Set during the tumultuous times of Independence, this book was unputdownable. The tensions soared high, nation was on the brink of breaking into two halves and people perhaps for the first time realised how dangerous religion as a concept was. And while all this went on, Chitra zeroes in on the lives of three fictional sisters whose decisions forever changed their lives. This book was like an onion, layer upon layer of emotion, complexity and suspense that slowly came undone with each chapter.

Set in a small village called Ranipur, the story revolves mainly around three sisters, each different from the other. Deepa, whose beauty is known across the villages. Priya, who dreams of becoming a doctor like her father and Jamini, who thinks from her mind because being a cripple has taught her not to use her heart too much. The girls who are so different from each other part ways during Independence , each going after their own fate knowing little about how their decisions will alter their lives. When blood is shed during the partition, the sisters try to reach out to each other but danger runs high and several risks must be taken.

Partition is such a complicated subject to write about. I mean this in the way that we all know what went down in history but writing about it can never be easy. To relearn how our country was forced to split, how brothers turned on each other and women were left traumatised; it’s always hard to both write and read about it. And yet the author does it seamlessly. By wrapping up the story around the girls, she makes it relatively easy for anyone to read and understand how this event affected millions.

This book is so much more than just a story of three girls. It digs deep and speaks of the political turmoil, about love that comes with conditions and sometimes of a love that surpasses everything else, about familial bonds and mainly, sisterhood. It was refreshing to read this novel and I thank @harpercollinsin for sending this across ✨