Perfect Eight

by Reema Moudgil

When historical mistakes are made over and over again, is there ever an end to the road? Perfect Eight tells a story that travels from Lahore to Kanpur to an Assamese cantonment to Patiala to Ambrosa to Bangalore, through floods and fires and communal riots proving that what began with Partition continues to play itself out decades after India's soul and its people were divided. The protagonist - who has learnt from her mother to smell grief before it struck lives out her own history, carrying with her a part of her mother's partitioned spirit and her father's indestructible love for life. As she grows up, the one constant in her existence is the sanctuary of the beautiful tea estate of Annaville, her beloved Anna aunty and Samir. Beautiful, unattainable Samir, who is always just an arm`s length away. The country is meanwhile besieged by fresh separatist movements. Against this backdrop and with the demolition of the Babri Masjid, her own story reaches a turning point as well, when her love for the aristocratic tea planter reaches its just conclusion. And Perfect Eight, a road in Ambrosa, twists on like a never-ending story about the cultural skeins that outlast violence, and our enduring connections with people long dead and memories that outlast death and destruction.

252 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Simran Khurana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was stunned by the writer's fabulous use of words: she created a tapestry of visuals, so stark and so amazing that left me gasping for more. Her analogies, metaphors, and phrases tell me that Indian authors have tremendous potential. You must read the book; if not for the plot, at least for the vibrant and stunning wordplay.

[Rishi Prakash · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got big time lucky with this book which i randomly picked from hundreds lying in the heap at the Delhi book fare!

The story is extremely touching and very well written. The language was refreshing and engaging which further makes it interesting.

The story revolves around the life of Ira and her passion right from her birth till her teenage years when she always felt awkward with a suppressed anger to the years of confidence and peace. The background to this passion and enchantment is the theme of communal disharmony. Ira and her parents are Hindus living in a Punjab which is “choking on gun-powder”. Bhindranwale is trying to persuade the Sikhs that they do not belong together with Hindus making everyone edgy and disturbing the harmony of the place. Ira’s father however continues to stick to his belief that “Punjabis are not Hindus or Sikhs. They are Punjabis. You can kill them but not their love for their fields, their temples, their gurdwaras and each other.” The story keeps moving starting from Lahore to Kanpur to an Assmese cantonment to Patiala to Ambrosa to Bangalore...it just flows...

Go for it without thinking twice...

[Deepika · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a hidden treasure. My blog on the book is here: https://newfracturedlight.wordpress.c...

[Damayanti Chandrasekhar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucky to have procured an autographed copy of the book from the author herself. I fell in love with the language, the larger than life characters, and the mesmerizing backdrops where a story of pain, loss, and ultimate triumph unfolds. This book is a must read in these tumultuous times where we are pitted against our own brethren by power hungry politicians. The ideals upheld by the characters are worthy of applause and emulation. I sincerely wish this book would reach a wider audience.

[Shreela Sen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a contemporary Indian fiction about a strong woman character (& her strong mother). Anything I say here will be a spoiler! Its plot has no "twists", but certainly there is a story. It's a nice book to read, if you like the struggles & triumphs of ordinary persons.

[Pepper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unrelentingly unrepenting.