Book Info
Name of Book : The Book of Everlasting Things
Author : Aanchal Malhotra
Publisher : HarperCollins India
Publication Date : 23 December 2023
No. of Pages : 442
Format : Paperback
Why did I choose the book ?
The Book of Everlasting Things by Aanchal Malhotra was read as a part of #52booksin52weeks challenge.
Where to get the book ?
The Book of Everlasting Things by Aanchal Malhotra is available on Amazon :
Author Introduction
Aanchal Malhotra is a writer and oral historian from New Delhi. She is the co-founder of the Museum of Material Memory, and the author of two critically acclaimed books, Remnants of a Separation and In the Language of Remembering, that explore the human history and generational impact of the 1947 Partition. The Book of Everlasting Things is her debut novel.
Blurb
LAHORE, 1938.
Drawn by an intoxicating smell, Samir Vij first locks eyes with Firdaus Khan through the rows of perfume bottles in his family's ittar shop in Anarkali Bazaar. Over the years that follow, the perfumer and the illuminator of manuscripts fall in love, their story written in dark and delicate ink.
However, with the 1947 Partition and the birth of two independent nations, Samir, a Hindu, becomes Indian and Firdaus, a Muslim, becomes Pakistani. Bound by family and fate, torn between duty and desire, as the two lovers move farther away from one other, they must decide how much of their memories to hold on to...
An assured debut novel from historian Aanchal Malhotra, The Book of Everlasting Things is both intimate and sweeping. A story spanning continents and generations, braiding the threads of the past to the future, here is a book which will linger in the reader's mind like the notes of an unforgettable perfume.
My Opinion
Imagine this plot of skin as an island. Isolated from all smells, a brief interlude, a patch of renewal
The Book of Everlasting Things by Aanchal Malhotra is a touching story of love amidst partition. The plot is fragrant with ittar and slowly touches your heart. It moves and makes way to capture the emotions of each character. I was mesmerized by the amount of detailing, which sits like jewels in the plot. And as the author defines "ittars," you can literally feel each fragrance lingering around you. I felt a personal connection to this, as I also love "Ittars" so much. But the book is not only about fragrance; it has pain and separation, which makes your heart cry out. I would like to applaud the author for her efforts in relating all the characters in such a minute thread. And, that is not all; the plot captured my heart with its artistic imagery, which creates in your mind while reading it. To inhale the full essence of the book, you need patience and love.
I do not know whether my words can do full justice to the book or not. But this is one of the best pieces of literature I have read this year. It is one of those books that will remain unfaded in a reader's memory and will urge readers to revisit it again and again.
Ratings
- Recommendation ----------------- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Cover ------------------------------- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Characters ------------------------- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Narration -------------------------- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Climax ----------------------------- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Plot --------------------------------- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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