Reading List 2

INVISIBLE LINES

I am often tempted to pick up women authors writing their first books, more so if they are from the Indian Sub continent and neighborhoods. It was this that led me to pick up “invisible Lines’ by Ruby Zaman , a lawyer by training, an activist and surprisingly language teacher too!! The book cover with mango being peeled was an added incentive. Who say’s cover pages are unimportant!! The mango on the cover had nothing to do with the story inside, but it did tempt me.

I have not read anything from Bangladesh and this story beginning with the formation of Bangladesh tells story of young girl caught up in politics of a country and family.  Bangladesh's Liberation War was a changed the dynamics of relations between India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It also in many ways divided the world into two bitter halves—Pakistan on one side  supported diplomatically and militarily by the US and China, and on the other were the people of Bangladesh, and its allies India and the USSR. Most important in the paradigm, however, is the role of ordinary Bengalis, who took up arms to change the course of history. Some of them were peasants; some were students, day labourers and women who otherwise would have remained content in the footnote of history. 

In this book too it is the characters that give this extra ordinary book it’s edge. As we follow Zeb through her first teenage ‘love affair’ to her accidental encounters with Shaifque, her leaving Bangladesh for good and trying to forget it…it catching up on her 13 years down the line!!! It a story that jumps from Chittagong to London, from Zeb to Didi to Shafique. It is an enduring story of love, hate, faith, treachery and most importantly of human beings caught up in a time, in a ‘period’ of history. It is one of few stories that we have on the sub continent about people caught up in war and liberation.

A memorable first book. Can we hope for more from begum Ruby Zaman?