Latest Read: The Pakistani Bride by Bapsi Sidhwa

A fast paced story that follows a Kohistani boy into manhood as he gains and loses a family, witnesses the Partition and adopts a little girl. I particularly liked the way Sidhwa has described the change in the mindsets of the newly formed country.
I had been excited to read this but when I did, I realised that I was too late. This came out in the 1980s and I am certain that at that time it was much talked about. Since then, however, this genre of Desi English books has evolved quite a bit.  Some books are timeless and will always be great. This is not one of them. I feel a little sad writing about it this way because it IS a very good story, compellingly written and the problems and issues it brings up are the same now as they were when Sidhwa wrote about them. I am not not recommending it, but that is about all I can honestly say.

Latest Read: The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge

I should call this the latest reread. I read this wonderful book many many years ago. It is a story about a girl who comes to live with her uncle in the country and discovers her family's unfortunate history. It is full of hope and there is magic and the power of goodness and patience. It is set in nineteenth century England, a time for which I have a soft spot because Agatha Christie, C. S. Lewis and Jane Austen are old friends of mine.  I had originally bought it to read to my daughter but I will wait till she is a little older. If you have a little girl in your life, who is in her tweens, this book will make a wonderful present.