did not change. Yes the years went by and their appearances changed but besides that I wouldn’t be able to tell because their personality DID NOT CHANGE. No growing and becoming mature type of crap
**thank you for the ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review***
👍🏻This book was very very romantic in nature. The words kind of flew off the page and it just left a very romantic aura.
👍🏻it was very nice to see a part of my country’s history on paper and maybe I have watched too much Bollywood but reading this kind of gave the feeling of watching a Bollywood movie
👍🏻it taught me a lot about the partition and discovered a lot of emotions that I wasn’t previously aware of
👍🏻very detailed and really follows through with each event
👍🏻I can not stress how much I loved how the “insignificant details” turned out to be such big plot pieces in the future
👍🏻I really liked Firdaus and Samir’s love even though it was a bit dramatic at times
👍🏻I love the multigenerational aspect. I think it really emphasizes the impact of the partition
👍🏻later I will say I thought the author showed bias often but I will like to address that she didn’t “insult” anybody too much. Particularly, figures like Ghandi and Muhammad Jinnah because a lot of times that tends to happen and it’s really intolerable!
👍🏻 I did think about this book quite a lot. Especially while using any type of perfume I didn’t use in quite a while. I love perfumes so this was an interesting read on that part. I think perfume carry a lot of nostalgia and this shows
😾 I think the book was unnecessarily long. There were a lot of extra details and at points it got quite repetitive.
😾the summary is quite misleading honestly. Although it says this is Samir and Firdaus’s love story, it’s honestly just Samir and his uncle’s story which INCLUDES Firdaus. Additionally, the partition was just a obstacle in Samir’s life that left quite a impact. I haven’t read many novels about partition but I think this one was not as good as it had potential to be
😾a lot of the times the author seemed quite bias. Additionally, the author just focused on one opinion which was the anti-partition people. The people who rooted for the partition seemed to be classified as ignorant and inconsiderate or old. I would have appreciated some educated opinions of young people who were in favor of the partition and were peacefully protesting. The book also failed the give proper reasoning as to why the partition could have taken place. Like I GENUINELY believed the Muslims were shown as bad guys who wanted partition for no reason
😾 I also didn’t like a lot of the Muslim rep in the book it seemed quite stereotypical at times.
😾 also I have said this before but the book is very repetitive. The author constantly uses the same words and phrases over long passages of the book. Additionally, I don’t remember much about the character’s personality. To me it seemed that the Firdaus and Samir’s love had to do a lot with looks. Besides Firdaus being quiet and a calligrapher and lucky because her father decided not to marry her off I don’t remember anything about her. But I do remember her pistachio eyes and her scent. And Samir’s beauty marks and his occupation is all I remember about him.
😾I really don’t appreciate the love at first sight concept but it seemed to be tolerable here because that’s how a lot of traditional love in south Asia worked. (Atleast for my family) yet I don’t think of it as something for The two of them to dwell on for the rest of their lives. Like if you think about it one date and a few silent conversations and like 388 letters does not put one in a position to commit forever. Additionally they both were teens when they separated so how could he just obsess over her even as an old man when literally everything must have changed. This brings me onto my next point…
😾the characters did not change. Yes the years went by and their appearances changed but besides that I wouldn’t be able to tell because their personality DID NOT CHANGE. No growing and becoming mature type of crap
**thank you for the ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review***
August 20, 2022
The comparison to All The Light We Cannot See holds. This book will move you, break you, and put you back together again.
More than a separated lovers story, this is a story of generations, trauma and war, overcoming differences, finding your way and finding family.
Samir is someone who doesn’t let go. Not to the memory of Firdaus, though it fades. Not of his uncle or family, when he’s away. Not of understanding what happened in the first war and where his uncle went to discover perfumery.
I knew nothing of Partition before. Full of history, I have a better understanding and want to learn more.
Long, smart, and oh so beautiful. Read this.
More than a separated lovers story, this is a story of generations, trauma and war, overcoming differences, finding your way and finding family.
Samir is someone who doesn’t let go. Not to the memory of Firdaus, though it fades. Not of his uncle or family, when he’s away. Not of understanding what happened in the first war and where his uncle went to discover perfumery.
I knew nothing of Partition before. Full of history, I have a better understanding and want to learn more.
Long, smart, and oh so beautiful. Read this.
May 11, 2022
I grew up with parents who grew up just after the Partition of India and Pakistan. My grandparents remember the trauma of it. So I was intrigued by a book that wove this in as a pivotal element of the narrative.
