A Deep Dive into History
Because of the change in the world order after World War II, political ‘hotspots’ sprang up all over our globe and left unresolved situations we deal with today–China/Taiwan, India/Pakistan and Israel/ Palestine. If you are interested in entering worlds where “the past is never dead. It’s not even past” (Faulkner), these books will interest you. Pick one or even all of them.
The Daughters of the Flower Fragrant Garden by Zhuqing Li
The author tells the true story of how the Communist victory in China in 1949 riped apart her family. Li is professor of East Asian studies at Brown, and she wrote the book as a tribute to her aunts’ struggles to reunite after the Civil War in China. This book sheds light on the intricacies of the conflict while telling a true story of survival and love.
Another familty sage is set in India during the split of Pakistan from India. The partition was a tumultuous period of time for many families, and Melody Razak tells the fictional story of a young girl named Alma who is caught in the middle of political and social upheaval. Moth was recently published to overwhelmingly positive reviews, citing the vivid characters and haunting intensity.
Melody Razak
Mother of Strangers, by Suad Amiry, takes place during the establishment of the state of Israel. Sat in Jaffa, the book follows two young people whose lives are upended amid bomblings and displacement. Based on a true story, the novel provides heartbreaking details into the shattering of a culture and the beginning of decades-old tensions.
