''The Book of Everlasting Things'' is a novel by
Aanchal Malhotra
Aanchal Malhotra is an Indian historian and writer, best known for her work on oral history and material culture of the partition of India in 1947.
Biography
Malhotra was born in New Delhi in 1990. She received a BFA in traditional printmaki ...
which was published on December 27, 2022 by
Flatiron Books. It is the first fiction novel by her.
Background
Malhotra began writing the novel in 2017. It was partly inspired by a story she was told about her grandfather.
Plot
The novel is the love story of Samir who is a Hindu perfumer and Firdaus who is a Muslim calligrapher in which their families torn apart during
Partition of India
The Partition of British India in 1947 was the Partition (politics), change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: ...
.
Reception
The book was mostly well received, with critics praising its portrayal of the Partition of India and its consequences. It received some criticism for its characters and the repetitiveness of its story.
Donna Edwards of
Associated Press wrote "''The Book of Everlasting Things'' is deeply human, with careful attention paid to both factual and emotional accuracy." Shubhangi Tiwari of
Scroll.in
''Scroll.in'', simply referred to as ''Scroll'', is an Indian digital news publication owned by the Scroll Media Incorporation. It publishes content in both Hindi and English languages. Founded in 2014, the website and its journalists have won ...
and Sreya Sarkar of ''
India Today'' also praised the book's historical accuracy.
Reya Mehrotra of
''Financial Express'' wrote "a beautiful and whole love story entwined with separation". Darshita Goyal of ''
Vogue India'' described it as "a beautifully visceral reminder that there were no sides in the partition."
Kushal Gulab of ''
Deccan Chronicle'' gave the book a mixed review, praising its atmosphere but criticizing the flat characterization of the novel's protagonists.
Farooq Chaudhry of ''
Chicago Review of Books
The ''Chicago Review of Books'' is an online literary publication of StoryStudio Chicago which reviews recent books covering diverse genres, presses, voices, and media. The magazine was started in 2016 and Adam Morgan is the founding editor-in-c ...
'' found the book's exploration of trauma and the memory of the Partition, but wrote that its "the story can be unevenly paced and repetitive at times." Saudamini Jain of ''
Hindustan Times'' similarly described parts of the novel as repetitive.
[{{Cite web , date=2023-01-27 , title=Review: The Book of Everlasting Things by Aanchal Malhotra , url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/books/review-the-book-of-everlasting-things-by-aanchal-malhotra-101674843245692.html , access-date=2023-02-01 , website=Hindustan Times , language=en]
References
Books about India
Fiction set in the 1940s
Indian historical novels
Historical romance novels