Pros:
-beautiful prose
-compelling characters and complex
-realistic depictions of a tumultuous and traumatic event in history
Cons:
-longer than it needed to be, often due to the prose
-overdone trope
-if you're not familiar with the culture and language, you may struggle without Google or a dictionary
Unfortunately, the Hindu and Muslim lovers separated by Partition is such an overdone trope. It's the central plot of so many books, poems, Bollywood movies, and plays about Partition. This book didn't do carry it out exceptionally well but it didn't do it poorly either.
However, if it's a storyline you find compelling or you haven't been maxed out in it I think this is a good option.
Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for this eARC for my honest review.
Expected Publication Date: Dec 27, 2022
Pros:
-beautiful prose
-compelling characters and complex
-realistic depictions of a tumultuous and traumatic event in history
Cons:
-longer than it needed to be, often due to the prose
-overdone trope
-if you're not familiar with the culture and language, you may struggle without Google or a dictionary
Unfortunately, the Hindu and Muslim lovers separated by Partition is such an overdone trope. It's the central plot of so many books, poems, Bollywood movies, and plays about Partition. This book didn't do carry it out exceptionally well but it didn't do it poorly either.
However, if it's a storyline you find compelling or you haven't been maxed out in it I think this is a good option.
Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for this eARC for my honest review.
Expected Publication Date: Dec 27, 2022
October 2, 2024
“Sometimes, when the whole world seems ruined beyond recognition, even the faintest gesture of beauty, like the whiff of a familiar perfume, can bring a sense of solace.”
A young apprentice perfumer meets a young apprentice calligrapher and falls in love at exactly the wrong time in history.
This is a story of love, a story of family, a story of home, a story of life. It was a gorgeous read. The words took me places in my mind as well as with my senses. I could not smell what it described with my nose, but I could smell it with my mind. To write in a way that accomplishes that, is most definitely worth five stars. The only negative was that it did get a bit tedious towards the end, but nothing bad enough to take a star away.
A thing to note: This is the second time in a minute that I have read a book that mentions Lahore. I was not familiar with the city until this happened. I feel like the double mention means it is time for me to get familiar.
It is not often I drop more than a few quotes in a review. When a book hits like this one did, I have to.
“Things hardly every ruptured in clean lines.”
“All promises of the future had been fractured; all life had become unrecognizable.”
“Grief was an arduous yet invisible process. There were no prescribed remedies, no predetermined time for mourning, no boundaries. One simply had to grieve through grief, whether for a person or a place.”
“Not all love stories are meant to end in happiness.”
“The quietest, most private person she had known, who had swallowed grief and tragedy in monastic silence, had finally reached the limits of his suffering.”
“Truth, even reality, had so many versions, and they were all being lived simultaneously.”
“It’s just the way traumatic events happen. They unfold differently for different people, leaving different scars.”
“It is difficult to forget, but it is even harder to keep remembering.”
A young apprentice perfumer meets a young apprentice calligrapher and falls in love at exactly the wrong time in history.
This is a story of love, a story of family, a story of home, a story of life. It was a gorgeous read. The words took me places in my mind as well as with my senses. I could not smell what it described with my nose, but I could smell it with my mind. To write in a way that accomplishes that, is most definitely worth five stars. The only negative was that it did get a bit tedious towards the end, but nothing bad enough to take a star away.
A thing to note: This is the second time in a minute that I have read a book that mentions Lahore. I was not familiar with the city until this happened. I feel like the double mention means it is time for me to get familiar.
It is not often I drop more than a few quotes in a review. When a book hits like this one did, I have to.
“Things hardly every ruptured in clean lines.”
“All promises of the future had been fractured; all life had become unrecognizable.”
“Grief was an arduous yet invisible process. There were no prescribed remedies, no predetermined time for mourning, no boundaries. One simply had to grieve through grief, whether for a person or a place.”
“Not all love stories are meant to end in happiness.”
“The quietest, most private person she had known, who had swallowed grief and tragedy in monastic silence, had finally reached the limits of his suffering.”
“Truth, even reality, had so many versions, and they were all being lived simultaneously.”
“It’s just the way traumatic events happen. They unfold differently for different people, leaving different scars.”
“It is difficult to forget, but it is even harder to keep remembering.”
