Well, this is Anam's 2nd book. And I was really eager to read the book since I liked A Golden Age so much.

The whole story is actually seen in the eye of Maya, the protagonist, and occasionally hopping into other minor character. Among them we also have Rehana, the protagonist of the first book and Sohail, mainly in flashbacks, the mukti who has become religious after the war.


There are a lot of books on the after effect of war on a person's mind. This is one such book. Taking a historical setting the book mainly focuses on the paradoxes that gulp Maya. The Book One mainly focuses on Maya's hatred (or whining) on the religion, the people who are not really thinking about current situation of the country for her own country is cannibalizing itself.

In Book Two we are suddenly informed that Rehana has cancer. Fearing she will loose her mother she suddenly falls for religion. May be, if doctors can't save her, praying will do! She thinks. But at the end her mother comes round from a worst case scenario. What have made it possible, miracle! No it can't be miracles. Suddenly she feels she has betrayed her own feelings and the hatred rises again.

Book Three is the most enjoyable part of the book. Where all the curtain are pulled up and we get a satisfying ending.

The premise of the book said, "Rise of Islamic Radicalism" in Bangladesh. But it was not shown clearly until the last chapter of the book. I don't know if that premise was made just to make the book more attractive to the readers it intended for. Most of the parts of the book focuses on the view on religion of individual character. How Maya sees it and how Sohail sees it. Not on the Islamic radicalism to be specific. And madrasa were in this country even before the war. Some of those also helped Pakistani Army in the war. Ironically none of them were brought to charge. There are some factual error also. Like in 1984 December chapter, there was a notation of raining. But there is no rain in December in Bangladesh. Well this is not true for the last two years. But before that I have never seen rain in December.

The most touching part of the book is the story of zaid. How he remind me of Setsuko from Grave of the Fireflies! WHY MUST FIREFLIES DIE SO YOUNG! The father wanted the boy not to be like him. The aunt wanted the boy to be enlightened. And the boy just wanted to be free. Not to return to this wretched place again. So he jumped to be free... And he certainly got his freedom.

And the finishing was satisfying, clearing everyone has their own reason for what they are or what they have become.