"Absorbing and atmospheric, this heart-rending debut explores deep moral dilemmas and how secrets from the past have a habit of wreaking havoc on the present in the context of Partition."
Set in Karachi between two timelines, and taking in the terrors of Partition, Nigar Alam’s Under the Tamarind Tree is a tender work that sees a woman compelled to confront aspects of her past that have long haunted her.
Intricately plotted in two timelines —1968 and 2019 — it’s also a story of love and loss. A tale that tells of the heartbreak of Partition, and of class divides between friends. In short, it’s an accomplished, characterful debut that speaks to the heart and soul.
In 2019, Rozeena is a retired doctor in Karachi. A woman “who has always taken care of people. It’s who she is, even before she was a trained doctor.” Out of the blue, she takes a call from a man she hasn’t heard from for 54 years — Haaris, who asks Rozeena if she’ll take his teenage granddaughter, Zara, under her wing. Reluctantly, Rozeena agrees. Though she fears “the risk is too high”, she wonders whether this act of kindness might enable her to “atone for what happened fifty-five years ago.”
The second 1968 timeline cleverly reveals the connection between Haaris and Rozeena, and between their other childhood friends, leading to one fateful night that explains Rozeena’s present-day fears. As she becomes close to Zara, the closer she is to having long-held secrets revealed.
Incisive on showing the lengths we go to in order to protect our loved ones, Under the Tamarind Tree is also richly atmospheric, and laced with suspense.
| Primary Genre | General Fiction |
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