June 27, 2023
Als Samir en Firdaus elkaar in 1938 voor het eerst zien in de beroemde attarwinkel van zijn vader en oom, voelen ze direct een bijzondere connectie. Ze zijn nog erg jong en hebben verschillende achtergronden, hij is hindoe en leerling-parfumeur, zij is moslim en komt uit een familie van kalligrafen, maar hun paden kruisen elkaar meermaals en in de loop der jaren groeien ze steeds meer naar elkaar toe, ontstaat er een diepgewortelde liefde en durven ze te dromen over een gezamenlijke toekomst.
Maar dan volgt de Opdeling van India, waarbij Lahore Pakistaans en daarmee islamitisch wordt, waardoor Samir vrijwel alles verliest, hij moet vertrekken en hij en Firdaus van elkaar worden gescheiden. Zullen ze elkaar ooit terugzien of kunnen ze een nieuw leven opbouwen zonder de ander? Welke invloed heeft je geschiedenis op je verdere bestaan? En kun je geluk vinden als je deels blijft leven in het verleden?
In vijf delen ontvouwt zich een rijk, levendig, gelaagd en schrijnend familie- en liefdesverhaal dat meerdere generaties volgt, dat je helemaal meeneemt naar Lahore, Frankrijk en de inzet van Indiase soldaten tijdens de Eerste Wereldoorlog, dat je zintuigen aanspreekt en prikkelt, dat je meer leert over de kalligrafeerkunst en de kunst van het maken van parfums, een verhaal dat je volledig onderdompelt in de levens van deze mooi geschetste personages. Je wordt meegenomen in hun gedachten, wensen, beslissingen en herinneringen, hun emoties raken je en Samirs familiegeschiedenis brengt zijn heden en verleden heel dicht bij elkaar.
In prachtig, gedetailleerd, lyrisch en beeldend proza vertelt de auteur dit meeslepende verhaal over de kracht van parfum en zijn vermogen om verhalen te vertellen en emoties op te roepen, over verlangen en plicht, geheimen en lasten die mensen met zich meedragen, over weggestopte herinneringen, verdriet, pijn en grote verliezen, over ontheemding, leegte en een nieuw thuis vinden, over spijt, opoffering en iemand postuum pas echt leren kennen, over lessen, moed en familie, maar vooral over liefde. In het begin blijf je veelvuldig bladeren om de betekenis van de onvertaalde begrippen op te zoeken, maar lees zeker door, want dit verhaal is het zó waard. Het is sterk opgebouwd, leerzaam, genuanceerd, ontroerend, krachtig en uniek, en het heeft een slot dat je kippenvel zal bezorgen. Erg mooi!
4-4.5⭐️
Maar dan volgt de Opdeling van India, waarbij Lahore Pakistaans en daarmee islamitisch wordt, waardoor Samir vrijwel alles verliest, hij moet vertrekken en hij en Firdaus van elkaar worden gescheiden. Zullen ze elkaar ooit terugzien of kunnen ze een nieuw leven opbouwen zonder de ander? Welke invloed heeft je geschiedenis op je verdere bestaan? En kun je geluk vinden als je deels blijft leven in het verleden?
In vijf delen ontvouwt zich een rijk, levendig, gelaagd en schrijnend familie- en liefdesverhaal dat meerdere generaties volgt, dat je helemaal meeneemt naar Lahore, Frankrijk en de inzet van Indiase soldaten tijdens de Eerste Wereldoorlog, dat je zintuigen aanspreekt en prikkelt, dat je meer leert over de kalligrafeerkunst en de kunst van het maken van parfums, een verhaal dat je volledig onderdompelt in de levens van deze mooi geschetste personages. Je wordt meegenomen in hun gedachten, wensen, beslissingen en herinneringen, hun emoties raken je en Samirs familiegeschiedenis brengt zijn heden en verleden heel dicht bij elkaar.
In prachtig, gedetailleerd, lyrisch en beeldend proza vertelt de auteur dit meeslepende verhaal over de kracht van parfum en zijn vermogen om verhalen te vertellen en emoties op te roepen, over verlangen en plicht, geheimen en lasten die mensen met zich meedragen, over weggestopte herinneringen, verdriet, pijn en grote verliezen, over ontheemding, leegte en een nieuw thuis vinden, over spijt, opoffering en iemand postuum pas echt leren kennen, over lessen, moed en familie, maar vooral over liefde. In het begin blijf je veelvuldig bladeren om de betekenis van de onvertaalde begrippen op te zoeken, maar lees zeker door, want dit verhaal is het zó waard. Het is sterk opgebouwd, leerzaam, genuanceerd, ontroerend, krachtig en uniek, en het heeft een slot dat je kippenvel zal bezorgen. Erg mooi!
