*I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review*

Alright. This one hooked me with “for fans of Pachinko” which I WAS DEFINITELY A FAN….

But you know those books that are just second runner up at best? That’s this one. It’s beautiful and the story and nuance is so interwoven and told so well - I love a novel that makes you read between the lines (as this one does) but its no Pachinko. I feel like I would have enjoyed it more had I not known it was “related” to the other, because it is such a force of a generational tale. The saga of family trials, tribulation and triumph through the eyes of mothers, daughters, grandmothers and the first immigrants is so well done by Oza and it truly captures the essence of a dream to give your children more than you had in life.

If you like Pachinko, you’ll appreciate this. Will it be a 5 star for you? I’m not sure, but I can honestly say that its worth a shot! A good book for a book club, winter night, or something to take your mind off the dumpster fire of our current world.

Thanks, NetGalley!

This was a beautifully crafted novel with an ambitious (and well-executed) multi-generational tale of of family, sacrifice, heartbreak, and identity spanning a century and four continents.

I always approach these types of sweeping multi-generational sagas with caution. I like to get deeply invested in characters and their story arcs. Sometimes with multi-generational books I can get really drawn into the first generation's story, then pulled out and dropped into the next generation, and so on - it can make it hard for me to connect. With this book, thankfully, I quickly realized I'd had nothing to fear!

Janika Oza's writing drew me in from page 1, and I found the introduction of each new character and generation flowed seamlessly. The immersive prose along with the depth she gave each character kept me drawn into the family story. I particularly appreciated how she would take the older characters' pasts, what they survived in their youth, and tie that directly into how they responded to the hopes and dreams of their children. Each person longed to establish their own place in the world, and sometimes their ideas of how to do so were in direct opposition to one another. When they butted heads - sometimes in deeply significant ways - it was so clearly out of love for one another rather, and that complexity of family relationships shone through. It was incredibly well crafted.

In terms of the plot, the novel opened at the turn of the 20th century with a young Indian boy named Pirbhai looking for work to support his mother and sick sister. He comes across a man advertising work - just sign this contract with a thumbprint, don't worry if you can't read English. Pirbhai is then swept away across the sea to East Africa where he is forced to labor in grueling conditions building a railroad for the British colonial rulers. He survives, marries, and tries to create a life for the generations to come. His children and later grandchildren witness the toppling of the colonial regime, a country surging towards military dictatorship, and brutal expulsion into exile.

I basically devoured the first half of the book. I didn't know much about the history of Indian immigrants who settled in East Africa and the communities that sprung up there. It was not only fascinating to learn about the individual characters, but also the political situation, and how their Indian culture melted together with the local cultures in Kenya, Uganda, and the rest of the region. I loved how the author used words from Gujarati, Hindi, and Swahili woven into English to describe foods, traditions, and concepts like independence and freedom - it felt like the author truly wanted to write something authentic for this community and their experiences, while still giving readers like me enough context clues to not break the flow of the prose.

About halfway through the book there was a major tone shift after an incredibly traumatic event (or series of events) that left the family scarred and scattered. After that, I had to slow my reading down somewhat due to the emotional toll. I thought Oza handled this part of the story well, with family members each coping in their own ways, finding it hard to connect with one another and open up about what they're going through - it felt very honest and raw. The struggles of the immigrant experience in places like Canada were incredibly difficult as well, and the blatant discrimination they faced was an added layer of heartache on top of everything else they'd lost. That being said, the trauma and grief did change the tone and pace of the story a bit.

I think the first half was a clear 5 stars - second half, maybe 4.5, so I'd average that out to a 4.75 overall.

Thanks to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for this ARC to read and review.

This was a beautiful and powerful story. This book was so well written, the writing was gorgeous. From the front of the cover to the back I was fully immersed in the story. I really hope this book gets into the hands of everyone.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC and opportunity to read this wonderful book. Oza has written a powerful debut novel: she chronicles four generations of an Indian family as they move--often not intentionally--from India to East Africa and then around the world. Throughout almost unfathomable challenges, their love for each other and gentle humor is a constant. The writing is exquisite and I read that Oza won an award for documenting Diaspora and I kept thinking of diaspora as I read about the generations in their journeys. I tremendous book--compelling and so well written. I don't think this review does it justice: I hope it finds wide readership.

This was an incredibly powerful book from a perspective that I haven’t read much of before, and everything was woven together so beautifully, that sometimes I forgot I was reading and felt as though I existed within the book itself.

I was not prepared for the power of this read and was immediately taken by the sweeping tale of human fortitude Oza tells through multiple generations. I was oblivious to the history she shares prior to "A History of Burning" and am grateful for the education it provides. The book is reminiscent of "The Namesake" and "Brick Lane" and is, similarly, the kind of story I expect to see on the silver screen. I devoured chapter after chapter and am already looking forward to whatever Oza shares next.