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A Thousand Times Before: A Novel
A heartrending family saga following three generations of women connected by a fantastic tapestry through which they inherit the experiences of those that lived before them, sweeping readers from Partition-era India to modern day Brooklyn.Ayukta is finally sitting down with her wife Nadya to respond to a question she’s long Should they have a child? The decision is complicated by a secret her family has kept for centuries, one that Ayukta will be the first to share with someone outside their the women in her family inherit a mysterious tapestry, through which each generation can experience the memories of those who came before her.Ayukta invites Nadya into this lineage, carrying her through its past. She relives her grandmother Amla’s Once a happy child in Karachi, Amla migrates to Gujarat during Partition, witnessing violence and loss that forever shape her approach to marriage and motherhood. Amla’s daughter, Arni, bears this weight in her own blood in 1974, when gender equity and urban class distinctions divide the community as a bold student movement takes hold. As Ayukta unspools these generations of women—whole decades of love, loss, heartbreak, and revival—she reveals the tapestry’s second the ability for each of these women to dramatically reshape their own worlds. Like all power, both fantastic and societal, this inheritance is more treacherous than it seems.What would it mean, to impart an impossible burden? To withhold these incredible gifts?Sweeping, deeply felt and intergenerational, A Thousand Times Before is a debut as poetic as it is propulsive, as healing as it is heartbreaking, as it examines what it means to carry our past with us and to pass it on. Rooted in a tender love story, and spun with a tremendous amount of care, this book is a rare, remarkable feat from an incredible new literary talent.
361 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 9, 2024
347 people are currently reading
13.3k people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 310 reviews
August 5, 2024
I would recommend A Thousand Times Before to a reader familiar with the Partition of India, who doesn't mind a retelling of events, rather than the characters actually experiencing the events. I prefer the latter, so this moved very slowly for me. I read a couple other reviews, and there is some agreement that Thanki referenced a lot of cultural and political terms without explaining them, and I was not engaged enough with the story to care to look them up to enhance my understanding. I felt like the author was trying to tackle too many things, leading to a surface-level story.
What Didn't Work for Me
I would not call this book an intergenerational story, as the book mainly focused on Amla. We learned next to nothing about the narrator (present day). That being said, I felt like Amla was an interesting character, and I would not have minded a book solely focusing on her story. I feel this would have allowed a deeper exploration of Partition and further development of Amla's character.
Along with the forced intergenerational story, there was too much going on between the tapestry and the political events. Even after finishing the book, I still didn't have a clear understanding of how the tapestry worked or what purpose it served for the family. The intergenerational story and the tapestry do complement each other more, so the author should have focused on a more even split with each woman experiencing the tapestry, or how Partition impacted each generation (and excluding the tapestry).
Finally, character development was flat. Since this is not told from each character's POV, it's hard to know what each person is thinking. Many of the characters also had repetitive traits. I felt like I was told so many times that Amla was sad or that Arni felt neglected. Since this book was on the longer side, I would prefer more variety in emotions or further insight into each experience of emotion.
What Didn't Work for Me
I would not call this book an intergenerational story, as the book mainly focused on Amla. We learned next to nothing about the narrator (present day). That being said, I felt like Amla was an interesting character, and I would not have minded a book solely focusing on her story. I feel this would have allowed a deeper exploration of Partition and further development of Amla's character.
Along with the forced intergenerational story, there was too much going on between the tapestry and the political events. Even after finishing the book, I still didn't have a clear understanding of how the tapestry worked or what purpose it served for the family. The intergenerational story and the tapestry do complement each other more, so the author should have focused on a more even split with each woman experiencing the tapestry, or how Partition impacted each generation (and excluding the tapestry).
Finally, character development was flat. Since this is not told from each character's POV, it's hard to know what each person is thinking. Many of the characters also had repetitive traits. I felt like I was told so many times that Amla was sad or that Arni felt neglected. Since this book was on the longer side, I would prefer more variety in emotions or further insight into each experience of emotion.
April 24, 2024
This book follows a lineage of women who have the gift to access the memories of their mother (and the generations of women before her) through a tapestry. The story takes the perspective of four women and spans many decades, beginning in pre-partition India and ending in 21st century New York.
The turmoil of events that characters experience was really interesting - I learned a lot about a history that I didn't know much of before - but the heart of the story is really the strength of female love, between mother and daughter but also sisters, friends, spouses, aunts, etc.
The message of this book was powerful, and made me think. How much of myself comes from my mother, and the mothers before her? The story brings out this sense of a sort of aching connection with all of the generations of women who have come before you. I can tell that this feeling will sit with me for a long time after finishing this book.
