When the 1947 partition of India tears the country apart, fifteen-year-old Aryan finds his once happy, wealthy, peaceful world shattered. As a Hindu stuck in the middle of Muslim Pakistan, he is uprooted by the colonizing efforts of the country's leaders and the threat of attack from Muslim gangs. Sure enough, a gang raids and destroys his home, kills his father and sister, and forces Aryan and his mother to flee for their lives.
In India, Aryan and his mother face something they've never known: the struggle to survive. When Aryan gets the chance to move to the United Kingdom to work, he takes it. In the United Kingdom, he marries Sonia and settles down. Life seems happy again.
But several years later, Sonia's brother, Manoj, comes home to find Aryan's family brutally murdered and Aryan missing. When Aryan's body is found soon after and evidence suggests Aryan's close friend Rohan is the killer, Manoj vows revenge. Thus begins a harrowing chase that leads Manoj and Rohan back to India.
Interspersed with enlightening glimpses into the story's historical context, this is an engaging tale examining the capacity of humans to both hope and hate.
About the Author: In the lasting disarray resulting from the partition of India, Hari Prinjha and his family moved away from Pakistan, leaving everything behind but the clothes on their backs. He went on to earn several degrees from various universities, including a BA from Punjab University in India and a BA in English literature from the Open University in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom. He also has experience related to writing and literature subjects, including creative writing, children's literature, and twentieth-century literature.
