"What was love but one long act of forgiveness, of choosing to return, again and again."

This is a sweeping saga covering four generations of one Ugandan-Indian family and the satellite characters that impact their lives. Yes, they do suffer greatly throughout the book due to colonialism, racism, and betrayal. However, at the core of the family is love and the need for family no matter where they may live.
The writing is gorgeous, poetic, and heart-wrenching at times. I highlighted so many beautiful passages. I did not know anything about the expulsion from Uganda that occurred when Amin came into power (I was born in the same year). I learned a lot through this story and I also felt so much for these characters and I thought the ending was perfect.

On a side note, there is a lot of food mentioned throughout the book, and for me it helped to cement the culture and importance of food as it relates to family. Also, this book reminded me a little bit of A Place For Us, which was also a beautiful but sad generational family saga.

When Pirbhai, an impoverished teenage boy in India, finally finds work, he doesn't realize he's on a boat to Africa to complete the East African Railway for the British. To ensure survival, Pirbhai commits an act of violence with fire that haunts him across generations.

At the turn of the 20th century, as Uganda seeks independence from British colonial rule, Pirbahi and his family are met with increasing hostility toward "non-Africans." All hell breaks lose in 1972 when South Asian expulsion is implemented, and the family has no choice but to leave their home behind.

An unforgettable historical fiction, BURNING is a multigenerational tale of the Indian migrants who built the Kenya-Uganda railway. An estimated 30 thousand Indians arrived in the late 1890s to help build the railway, and 2500 perished during the process. With beautiful writing and profound prose, Oza takes the readers through a journey of loss and love, chaos and peace, fear and courage.

I particularly adore Oza's writing and how it pulls at my heartstrings. Her style reminds me of ALL THIS COULD BE DIFFERENT (Sarah Thankam Mathews), with introspective tones that resonate with me deeply.

I also appreciate how flawed each character is in BURNING. And while I might disagree with some characters' decisions in the story, Oza paints a profoundly compassionate picture of what we do when our family is splintered & how we survive unimaginable losses.

Pirbhai's cursed action starts with a fire; fire is the evil that wreaks havoc, but it can be so much more than loss. Fire is the strength to protect our heritage and family. Fire is the courage to face our past mistakes and mend our wrongs. Fire is the love that lives on through the memory of those lost in time. Fire is the bravery to break our silence and fight for a better future.

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for this advanced copy.

A History of Burning is a beautiful, complex story of home and homeland. I loved the author providing snapshots in time for this family as they work to build the railroads of Uganda, from the expulsion of Asians to their resettlement abroad. The story of Asians in Uganda (and other African nations) feels unheard in the US, but this novel cracks the story open, making it humane and lovely, while also being honest about the profound sadness that occurs when you are forced to leave the place you called home.

Oza's characters felt vibrant and flawed, full of humor, love, and anguish. I appreciated that they all continued to live as people do, with their problems not tied up in the end with a little bow, mimicking life. Do I wish there had been a little more resolution? Sure. But I appreciate that there wasn't.

I can't wait to read more from Ozu, her prose is wonderful and the story incredible.

I am truly impressed that A History of Burning is a debut novel. It’s such a giant feat, a sweeping epic that crosses multiple generations, all while packing in elements of history about India, Uganda, and Kenya. I learned a lot from reading this book, and I always appreciate when a novel can teach while maintaining a reader’s interest in the story.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and will certainly recommend it to friends who enjoy generational tales, but there were some things that kept me from fully loving this. First, it took me a long time to read this; I’m not entirely sure why, but it just didn’t fully grip me in ways that made the reading feel fluid. In some ways, it felt as thought the different chapters were less of a novel and more of interconnected short stories following generations of one family.

Second, my reading experience would have been improved with the overall focus being on just a few characters rather than so many; I thought it was a little difficult to emotionally connect to the characters, and also found myself skimming chapters of the characters I found less interesting. I also would have appreciated a family tree (maybe the physical copy of the book will have one, but the Kindle version did not.) For books that have such a wide cast of characters, it helps me so much to look back at how each person fits into the family.

But again, it’s a really thoughtful book that covers so much history I just knew nothing about. I will absolutely pick up future books by this author!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Janika Oza’s A History of Burning is a multi-generational historical novel covering roughly a century of one family’s experiences as impacted by history and migration. In India and in need of work to help support his mother and siblings, teenage Pirbhai finds himself suddenly transported to Kenya to work on the East African Railway. Showing how British Colonialism and eventually dictator Idi Amin’s expulsion of South Asians affects Pirbhai and, as he grows up, his expanding family, Oza traces the generations from India to Kenya and Uganda and to Britain and Canada, also working in the Partition of India and Pakistan along the way.