Lastly, the writing itself was lovely. The book used a frame narrative, in which the narrator was telling the story of the tapestry to her wife. The bulk of the story, which was of the lives of the previous three women to be stitched onto the tapestry, was in third person while the frame was written as the narrator speaking to her wife.
Loved and would definitely recommend this book.
The turmoil of events that characters experience was really interesting - I learned a lot about a history that I didn't know much of before - but the heart of the story is really the strength of female love, between mother and daughter but also sisters, friends, spouses, aunts, etc.
The message of this book was powerful, and made me think. How much of myself comes from my mother, and the mothers before her? The story brings out this sense of a sort of aching connection with all of the generations of women who have come before you. I can tell that this feeling will sit with me for a long time after finishing this book.
Lastly, the writing itself was lovely. The book used a frame narrative, in which the narrator was telling the story of the tapestry to her wife. The bulk of the story, which was of the lives of the previous three women to be stitched onto the tapestry, was in third person while the frame was written as the narrator speaking to her wife.
Loved and would definitely recommend this book.
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July 2, 2024Why I Love It
By Jerrod MacFarlane
When I was a kid my family recorded interviews with our elders so we would have their memories and stories for posterity. I am so grateful for that foresight and am always amazed by the surprising gems found in family archives. In her scintillating debut novel, A Thousand Times Before, Asha Thanki beautifully captures the wonderful and terrifying impact of the stories we pass down over generations.
Ayukta for years has not known how to share her larger-than-life family history with her wife. She fears sharing it all may scare her away, but then one day she finally relents after her wife asks once again: should we have a child? And so begins the unspooling story of generations of women bound together by a magical tapestry. This tapestry depicts the history of Ayutka’s family from its very beginnings. Each generation, it is passed down to a new female descendant, typically (but not always) mother to daughter. However, the tapestry does not just show the family’s past, it also allows its stewards to influence the future by weaving in new elements…
Moving from Gujarat to New York City and beyond, this is a story full of big ideas and major historical events. But ultimately A Thousand Times Before is a very personal and intimate tale. It movingly explores how our familial past can weigh on our shoulders, but also open us up to life’s fullest possibilities. Let its warmth and insight wrap around you!
By Jerrod MacFarlane
When I was a kid my family recorded interviews with our elders so we would have their memories and stories for posterity. I am so grateful for that foresight and am always amazed by the surprising gems found in family archives. In her scintillating debut novel, A Thousand Times Before, Asha Thanki beautifully captures the wonderful and terrifying impact of the stories we pass down over generations.
Ayukta for years has not known how to share her larger-than-life family history with her wife. She fears sharing it all may scare her away, but then one day she finally relents after her wife asks once again: should we have a child? And so begins the unspooling story of generations of women bound together by a magical tapestry. This tapestry depicts the history of Ayutka’s family from its very beginnings. Each generation, it is passed down to a new female descendant, typically (but not always) mother to daughter. However, the tapestry does not just show the family’s past, it also allows its stewards to influence the future by weaving in new elements…
Moving from Gujarat to New York City and beyond, this is a story full of big ideas and major historical events. But ultimately A Thousand Times Before is a very personal and intimate tale. It movingly explores how our familial past can weigh on our shoulders, but also open us up to life’s fullest possibilities. Let its warmth and insight wrap around you!
September 11, 2024
ouch but in a good way.
August 11, 2024
A beautiful, heartbreaking story about family, generational trauma, and the ways we are molded by those that came before us.
The story starts out, first, as a young woman telling her wife there are things about her family she must share, now that she is finally ready. I love the storytelling quality of it and how it is introduced. You are reminded, through the parts of each section, that this is a story being shared to help the other understand and make an informed decision. One is sharing a secret.
I loved the idea of this tapestry - one that portrays all the women of the family that came before. I loved the ways they were connected, learning of their struggles and loves, and how they changed those that knew the stories. The idea that the current holder could experience these memories was both touching and fascinating. What would that be like? To not only know the story, but truly know and understand your mother and grandmother? It's a compelling story, one that kept me wondering how it would all come together. I knew little of the Partition and was shocking and heartbroken to learn the stories. The writing was gorgeous, the story just flowed, and I found myself completed swept away with this one. I loved it!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
The story starts out, first, as a young woman telling her wife there are things about her family she must share, now that she is finally ready. I love the storytelling quality of it and how it is introduced. You are reminded, through the parts of each section, that this is a story being shared to help the other understand and make an informed decision. One is sharing a secret.
