Broken Threads - My Family From Empire to Independence

An extraordinary history of Mishal Husain''s four grandparents, whose lives were shaped by the tumultuous politics and prejudices of empire, war and partition. Through a narrative odyssey that traces the complexities of her own ancestry, Mishal Husain sheds incredible light on a landmark historical period. Mary, a devout Catholic of Anglo-Indian parentage, leaves a struggling family to train as a nurse. Tahirah was born to middle-class Muslim parents and grows up with an emphasis on education and aspiration. Mumtaz steps away from everything and everyone he knows to train as a doctor, while Shahid finds purpose and success in the Army as a Sandhurst cadet. This gripping family history follows a nation becoming ever more divided in the face of social inequality, civil disobedience and the Second World War. Two centuries of British rule in South Asia come to an end with the birth of independent India and the new state of Pakistan, dividing both families and communities while leaving a legacy of distrust, tension and conflict that endures today. Constructing a warm and vivid portrait of an exceptional family from diverse backgrounds, Broken Threads confronts the acute sense of loss brought on by partition, the rupturing of cross-border relationships, and the resulting shift in identities.

Summary

A SUNDAY TIMES TOP 10 BESTSELLERORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING FINALIST SHORTLISTED FOR THE WESTMINSTER BOOK AWARDS'One of the best memoirs I've read in years' SATHNAM SANGHERA'Beautifully written, emotional and deeply personal, yet universal ... One can't help but be moved by this story of upheaval and transformation' SADIQ KHAN

Product details

• Authors: Mishal Husain
• Publisher: Fourth Estate
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 06.06.2024
• EAN: 9780008531690
• ISBN: 978-0-00-853169-0
• Dimensions: 135 mm x 215 mm x 25 mm
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > Modern era up to 1918; Non-fiction book; Pakistan, Diaries, letters & journals, Biography: historical, political & military, 20th Century, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Colonialism & Post-Colonialism, Memoirs, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Imperialism, India, Colonialism & imperialism, Religion & politics, Early 20th century c 1900 to c 1950, Colonialism and imperialism, Religion and Politics, Diaries, letters and journals, Biography: historical, political and military, Violence, intolerance and persecution in history, HISTORY / Modern / 20th Century / General, HISTORY / Asia / South / India, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Asian & Asian American