LADIES TAILOR BY PRIYA HAJELA

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BOOK NAME:  LADIES' TAILOR

NAME OF THE AUTHOR: PRIYA HAJELA

GENRE: LITERARY AND CONTEMPORARY FICTION

PUBLISHER: HARPERCOLLINS INDIA

BOOK BUY LINK : Amazon India


This was my next partition based fiction that I read for the month of august. This book was more about the after effects of partition which put people under immense emotional turbulence. The book beautifully paints a picture of a post partition India and Pakistan which led to the start of a communal and ethnic calamity on either sides of the border. Partition might mean various things to various people in politics but what was it like for a common man, a man who wanted to just run his business and make a living or a lady waiting for her husband and children to return home or for the elderly couple who built that beautiful house with all their life savings or for the kids who just wanted to be at school next day?! This book will precisely give you an insight about it.





Gurudev is leaving to Delhi from Lahore with his wife and kids leaving behind his parents and his dirty secrets. He meets Nirmal, the ladies tailor in Delhi and ventures into a joint business and he is set out on a mission back to Pakistan that needs to be done for the sake of his profession. Noor, a young daring woman who lost her husband to the border violence joins Gurudev in his mission.


PROS: A suspenseful book on the relationship between India and Pakistan after partition.

The characters were all portrayed brilliantly and were believable. Gurudev was depicted as a common man who would do things based on the circumstances.

The women in the book except a few, especially Noor was brilliant. I loved her courage and sassiness.

The book brought out the consequences of partition in a presentable and emotional way. There were so many facts that I was not aware of and learning them was an experience by itself.

Loved the cover of the book.

It was fast paced and a perfect binge read.

It stayed in relevance to the history not distorting facts.


CONS: The ending was bitter sweet and I did not know if I am fully in terms with it. I know it was made with a purpose but could have had a great impact otherwise.

The last penultimate chapters were a little stretchy and the suspense was running out but the last chapter made up for it.


MY REVIEW: 4/5


#penbooksandscalpel

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