Remnants of Partition
21 Objects from a Continent Divided
Format:Paperback
Publisher:C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd
Published:12th Aug '21
Should be back in stock very soon
This paperback is available in another edition too:
- Hardback£30.00(9781787381209)
The emotion and trauma of the Partition are buried deep, but Aanchal Malhotra has found a way to recover them. Through the possessions saved by her own great-grandparents as they fled their homes, she discovers the unique power of such objects: to unlock the secrets of a colossal human migration, and a life that once was. Remnants of Partition is a remarkable alternative history, telling the family stories hidden within items carried between the new India and Pakistan, amid chaos and violence. They uncover a rich tapestry of pain and rupture, but also of hope and connection – in belonging through belongings, and identities reforged. From a string of pearls to a young woman’s poetry, this extraordinary book gives voice to the voiceless, restoring the everyday to a great drama of the twentieth century. Its power and poignancy will haunt the reader. Shortlisted for the British Academy's 2019 Al-Rodhan Prize A Hindustan Times 'India @ 70' book Shortlisted for the Hindu Lit for Life Non-Fiction Prize Shortlisted for the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize
'Aanchal Malhotra is a new star of Indian non-fiction' -- William Dalrymple
'This is a book of startling originality, weaving stories of intimate connections with objects and harrowing histories of displacement into beautifully cadenced prose. It is a book to treasure.' -- Edmund de Waal, author of 'The Hare With Amber Eyes'
This is a quietly powerful book; poignant, delicate and reflective. It is an alternative telling of the history of the Partition as a meditation on identity, belonging, and home.' -- Brown Girl Magazine
'A well-researched and richly readable book.' * Ramachandra Guha, author of 'India After Gandhi' *
'A wonderful idea stylishly executed.' -- Andrew Whitehead, former BBC India correspondent
'Aanchal Malhotra’s work shines a light onto a shadowy world and in so doing her book becomes a passport to another landscape, where tragedy, loss, memory and grief are slowly replaced with wonder.' -- Asian Affairs
'Aanchal Malhotra evokes one of the world's great tragedies in moving, beautiful prose, woven through everyday objects treasured as relics of a shattered age.' * Shashi Tharoor, Indian MP and author of 'Inglorious Empire' *
‘[Remnants of Partition] is one of the most compelling books I have read in a long time. It is a searing account of the power of memory to shape and reshape worlds. … This is oral history at its best.’ -- Joanna Bourke, Family and Community History journal
'Artfully weaves travel, memory and materials--all without guile--reminding us why India is one of the world's greatest storytelling cultures.' * Gurcharan Das, author of 'India Unbound' *
'This is a truly original way to approach the history of Partition. Through the finely observed details of everyday life, Malhotra's evocative writing brings depth and empathy to understanding this event.' -- Yasmin Khan, author of 'The Great Partition'
- Winner of • A Hindustan Times 'India @ 70' book.
ISBN: 9781787386037
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
440 pages