Broken Threads - My Family From Empire to Independence

Mishal Husain always knew that the lives of her four grandparents changed forever in 1947, as the new nation states of India and Pakistan were born. But what she had was a partial story, a patchwork of memories and anecdotes: hurried departures, lucky escapes from violence and homes never seen again. Decades later, the fragment of an old sari sent her on a journey through time using letters, diaries, memoirs and audio tapes to trace four lives shaped by the Raj, a world war, independence and partition. Mumtaz rejects the marriage arranged for him as he forges a life with Mary, a devout Catholic from a struggling Anglo-Indian family, while Tahirah and Shahid watch the politics of pre-partition Delhi unfold at close quarters. As freedom comes, bonds fray and communities are divided, leaving two couples to forge new identities, while never forgetting the shared heritage of the past.

Product details

• Authors: Mishal Husain
• Publisher: Fourth Estate
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback
• Released: 08.05.2025
• EAN: 9780008531720
• ISBN: 978-0-00-853172-0
• Dimensions: 129 mm x 198 mm x 30 mm
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > 20th century (up to 1945); Non-fiction book > History > Biographies, autobiographies; Pakistan, History: specific events & topics, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Historical, Diaries, letters & journals, Biography: historical, political & military, LITERARY COLLECTIONS / Diaries & Journals, HISTORY / General, 20th Century, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Colonialism & Post-Colonialism, RELIGION / Religion, Politics & State, Memoirs, 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000, LITERARY COLLECTIONS / Letters, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Violence in Society, India, Colonialism & imperialism, Religion & politics, Early 20th century c 1900 to c 1950, Colonialism and imperialism, Violence in society, Religion and Politics, Diaries, letters and journals, Biography: historical, political and military, Violence, intolerance and persecution in history, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Memoirs