I loved the idea of this tapestry - one that portrays all the women of the family that came before. I loved the ways they were connected, learning of their struggles and loves, and how they changed those that knew the stories. The idea that the current holder could experience these memories was both touching and fascinating. What would that be like? To not only know the story, but truly know and understand your mother and grandmother? It's a compelling story, one that kept me wondering how it would all come together. I knew little of the Partition and was shocking and heartbroken to learn the stories. The writing was gorgeous, the story just flowed, and I found myself completed swept away with this one. I loved it!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
July 29, 2024
2.5⭐️ I really wanted to like this book but it was just a big trauma dump while trying to sound poetic and introspective. I initially picked this book because of the magic factor but it leans more towards historical fiction than fantasy, while also not really touching on the whole magic aspect of the story.
May 9, 2024
This is a knockout. Great characters, compelling narration. fascinating stories.
August 31, 2024
"A Thousand Times Before" by Asha Thanki is women's fiction and historical fiction, but it is not sci-fi/ fantasy as it was listed on Netgalley. There is a tiny bit of magical realism, but not really enough to classify it that genre, nor fantasy.
This story covers several generations of Ayukta's family, starting with her grandmother Amla's childhood just before the Partition of India in 1947. Then we learn of her daughter, Vibha's, life. Next, we learn of Amla's other daughter, Arni's, life.
There is a tapestry with the women of each generation in Ayukta's family. As soon as the daughter's image is embroidered into it, they are able to access the memories of the former mothers and grandmothers of their line.
This book went very slowly to me, and I didn't really know about the Indian history mentioned.
Characters - 5/5
Writing - 4/5
Plot - 3/5
Pacing - 2/5
Unputdownability - 3/5
Enjoyment - 3/5
Cover - 3/5
Overall - 23/7 = 3 2/7, rounded down to 3 stars
Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin Group Viking, and Asha Thanki for providing this e-book in exchange for my honest review.
This story covers several generations of Ayukta's family, starting with her grandmother Amla's childhood just before the Partition of India in 1947. Then we learn of her daughter, Vibha's, life. Next, we learn of Amla's other daughter, Arni's, life.
There is a tapestry with the women of each generation in Ayukta's family. As soon as the daughter's image is embroidered into it, they are able to access the memories of the former mothers and grandmothers of their line.
This book went very slowly to me, and I didn't really know about the Indian history mentioned.
Characters - 5/5
Writing - 4/5
Plot - 3/5
Pacing - 2/5
Unputdownability - 3/5
Enjoyment - 3/5
Cover - 3/5
Overall - 23/7 = 3 2/7, rounded down to 3 stars
Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin Group Viking, and Asha Thanki for providing this e-book in exchange for my honest review.
August 16, 2024
a gorgeous magical realism family saga where every single page tugged at my heartstrings. i can’t believe more people aren’t talking about this book!
July 14, 2024
#BOTM just didn’t do it for me. Interesting premise, first born daughters could access memories of their ancestors. Wish I could BUT this book takes place in India/Pakistan and became confusing. I had to use Google frequently to look up Indian terminology. Names of characters frequently had names starting with “A” and I would loose track of who was who. The India history was interesting although confusing. Written as the reader should be familiar with their history, I am not, although I want to be. I just got bored, the book took too much effort to read and therefore did not hold my interest.
July 19, 2024
4⭐️ I really enjoyed this book. It’s a very different approach to ancestry and the generational trauma we carry. I remember doing genealogy research with my mother and always wondered what the people before us must have been like and felt.
Told by Ayukta to her wife Nadya. She tells of a secret tapestry that holds the lives and tragedies of generations of women in her family. She is able to access the memories of these women as the tapestry is passed from mother to daughter. The magic passed down through the generations that can change lives, for good or bad. Some of the choices turn tragic.
Told through the eyes of Ayukta looking back to her mother Arni, and her grandmother Amla, we experience the Partition in India and Pakistan and the loves and losses of her female ancestors. Great characters, compelling stories and unique approach to family history.
I liked this interesting take on looking back on all those that came before and what their lives and trials and triumphs must have been. If only we could have a magic tapestry?
Told by Ayukta to her wife Nadya. She tells of a secret tapestry that holds the lives and tragedies of generations of women in her family. She is able to access the memories of these women as the tapestry is passed from mother to daughter. The magic passed down through the generations that can change lives, for good or bad. Some of the choices turn tragic.
