sawauthor@bookwyrm.social reviewed A History of Burning by Janika Oza
A Sweeping Family Epic that's Masterfully Written
4 stars
"A History of Burning" is a sweeping family drama that takes place between the 1890s and 1990s. It is a fascinating, finely rendered tale of Indians who migrate from their country to Africa, then England and Canada.
The story begins with the family's origins in Africa, when in 1898 a young Pirbhai is tricked into boarding a boat to Kenya to help build the railway from the sea to Victoria Lake. From there, we follow his life and the life of his descendants as they build relationships, flourish, flounder, bend with changes, and see themselves through it all by clinging to each other.
More than the history of one family, the novel is a history of British colonialism in the 20th century and the real impacts of that regime on families and communities. I enjoyed spending time with Pirbhai, his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and anticipated returning to the book …
"A History of Burning" is a sweeping family drama that takes place between the 1890s and 1990s. It is a fascinating, finely rendered tale of Indians who migrate from their country to Africa, then England and Canada.
The story begins with the family's origins in Africa, when in 1898 a young Pirbhai is tricked into boarding a boat to Kenya to help build the railway from the sea to Victoria Lake. From there, we follow his life and the life of his descendants as they build relationships, flourish, flounder, bend with changes, and see themselves through it all by clinging to each other.
More than the history of one family, the novel is a history of British colonialism in the 20th century and the real impacts of that regime on families and communities. I enjoyed spending time with Pirbhai, his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and anticipated returning to the book each time I was force to take a break for work or sleep. The only criticism I would offer was that, as opposed to the time spend reading about the family as they lived in Uganda, the later time in England and Canada (especially where concerned the great-grandson) felt a little rushed and denied the reader the final emotional beat that would have felt so satisfying (however saccharine).