Spring, 1971, East Pakistan. Rehana Haque is throwing a party for her beloved children, Sohail and Maya. Her young family is growing up fast, and Rehana wants to remember this day forever. But out on the hot city streets, something violent is brewing. As the civil war develops, a war which will eventually see the birth of Bangladesh, Rehana struggles to keep her children safe and finds herself facing a heartbreaking dilemma.

About the Author

Tahmima Anam was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She was selected as a Granta Best of Young British Novelist 2013. Her first novel, A Golden Age, was shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award and the Costa First Novel Award, and was the winner of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book. Her second novel, The Good Muslim, was shortlisted for the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature and was also longlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize. Her latest novel, The Bones of Grace, was published in 2016. She lives in London.

@tahmima

Reviews
Deftly balances the story of nation against that of family . . . heart-shattering -- KAMILA SHAMSIE * * Guardian * *
A stunning debut. Anam writes of torture, brutality, refugees and desperation, but she also writes of love and joy, food and song * * Observer * *
A real page-turner, with a bravura, heart-stopping ending * * Sunday Telegraph * *
Beautifully told, intimate and touching; Anam has a knack for making you care so desperately for her characters that you admire their failings as much as their strengths * * Daily Mail * *
Anam's prose is glowing and graceful throughout; whether detailing the degradations of a refugee camp, the tenderness of an unexpected love affair, or the exhilarated dread of a nation in cataclysm * * Guardian * *
Spellbinding -- TULIP SIDDIQ
The authenticity shines through beautiful, simple prose * * Harper's Bazaar * *
A striking story of a spirited mother struggling to bring up her children * * Financial Times * *
A voice of real eloquence -- ANITA SETHI * * Independent * *
Compellingly twists the personal and the historical, humming with handed-down wisdom * * Literary Review * *


Awards
Winner of Commonwealth Writers' Prize - Best First Book 2008 (UK). Short-listed for Costa First Novel Award 2008 (UK) and Guardian First Book Award 2008 (UK).



Book Information
ISBN 9781786898623
Author Tahmima Anam
Format Paperback
Page Count 304
Imprint Canongate Canons
Publisher Canongate Books
Weight(grams) 205g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 18mm