4-4.5⭐️
March 3, 2024
In the dim lighting of my aunt's childhood bedroom, I am staring at the screen of my kindle.
The book is over.
I press back and my Kindle's library shows. An unexplainable feeling is emanating from my chest and spreading over my arms and stomach, over the rest of me.
I'm staring at my Kindle screen, staring, staring, staring.
I am lost.
It's 2:33 am, I am far away from my home, I'm in my birth city in Bombay, my heart is in Lahore, my mind is in Paris.
My thoughts are scattered. My arms hurt holding up my Kindle. My eyes blur, I've been reading for too long.
My heart hurts, my heart hurts, my heart hurts.
"Now we will only meet at the place where the winds touch the edges of paradise."
This feeling now is worse than the tears. I'm in anguish. I have no coherent words to write.
Tomorrow, I will write a proper review when I have organized my thoughts and shushed my heart from wailing.
***
As a perfumer's daughter and granddaughter, I am swept away by the accuracy of steam distillation method of perfume extraction and other perfumery details that Aanchal Malhotra has so vividly written.
The book is over.
I press back and my Kindle's library shows. An unexplainable feeling is emanating from my chest and spreading over my arms and stomach, over the rest of me.
I'm staring at my Kindle screen, staring, staring, staring.
I am lost.
It's 2:33 am, I am far away from my home, I'm in my birth city in Bombay, my heart is in Lahore, my mind is in Paris.
My thoughts are scattered. My arms hurt holding up my Kindle. My eyes blur, I've been reading for too long.
My heart hurts, my heart hurts, my heart hurts.
"Now we will only meet at the place where the winds touch the edges of paradise."
This feeling now is worse than the tears. I'm in anguish. I have no coherent words to write.
Tomorrow, I will write a proper review when I have organized my thoughts and shushed my heart from wailing.
***
As a perfumer's daughter and granddaughter, I am swept away by the accuracy of steam distillation method of perfume extraction and other perfumery details that Aanchal Malhotra has so vividly written.
August 1, 2023
Goddamn slap in the face. I haven't cried this good in a hot minute 😭
August 19, 2025
This book was very beautifully written imo. The expressions of love both familial and romantic were so sweet. I also loved seeing the story unfold across generations and cultures, especially with the different artistic expressions the families use. Some parts were harder to get through than others but I genuinely loved this book. The ending was especially ROUGH. On a personal level having lived an experience LOOSELY similar added an interesting perspective for sureeeeee. The intensity of feeling shared between the characters as well as the beautiful ways they honored it in their individual lives was sweet and heartbreaking all the same. This book was full of simple acts so full of love it made me want to rip my eyes out a little. Anyways I didn’t expect to be so affected by it, had several wall staring moments, definitely almost wish it was a little more relatable or not relatable at all idk. !
Some quotes:
“Last night I looked up at the moon and wondered whether you were looking at it too…. The same moon illuminated both of our nights. That it didn’t care… for a mosque or a temple… it did not read the Quran or the Gita. Surely there will be days of joy beyond these days of division where there will be a place for us, where the jasmine endures. A sky beyond the sky where the winds reach up to touch the heavens, a place where we converge.”
“To want to be remembered by someone. To want to matter. To want to know, to need to know, that no matter how longs it’s been days or months or years, someone could still be thinking of you. It makes me sad, but this is love.”
“One simply had to grieve through grief”
Some quotes:
“Last night I looked up at the moon and wondered whether you were looking at it too…. The same moon illuminated both of our nights. That it didn’t care… for a mosque or a temple… it did not read the Quran or the Gita. Surely there will be days of joy beyond these days of division where there will be a place for us, where the jasmine endures. A sky beyond the sky where the winds reach up to touch the heavens, a place where we converge.”
“To want to be remembered by someone. To want to matter. To want to know, to need to know, that no matter how longs it’s been days or months or years, someone could still be thinking of you. It makes me sad, but this is love.”
“One simply had to grieve through grief”
December 5, 2023
Rating: 3.5 stars
The Book of Everlasting Things are a multigenerational familes stories connected through a love story of Firdaus and Samir.
Since the lovestory is the main plot and I have read so many reviews in which it is considered to be beautiful, to be wished for, everlasting, true.... i will start with that.
Sorry-not-sorry for bursting any bubbles dear reader, but that is not love. It is infatuation and unresolved TRAUMA. I was not impressed.