Told through the eyes of Ayukta looking back to her mother Arni, and her grandmother Amla, we experience the Partition in India and Pakistan and the loves and losses of her female ancestors. Great characters, compelling stories and unique approach to family history.
I liked this interesting take on looking back on all those that came before and what their lives and trials and triumphs must have been. If only we could have a magic tapestry?
January 8, 2025
A touching and bittersweet story about family, the traumas that are passed down through generations, and the lasting influence of those who came before us. I felt connected to each character and appreciated how their individual stories seamlessly tied into the larger narrative, all while told from the perspective of the character in the present day. I listened to the audiobook, and the narration made it even more engaging.
January 5, 2025
A lot of people like this book but I read it as a big trauma dump. Interesting to read about the Partition of India but didn’t love the way the story was told.
March 18, 2025
This book made me cry multiple times but what a beautiful look at the mother daughter relationship across generations and the weight of our history. For so many Indians/Pakistanis, our grandparents’ and parents’ lives were shaped by partition and political upheaval, but it’s so hard to talk about. For the characters to pass those memories down, it’s both a gift and a burden, and really made me think about my own family’s history and how we all ended up where we are today.
July 14, 2024
Beautiful narration and multi generational story
August 8, 2024
4.5 ⭐️’s. Stunning and beautiful. Life never really ends. This is advertised as Ayukta’s journey primarily, but truly it’s Amla’s, but really it’s everyone’s.
“I could not be who I am without that which you have given me.”
“I could not be who I am without that which you have given me.”
March 27, 2024
“There is no role in life more essential and more eternal than that of motherhood.”
—M. Russell Ballard
A captivating story of how a mother’s love, lessons, and even the parts of herself that she hides away can influence generations to come. I was so enthralled by the intertwining stories of these mothers/daughters that we begin to hear through the book’s narrator Ayukta as she shares this unbelievable tale of how she is able to access the memories of her ancestors through a tapestry handed down through generations. This story has heavy influences in its Indian history, but its message can be felt across all cultures. This is an absolute must read.
*thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this story early!
—M. Russell Ballard
A captivating story of how a mother’s love, lessons, and even the parts of herself that she hides away can influence generations to come. I was so enthralled by the intertwining stories of these mothers/daughters that we begin to hear through the book’s narrator Ayukta as she shares this unbelievable tale of how she is able to access the memories of her ancestors through a tapestry handed down through generations. This story has heavy influences in its Indian history, but its message can be felt across all cultures. This is an absolute must read.
*thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this story early!
July 30, 2024
This is a DNF book. There is too much I just don’t understand with the vocabulary and the history. I’m completely lost. I give up on having to google what things are and keeping track of who’s who.
November 8, 2024
I honestly need to read this again later. I rented through Libby and this is the first time my hold almost elapsed while I was reading so had to rush through the last half more than I would have liked, and this is when it was really picking up. Beautiful prose.
Here’s some quotes I grabbed:
I kept waiting to not be scared of how much you meant to me. Instead I grew frightened of you not believing me—of losing you. I thought, time and again, that I should tell you all of this plainly, with no overtures or introductions, but it felt too raw, too risky.
What am I but the calcium in my bones, strings of genetic material from my mother, and hers, and hers before her? All of this has been asked before.
Let me understand what you have passed along. I could not be who I am without that which you have given me.
Is this what it means for home to become a place she feels inside herself?
Here’s some quotes I grabbed:
I kept waiting to not be scared of how much you meant to me. Instead I grew frightened of you not believing me—of losing you. I thought, time and again, that I should tell you all of this plainly, with no overtures or introductions, but it felt too raw, too risky.
What am I but the calcium in my bones, strings of genetic material from my mother, and hers, and hers before her? All of this has been asked before.
Let me understand what you have passed along. I could not be who I am without that which you have given me.
Is this what it means for home to become a place she feels inside herself?
February 14, 2025
It was a story tucked in within a story and to be honest, I would have liked it to be told as one story over the generations. And I would have liked to hear more about Arni and Ayukta’s stories or have it been only Amla’s story the whole time. I think Amla was the most well developed character. But I do think there’s high value here for the desi queer representation
August 10, 2024
This book reminded me a little bit of 100 Years of Solitude but that was probably because it had a sprinkle of generational magical-realism to it. My one complaint is that I was not a fan of the first-person perspective throughout. I liked it at the end as a representation of the newest generation but it distracted me during the others.
August 26, 2024
This book was amazingly written. It felt very authentic, genuine. Giving the women the power was everything to me.
