The Weary Generations

The Weary Generation purports to be about the struggle of India against the Raj but is really an enthralling saga of life on the subcontinent from the turn of the century to partition in 1947. First published in 1963 in Urdu, it is a classic in Pakistan, now translated into English by the author. As we watch Naim, the central figure, trying to coax a living from the land, losing an arm heroically on the battlefields of World War I and returning with his faith in the Raj shattered, a vivid picture of village life with its rituals and relationships emerges. Written from a Muslim perspective, this is not a political book but a fairminded comment on human frailty that is universal and often intensely moving. (Kirkus UK)