Blood Brothers - MJ Akbar

Fiction

Verdict: Read It (3/5)

Overview:

Brief Note: Ironically, I read this before and didn't even realize it until I was making my entry into my list of books read and checking if I read anything from MJ Akbar before. This is what happens when you read too much. I'm going to review it anyway because I don't think I did before.

Blood Brothers is yet another novel that I picked up from Bookworm. I'm not sure what made me pick it up. This is the first book I've read by MJ Akbar

The time just prior to and during partition is well-tread ground for good reason. This book is a multigenerational novel about a family that has moved to Bengal outside one of the famous Jute Mills and how the events unfolded around them during and after partition. They are decently well off thanks to a smart grandfather. The family has influence in the community and helps to avert the community tensions that plagued many other places in Calcutta during partition. 

What I Enjoyed:

The novel is well-written and easy to understand. MJ Akbar does a masterful job of splitting his attention between character development and historical events. While a little out of the ordinary, Akbar managed to find a balance between hope and being believable in terms of avoiding community bloodshed. 

What I Disliked:

I would have liked a little more detail on the family relationships. While the importance of the historical events is undeniable, the effects on families and their relationships can't be ignored either. I felt the father's character development could have gone into more depth. There were a few slightly slow sections.

Summary:

It took me quite some time to finish this novel for the 2nd time. There are very few novels I will voluntarily read twice. I would not read this a third time. That being said, this is a suitable contender for a reader who is not familiar with Calcutta and partition. Read it!

 

~Becky~