September 15, 2024
If you’re looking for a beautiful, drawn out, queer love story this is the one. Put me on the verge of tears on the subway.
September 17, 2024
I’m not sure why it took me so long to finish this book, I really enjoyed reading it. I loved the story and the complex characters and I think this is a book worth reading.
October 9, 2024
good debut - realistic story, good characters. loved the type of demographic it represents. loved the ending to certain characters’ stories
August 15, 2024
best read of 2024 for me! love this story of amazing women 🤟🏻
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September 18, 2024Every once in a while, I come across a book I hope will never end. “A Thousand Times Before” is one of those rare life-changing novels. Thanki’s debut sweeping family saga is both introspective and universal, heartbreaking yet beautiful.
Spanning across three generations and dating from pre-partition Karachi to present-day Brooklyn, readers follow a lineage of women intricately bound together by a mystical family heirloom—a tapestry that is equal parts blessing and burden. With each woman woven into the tapestry comes an inheritance of memories and traumas from the past, along with the ability to create alternate endings through their artwork. Now, the time has come for Ayukta to decide whether she wants to have a child with her wife, Nadya, and what having a daughter might mean with this dangerously powerful family gift.
“A Thousand Times Before” radiates feminist intimacy and power. Thanki explores what it means for women to wield strength in a world where they’ve traditionally been dispossessed. The family gift, passed down only to women, becomes a source of solidarity. Stories of love between the women, particularly between Amla and her best friend Fiza, torn apart by Partition, serve as the emotional core of the book. Sisterhood is also explored between Arni and her older sister Vibha, who sacrifices everything for her little sister to live freely. It made me grateful for my big sister who experienced life first to help me better experience my own.
The exploration of legacy as both a tribute to ancestors and a hope for future generations deeply resonated with me. Thanki shows that through remembering, our forebears never truly die, and though those memories can weigh heavily, it is a privilege to learn and grow from them. I was especially moved by Amla’s story, the matriarch of the family, whose life is shaped by the trauma of Partition. While today’s generation might be familiar with displacement as members of the South Asian diaspora, Amla’s story ruminates on what it is to literally be unhomed. Her reflections and yearning for a place that only exists in memory adds a poignant layer to the novel’s themes of displacement and loss.
Thanki shows that reconciliation with a long line of pain includes honoring the past and using it as fuel to create a better future. This testament to womanhood, legacy, and the weight of history will have me thinking about it for years to come.
Spanning across three generations and dating from pre-partition Karachi to present-day Brooklyn, readers follow a lineage of women intricately bound together by a mystical family heirloom—a tapestry that is equal parts blessing and burden. With each woman woven into the tapestry comes an inheritance of memories and traumas from the past, along with the ability to create alternate endings through their artwork. Now, the time has come for Ayukta to decide whether she wants to have a child with her wife, Nadya, and what having a daughter might mean with this dangerously powerful family gift.
“A Thousand Times Before” radiates feminist intimacy and power. Thanki explores what it means for women to wield strength in a world where they’ve traditionally been dispossessed. The family gift, passed down only to women, becomes a source of solidarity. Stories of love between the women, particularly between Amla and her best friend Fiza, torn apart by Partition, serve as the emotional core of the book. Sisterhood is also explored between Arni and her older sister Vibha, who sacrifices everything for her little sister to live freely. It made me grateful for my big sister who experienced life first to help me better experience my own.
The exploration of legacy as both a tribute to ancestors and a hope for future generations deeply resonated with me. Thanki shows that through remembering, our forebears never truly die, and though those memories can weigh heavily, it is a privilege to learn and grow from them. I was especially moved by Amla’s story, the matriarch of the family, whose life is shaped by the trauma of Partition. While today’s generation might be familiar with displacement as members of the South Asian diaspora, Amla’s story ruminates on what it is to literally be unhomed. Her reflections and yearning for a place that only exists in memory adds a poignant layer to the novel’s themes of displacement and loss.
Thanki shows that reconciliation with a long line of pain includes honoring the past and using it as fuel to create a better future. This testament to womanhood, legacy, and the weight of history will have me thinking about it for years to come.
November 25, 2024
Really enjoyed the plot, the historical fiction aspect and the ending. However the format of the retelling of the story was taking me out of the story a little.
July 15, 2024
So, I created a NetGalley account because I wanted to be able to read ARCs. And I know I needed to build up my profile with reviews before I can request the books that I wanted. So I set out to browse through the read now section and the minute I came across this, I knew this was going to be it - My first ARC!
