"Grief, loneliness, beautiful intergenerational bonds and the atrocities and trauma of Partition in Pakistan — this is a richly rewarding, accessible heart-warmer."
Largely set in Bradford as the Grenfell tragedy unfolds in London, Sairish Hussain’s Hidden Fires sees an apparently chalk-and-cheese grandfather and granddaughter — both lost, lonely souls adrift from the world — form a lifechanging bond. Also taking in the cruelties of teenage bullying, the horrors of Partition in Pakistan, racist attitudes towards interracial couples, and the vital need to talk and listen, it comes recommended for adult and young adult readers who love immersive fiction that explores family dynamics.
One night, Yusef is woken — again — by a nightmare of burning while the Grenfell fire erupts on TV. At the same time, in another city, his granddaughter Rubi is also awake and sees the same horrifying images. Then, when Rubi’s maternal grandmother dies in her Spanish villa and her parents fly out to make arrangements, Rubi is sent to stay with Yusef.
While things don’t exactly get off to the best start, Rubi sees Yusef in an entirely different light when she finds him terrified. Little by little, he opens up to her about the secret family tragedy that’s haunted him for decades, while Rubi gradually opens up about her experience of bullying.
By turns heart-breaking and heart-mending, and always honest, Hidden Fires radiates a wonderful sense of Yusef’s community in Bradford, and a truly beautiful representation of intergenerational connections.
| Primary Genre | Modern and Contemporary Fiction |
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How can you live in the present when you’re trying to bury the past?
Ramadan, 2017. Yusuf wakes up in the middle of the night to pray. His routine is always the same, but something tells him that tonight is different. Yellow flames blur Yusuf’s vision, and the laughter of a small child echoes in his ears. But this time, the red, smoke-filled skies aren’t just in his memory.
Miles away, Rubi is also awake. On the television, she watches reports of a devastating fire in London. She is already anxious when her parents send her to stay with her Grandpa Yusuf, whose conservative house rules are almost as unbearable as the loneliness she feels at home. Yusuf’s lifestyle does not gel with Rubi’s. But when she finds him scared and confused one night, it becomes clear that there’s more to her grandfather than Rubi ever considered.
As Yusuf grapples with the past, Rubi is determined to save him. But the memories that are recovered and spoken of for the first time in years are more painful than she could have imagined. Hidden Fires explores grief and loss, the power of family ties, and the long arm of history.
Hidden Fires explores grief and loss, the power of family ties, and the long arm of history.
Hidden Fires features in the following genres: Modern and Contemporary Fiction, Family Drama, Sagas, Narrative theme: Coming of age, Narrative theme: Death, grief, loss, Contemporary lifestyle fiction, Biographical fiction / autobiographical fiction, General Fiction, Fiction, Fiction: narrative themes, Audiobooks of the Month, Recommendations
Hidden Fires is available in Paperback, Hardback, Audiobook
Hidden Fires was written by Sairish Hussain and published by HQ an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
Hidden Fires has 377 pages
£8.99
