When Pirbhai, an impoverished teenage boy in India, finally finds work, he doesn't realize he's on a boat to Africa to complete the East African Railway for the British. To ensure survival, Pirbhai commits an act of violence with fire that haunts him across generations.

At the turn of the 20th century, as Uganda seeks independence from British colonial rule, Pirbahi and his family are met with increasing hostility toward "non-Africans." All hell breaks lose in 1972 when South Asian expulsion is implemented, and the family has no choice but to leave their home behind.

An unforgettable historical fiction, BURNING is a multigenerational tale of the Indian migrants who built the Kenya-Uganda railway. An estimated 30 thousand Indians arrived in the late 1890s to help build the railway, and 2500 perished during the process. With beautiful writing and profound prose, Oza takes the readers through a journey of loss and love, chaos and peace, fear and courage.

I particularly adore Oza's writing and how it pulls at my heartstrings. Her style reminds me of ALL THIS COULD BE DIFFERENT (Sarah Thankam Mathews), with introspective tones that resonate with me deeply.

I also appreciate how flawed each character is in BURNING. And while I might disagree with some characters' decisions in the story, Oza paints a profoundly compassionate picture of what we do when our family is splintered & how we survive unimaginable losses.

Pirbhai's cursed action starts with a fire; fire is the evil that wreaks havoc, but it can be so much more than loss. Fire is the strength to protect our heritage and family. Fire is the courage to face our past mistakes and mend our wrongs. Fire is the love that lives on through the memory of those lost in time. Fire is the bravery to break our silence and fight for a better future.

Congratulations to Janika Oza for this astonishing debut. I'm so excited to see her future work. Thank you to Grand Central for the gifted copy.