What I did love was the learning rabbit hole this book sent me down. In the last few weeks I read so many academic articles about India and Pakistan, Lahore history and Indian soldiers in WW1 and WW2 that I can proudly say my knowledge on these topics has grown from non existing to at least elementary.
I definitely recommend the audiobook.
The Book of Everlasting Things are a multigenerational familes stories connected through a love story of Firdaus and Samir.
Since the lovestory is the main plot and I have read so many reviews in which it is considered to be beautiful, to be wished for, everlasting, true.... i will start with that.
Sorry-not-sorry for bursting any bubbles dear reader, but that is not love. It is infatuation and unresolved TRAUMA. I was not impressed.
What I did love was the learning rabbit hole this book sent me down. In the last few weeks I read so many academic articles about India and Pakistan, Lahore history and Indian soldiers in WW1 and WW2 that I can proudly say my knowledge on these topics has grown from non existing to at least elementary.
I definitely recommend the audiobook.
March 1, 2023
Sometimes a book that you randomly pick up off the shelf at the library because the cover catches your eye ends up being one of your top books of the year. It's only March 1st, but I'm almost positive that's what will happen with this novel. I have read a decent amount of historical fiction and romance, as well as mashups of the two, but this novel has a unique place in both genres.
Samir and Firdaus are two young people in love who become separated by the Partition of India in 1947, when India gained its independence from Britain that resulted in the creation of two independent nations of Pakistan and India. Before reading this novel, I knew about the Partition at a surface level, but I learned quite a bit more about it through the eyes of Samir and Firdaus.
At the time of the Partition, Samir is studying to be a perfumer and Firdaus a calligrapher. The way that Maholtra captures the beauty and challenge of bringing ancient crafts and culture into the modern world is nothing short of incredible. Some of the perfumery descriptions will stay with me for quite a while. Artistry and memory can be both beautiful and painful, complete with both joy and sorrow, and Maholtra demonstrates that through Samir and Firdaus.
This novel is about love, grief, trauma, and the impact of enormous events on the daily lives of people. It shows the lasting impact of national and international events on individuals' entire lives. It is equally beautiful and tragic, and I loved every word of it. I will never look at a bottle of perfume the same way again.
Samir and Firdaus are two young people in love who become separated by the Partition of India in 1947, when India gained its independence from Britain that resulted in the creation of two independent nations of Pakistan and India. Before reading this novel, I knew about the Partition at a surface level, but I learned quite a bit more about it through the eyes of Samir and Firdaus.
At the time of the Partition, Samir is studying to be a perfumer and Firdaus a calligrapher. The way that Maholtra captures the beauty and challenge of bringing ancient crafts and culture into the modern world is nothing short of incredible. Some of the perfumery descriptions will stay with me for quite a while. Artistry and memory can be both beautiful and painful, complete with both joy and sorrow, and Maholtra demonstrates that through Samir and Firdaus.
This novel is about love, grief, trauma, and the impact of enormous events on the daily lives of people. It shows the lasting impact of national and international events on individuals' entire lives. It is equally beautiful and tragic, and I loved every word of it. I will never look at a bottle of perfume the same way again.
January 21, 2023
I was so excited to read this but felt it went on, and on and on. I was over 120 pages in and had to switch to audio as I was ready to give up and mark DNF. While I like the characters and historical aspects of this book from perfumery, calligraphy and Lahore during these years there were so many side stories and unnecessary information that made it hard for me to read and get into.
April 30, 2023
Readers who love lyrical writing with rich sensual descriptions are probably going to adore this timeless story that weaves calligraphy, perfume and love. This historical fiction takes place in 1930’s Lahore. I wanted to love this book and get swept into the prose but, unfortunately for me, the writing style didn’t work.
I received an audiobook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an audiobook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 17, 2025
This book was different. Now that I have completed this book, it makes me think that India has come a long way since the partition. The book portrays the pain that people had to go through during the partition, the wars that Indians had to fight for the Britishers, the emotional toil , PTSD that the war veterans face post war.
the book also has a major theme which is perfume. the smell that evokes memories and how it connects people. After completing this book, i look at dried roses differently, i smell the fragrance of perfumes in a different manner. Not only was it heart touching, but a novice like me got to learn so much about perfumery and the art of perfume making.
Finally, it was refreshing to read a truly beautiful love story that was so different from the love stories in the books nowadays that it is so shallow and vulgar.
overall, I enjoyed the book.
but it is a book that might not suit everyones palate.
the book also has a major theme which is perfume. the smell that evokes memories and how it connects people. After completing this book, i look at dried roses differently, i smell the fragrance of perfumes in a different manner. Not only was it heart touching, but a novice like me got to learn so much about perfumery and the art of perfume making.