The compelling blurb, its setting in India, and the beautiful cover all played a part in my decision and I'm so glad I picked this book up.
Nadya wants a baby, but Ayukta is unsure. Nadya is supportive but is unaware of her partner's true reasons. One evening, Ayukta decides to tell Nadya a story. A story of her mother and one of her grandmother.
Eleven year-old Amla lives in pre-partition Karachi with her ba and bapu. She has an innocent childhood, spending her evenings on the balcony sucking on Kulfis, comforted by the consisten rhythm of her life. Little does she know how drastically her life will change in a matter of months. Of how she would have to pack her entire life, leave her closest friend behind and move away. She also is surprised when she learns of the existence of an ancestral tapestry. And how when her name is sewn into it, she will be able to access the memories of every women that came before her. Of the power that this tapestry gives her.
The next storyline is that of Arni's, Arni is the youngest child and grows up shadowed by her siblings, Vibha and Anurag. She yearns for the attention her mother showers on Vibha and envies the closeness between Vibha and Anurag. Growing up with parents who don't love each other, she feels lost about her identity and rebels against her uncertain surroundings. She doesn't realize that soon she will be entrusted with the responsibility she has always wanted, but with consequences she didn't ask for.
This is a fantastic debut by Asha Thanki. It is well researched, and incredibly well written - it offers such real and vivid descriptions. The author expertly explores lives of women set during major historical events in India. It explores the power imbalance between men and women, it explores the cultural and religious tension and I think its so important that more people read it.
The book will make you think about the life and experiences of your mother. It will make you contemplate about the women in your family and the profound impacts of their experiences. It reminds that you are shaped by the collective experiences and sacrifices of those who came before you.
The tone of the narratives for these women initially seemed somewhat alike, but as the story unfolds, each women is realized fully, materialized by her decisions and even her mistakes. Amla grows up sheltered with loving parents, while Arni's childhood is starkly different, with parents that get an arranged marriage - for stability and not love. It offers insight into how the environment you grow up in, the people around you and even the societal norms at the time will shape your identity.
Ultimately, this is a beautiful story of womanhood and motherhood, set against the backdrop of India's tumultuous partition era. It is a tale that is both moving and thought-provoking.
Thanks to Netgalley and Viking books for an ARC of this book!
The compelling blurb, its setting in India, and the beautiful cover all played a part in my decision and I'm so glad I picked this book up.
Nadya wants a baby, but Ayukta is unsure. Nadya is supportive but is unaware of her partner's true reasons. One evening, Ayukta decides to tell Nadya a story. A story of her mother and one of her grandmother.
Eleven year-old Amla lives in pre-partition Karachi with her ba and bapu. She has an innocent childhood, spending her evenings on the balcony sucking on Kulfis, comforted by the consisten rhythm of her life. Little does she know how drastically her life will change in a matter of months. Of how she would have to pack her entire life, leave her closest friend behind and move away. She also is surprised when she learns of the existence of an ancestral tapestry. And how when her name is sewn into it, she will be able to access the memories of every women that came before her. Of the power that this tapestry gives her.
The next storyline is that of Arni's, Arni is the youngest child and grows up shadowed by her siblings, Vibha and Anurag. She yearns for the attention her mother showers on Vibha and envies the closeness between Vibha and Anurag. Growing up with parents who don't love each other, she feels lost about her identity and rebels against her uncertain surroundings. She doesn't realize that soon she will be entrusted with the responsibility she has always wanted, but with consequences she didn't ask for.
This is a fantastic debut by Asha Thanki. It is well researched, and incredibly well written - it offers such real and vivid descriptions. The author expertly explores lives of women set during major historical events in India. It explores the power imbalance between men and women, it explores the cultural and religious tension and I think its so important that more people read it.
The book will make you think about the life and experiences of your mother. It will make you contemplate about the women in your family and the profound impacts of their experiences. It reminds that you are shaped by the collective experiences and sacrifices of those who came before you.
The tone of the narratives for these women initially seemed somewhat alike, but as the story unfolds, each women is realized fully, materialized by her decisions and even her mistakes. Amla grows up sheltered with loving parents, while Arni's childhood is starkly different, with parents that get an arranged marriage - for stability and not love. It offers insight into how the environment you grow up in, the people around you and even the societal norms at the time will shape your identity.
Ultimately, this is a beautiful story of womanhood and motherhood, set against the backdrop of India's tumultuous partition era. It is a tale that is both moving and thought-provoking.
Thanks to Netgalley and Viking books for an ARC of this book!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 310 reviews