Books from neighbouring countries!!

Books from borders and neighbouring countries!!

Even though we share a sweet and sour bond with our neighbouring countries. There are certain assets of literature that we cannot avoid. They are rich in culture, language and humanity. That is what literature does: sets us free. It releases us from all boundaries of border, colour raise and ties us with a thread of love and companionship. 

Here are some of the assets of literature from the borders around the world: 

1. Home fire

𝙉𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 : 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲 

𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿 : 𝗞𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗮 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗺𝘀𝗶𝗲 

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 :★★★★.☆

𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝. 𝘿𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝💥

Home  fire is the story of a british muslim family with pakistani origin. The book is about Isma, Aneeka and parvaiz- who were orphaned by the death of their mother, grandmother and abandoned jihadi father. The book portrays their life , the shame and fear that they grow up with. But one decision by Parvaiz, and everything around them changes. Their lives take a toil and eventually everything falls apart. 

The book is divided into five parts depicting the character’s individual point of view. The book is so well penned and the story telling keeps you hooked to the end. I loved Isma , so self sacrificing and calm . The sacrifices to be ‘a mother ‘ to her twins. But keeping her as a supporting role made me angry. She deserved more. She deserved everything….

The book talks about pain. Humiliation and sacrifices. A tragedy that never ends. A feeling of loss. Loss of siblings you brought up as your own child. Warmth of a family without parents but still complete. I completed the book a few hours ago and how I am feeling cannot be put into words. So poignant and devastating.

2. Americanah

𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢 𝘈𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦 

𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲 : 𝖥𝗂𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 :★★★★

𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 :

𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝗂𝗌 𝖺 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒 𝗈𝖿 𝖼𝗁𝗂𝗅𝖽𝗁𝗈𝗈𝖽 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾 𝖻𝗂𝗋𝖽𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝖭𝗂𝗀𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖺 , 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗂𝗋 𝗃𝗈𝗎𝗋𝗇𝖾𝗒 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗐𝗈 𝖽𝗂𝖿𝖿𝖾𝗋𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗉𝗅𝖺𝖼𝖾𝗌 -𝖠𝗆𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖼𝖺 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖤𝗇𝗀𝗅𝖺𝗇𝖽 . 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒 𝖾𝗇𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗉𝖺𝗌𝗌𝖾𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝗋𝖾𝖾 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗇𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗌 𝗉𝗈𝗋𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗒𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖽𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗌𝗂𝗍𝗒 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗏𝖺𝗋𝗂𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝖺𝗅𝗈𝗇𝗀 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝖼𝗎𝗅𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖺𝗅 𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗂𝗌𝗆, 𝗂𝖽𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗍𝗒 𝗅𝗈𝗌𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗅𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗅𝗂𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗌. 

𝖨𝖿𝖾𝗆𝖾𝗅𝗎 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖮𝖻𝗂𝗇𝗓𝖾 , 𝖺𝗅𝗐𝖺𝗒𝗌 𝖽𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗆𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝖺 𝗅𝗂𝖿𝖾 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖶𝖾𝗌𝗍 . 𝖡𝗎𝗍 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗒 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝗀𝖾𝗍𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝗅𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗂𝗋 𝖽𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗆𝗌 ,𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗒 𝖿𝖺𝖼𝖾𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗅𝗂𝗍𝗒.𝖣𝖾𝗌𝗉𝗂𝗍𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒 𝗀𝗈𝗈𝖽 𝗂𝗇 𝖠𝖼𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗆𝗂𝖼𝗌, 𝖨𝖿𝖾𝗆𝖾𝗅𝗎 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗎𝗀𝗀𝗅𝖾𝗌 𝖻𝖾𝗂𝗇𝗀 “𝖺 𝖻𝗅𝖺𝖼𝗄” 𝗂𝗇 𝖺 𝖿𝗈𝗋𝖾𝗂𝗀𝗇 𝗅𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝗅𝖾 𝖮𝖻𝗂𝗇𝗓𝖾 𝗅𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗌 𝖺𝗌 𝖺𝗇 “𝖾𝗆𝗆𝗂𝗀𝗋𝖺𝗇𝗍” , 𝗊𝗎𝗂𝗍𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝖾𝖺𝖽𝗒 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗎𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗀𝗈𝖾𝗌 𝗏𝖺𝗋𝗂𝗈𝗎𝗌 𝗌𝗈𝗋𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝖽𝗂𝗌𝖼𝗋𝗂𝗆𝗂𝗇𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇.