Finally, it was refreshing to read a truly beautiful love story that was so different from the love stories in the books nowadays that it is so shallow and vulgar.
overall, I enjoyed the book.
but it is a book that might not suit everyones palate.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 4, 2022
Thank you Goodreads for this book. Book is well written, lots of detail in every chapter. While an interesting story after 150 pages decided this book was written for another reader. DNF. 3 stars
June 12, 2023
I haven't rage quit a book in a long time, and this book became the unfortunate one to fill that slot.
Don't tell me a book is "lush, sensuous, and deeply romantic" when there is almost zero of that. Zero. Especially when seen (if you want to call it that) from Firdaus's perspective- if we ever see that. This book is not about her. It's about Samir.) Don't also sell me a novel, when this is really more of a nonfiction book (I've learned a lot about the Indian Partition, which is great, but I'll get a nonfiction book instead, thank you).
The audiobook on this is a whopping 17 hours long. I took it to a high speed and still kept listening and listening and listening and the book wouldn't end. This author needed an editor very badly- too long, too much description, repetitive (I wholeheartedly agree with other reviewers and the use of "pistachio colored eyes" OK WE GET IT).
Does this author do a great job of setting? Absolutely. Do I know more now about the Indian Partition than I ever did? Absolutely.
I unfortunately selected this for book club at work, as well as my December bookmarked box so I'll be curious what folks have to say.
Don't tell me a book is "lush, sensuous, and deeply romantic" when there is almost zero of that. Zero. Especially when seen (if you want to call it that) from Firdaus's perspective- if we ever see that. This book is not about her. It's about Samir.) Don't also sell me a novel, when this is really more of a nonfiction book (I've learned a lot about the Indian Partition, which is great, but I'll get a nonfiction book instead, thank you).
The audiobook on this is a whopping 17 hours long. I took it to a high speed and still kept listening and listening and listening and the book wouldn't end. This author needed an editor very badly- too long, too much description, repetitive (I wholeheartedly agree with other reviewers and the use of "pistachio colored eyes" OK WE GET IT).
Does this author do a great job of setting? Absolutely. Do I know more now about the Indian Partition than I ever did? Absolutely.
I unfortunately selected this for book club at work, as well as my December bookmarked box so I'll be curious what folks have to say.
March 2, 2025
3.5 stars rounded down - while I absolutely adore Anchal Malhotra’s non fiction work, this one, while beautifully written, felt a little clunky.
What I loved about this was this book was how perfumes were described and used as part of the love story. The descriptions of Lahore were divine and really made me want to visit the old city and experience its grandeur. And the love story itself, full of yearning was beautifully written.
However the pacing was a bit all over the place. Where this book suffered was that there were too many historical events that were introduced such that none got enough attention.
I would have loved if we only focused on partition and the love story/generational story OR only on the Indian soldiers in WW1. But in trying to blend both stories, it just felt a bit all over the place. By the end the story also felt a bit draggy and pointless :(
What I loved about this was this book was how perfumes were described and used as part of the love story. The descriptions of Lahore were divine and really made me want to visit the old city and experience its grandeur. And the love story itself, full of yearning was beautifully written.
However the pacing was a bit all over the place. Where this book suffered was that there were too many historical events that were introduced such that none got enough attention.
I would have loved if we only focused on partition and the love story/generational story OR only on the Indian soldiers in WW1. But in trying to blend both stories, it just felt a bit all over the place. By the end the story also felt a bit draggy and pointless :(
October 13, 2023
For something that's supposed to be an epic love story, I never felt the love between Samir and Firdaus, it was just presented without really building anything up. They fall in love after a few shared glances as children, and then the rest of the book waxes poetic about this supposed deep and romantic love between them. The main character Samir is also very unlikeable as an adult, and I never understand why authors feel the need to make the face of their story a bad one. The information about the partition of India/Pakistan was very interesting though, from someone who knew nothing about it going in.
November 28, 2023
3.5 This is a great story with great characters which is in great need of editing. I really appreciated the topic of partitioning of Pakistan and India, which I have never learned about before. The theme of perfume was interesting, but began to drone on after awhile. I would say that 1/3 of this book should be edited out. There were some great insights and moving moments, but it took a lot of patience to get to them.
February 10, 2024
This book made my heart do gulugulu many times.
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