𝖨 𝖽𝗂𝗌𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾𝖽 𝖨𝖿𝖾𝗆𝖾𝗅𝗎 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖾𝗌 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗀𝗋𝖾𝗐 𝖿𝗈𝗇𝖽 𝗈𝖿 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗈𝗉𝗂𝗇𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌, 𝖻𝗅𝗈𝗀𝗌 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝖼𝗁 𝗍𝖾𝗅𝗅𝗌 𝗎𝗌 𝖺𝖻𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗂𝗌𝗆 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗂𝗇𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍𝗂𝖼𝖾 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝖺𝖼𝗍𝗎𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝗉𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖼𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗂𝗍. 

𝖡𝖾𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺 𝗇𝗈𝗋𝗍𝗁 𝖾𝖺𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗇, 𝗂 𝗋𝖾𝗅𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗎𝗅𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖺𝗅 𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗂𝗌𝗆 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗐𝖾 𝖺𝗅𝗐𝖺𝗒𝗌 𝖿𝖺𝖼𝖾. 𝖭𝗈𝗍 𝖺 𝗌𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗅𝖾 𝖽𝖺𝗒 𝗉𝖺𝗌𝗌𝖾𝗌 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗇𝖾𝗐𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝖿𝖾𝗅𝗅𝗈𝗐 𝗇𝗈𝗋𝗍𝗁 𝖾𝖺𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗇 𝖻𝖾𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖾𝖽 𝗈𝗋 𝗌𝗁𝖺𝗆𝖾𝖽 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗁𝗈𝗐 𝗐𝖾 𝗅𝗈𝗈𝗄. 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝗇𝖾𝗐𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗇𝗈𝗋𝗍𝗁 𝖾𝖺𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗇 𝗐𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗇 𝖻𝖾𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗌𝗉𝗂𝗍 𝗈𝗇 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖼𝖺𝗅𝗅𝖾𝖽 “𝖼𝗈𝗋𝗈𝗇𝖺 𝗏𝗂𝗋𝗎𝗌” 𝗋𝖾𝗌𝖾𝗆𝖻𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗎𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝖢𝗁𝗂𝗇𝖺 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗇 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝗐𝖾 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝖺 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗈𝗎𝗇𝗍𝗋𝗒

3. Pachinko

Every step you take is uncertain. Your family can be killed any minute just because you belong to a particular community. 

You stand there watching your house turn into ashes. Your heart oozes out pain until you can no longer breath.

Maybe that’s how Sunja felt . Her lover ditched her when she was pregnant. And this changed her life. Later she was married to Isak and moved to Japan where her life  took a turn for the worse. The book talks about various issues korean immigrants faced in Japan, sheer racism and struggle to make a living. The struggle for basic needs left a scar in my heart making me want to wipe out their identity and mark them as japanese but i could not. Noah tried. He ran away, took a japanese name,married a japanese woman but failed. His suicide made me weep and it took me two days to pen this. My hands are trembling. I wish I could change the story , make everything right,and bring Noah and Isak back. But I know I can’t. Because Isak lied deep in the ground watching Sunja fight patiently until the end.

It is a multi generation family saga but Sunja , Isak and Noah have to be my favourite. The writing is slow paced but never makes you bored.

4. Train to Pakistan

“𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐢𝐬, 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝.𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐛𝐛𝐞𝐝.𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝.𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐝”

📌The book is set in the partition time in a village Mano Majra, on the border of India and pakistan”.The book deals with murders , rapes conflicts depleting the scenarios of those times. Ah, the pain, the suffering  conflicts ,raids break my heart. How hard it was for me to read and not cry. 

The most heartbreaking part of the book was when a train arrives carrying dead bodies of sikhs, villages converted in battlefields killing and devastating the harmony of the unaffected village.