This is a large segment of history across continents for any writer to tackle, especially a debut novelist, but Oza handles her story well. Readers come to care about Pirbhai, Vinod, Sonal, Rajni, Latika, Kiya, and Mayuri, their trials and tribulations, their secrets, hopes, and dreams and are likely to learn some history along the way.

Thanks to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advance reader copy of Janika Oza’s highly recommended new novel.

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✨A History of Burning by Janika Oza✨

Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 400

📚 In 1898, Pirbhai, a teenage boy looking for work, is taken from his village in India to labor for the British on the East African Railway. Far from home, Pirbhai commits a brutal act in the name of survival that will haunt him and his family for years to come.

Pirbhai’s children are born in Uganda during the waning days of British colonial rule, and as the country moves toward independence, his granddaughters, three sisters, come of age in a divided nation. Latika is an aspiring journalist, who will put everything on the line for what she believes in; Mayuri’s ambitions will take her farther away from home than she ever imagined; and fearless Kiya will have to carry the weight of her family’s silence and secrets.

In 1972, the entire family is forced to flee under Idi Amin’s military dictatorship. Pirbhai’s grandchildren are now scattered across the world, struggling to find their way back to each other. One day a letter arrives with news that makes each generation question how far they are willing to go, and who they are willing to defy, to secure their own place in the world.

📝This was quite a daunting story to take on as a debut! Spread across continents and told through multi-generational POVs, this story broached many topics: family, identity, grief, colonialism, prejudice, refugee experience, abandonment and starting anew.

The pacing of the story, especially at the beginning, was slow. I struggled to get through the first 20%, but I’m glad I continued reading because I really enjoyed the story.

The transgression Pirbhai commits early on in the book is paralleled in the ending. I found that to be a quite fitting ending as well as a representation of generational trauma.

💫Thank you to @grandcentralpub and @netgalley for my ARC💫

Book Description:
In this sweeping story of perseverance, resilience, and survival, we follow Pirbhai and his descendants. Throughout A History of Burning, four generations move from India to Uganda to Canada and Britain over the span of almost a century. We read about the trials of kidnapping, forced labor, colonial rule, the Partition of India, a brutal military despot, and fleeing to other countries for safety. Time and time again, Pirbhai, Sonal, Vinod, Rajni, and their children rebuild, start again, and continue to rise from the ashes.

My Thoughts:
Although I initially received A History of Burning as an ARC, I immediately knew I wanted to add this to my home library. Janika Oza has created such a moving, impactful read, full of the complexities of mothers and fathers striving to preserve their families and traditions. I learned so much about Indian culture and history. I love the sense of family and the importance of community in not only surviving but flourishing each time they were forced to start over. Such an inspirational and important read, A History of Burning is a testament to the tenacity of the human spirit.

Read this if you like:
• Cultural heritage fiction
• Family sagas
• Historical fiction

This book was STUNNING. Beautifully written, a powerful story told through different generations of a family.

I loved that we got the story through so many points of view. It’s not usually something that I love, as sometimes too many characters can get confusing, but the author did a fantastic job of shifting from one character to the next, showing the impact of their experiences and how they all coped and grieved differently.

I also appreciated the time jumps. The author didn’t spend too much in one timeframe, and the story would jump months or a couple years sometimes, with a short recap to get you settled. You can definitely tell the author specializes in short stories, as each segment was perfectly crafted.

One note is that I tried to jump between audio/ebook for this one, but this is definitely one you’ll want to read ebook/physical copy.

Overall, this was a truly amazing novel, probably one of my favorites so far this year. I’ll be purchasing myself a hardcopy.

Thank you @netgalley and @grandcentralpub for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

You might have figured out by now that I *love* multigenerational stories, so I was especially excited to pick up this one that features a part of history I knew basically nothing about: Indian laborers in East Africa. Solid, compelling story, and one that I hope gets a lot of attention this year!

This is a sweeping multi-generational saga that takes the reader across several countries and across four continents. The book starts in 1898 in India with the teenage boy Pirbhai seeking work and is tricked into leaving the country and runs through to 1992 where he and his family are grappling with the past, present and future. The book takes us from India to Kenya to Uganda; from Uganda to India briefly, and from Uganda to Canada and the U.K. This was an engrossing read. The book touches on many themes - the most prominent being that of the immigrant - where and what is home, the harsh realities of what it means to belong and “be from a place.” Sadly, not everyone has the same definition based on looks and culture despite the deep roots many generations of a family have in a country - sadly, they are still seen as “others.” I cannot begin to fathom the devastation experienced by all who were forced to leave, or rather flee, Uganda - the country they were born and raised in, and which they always knew as home. I enjoyed the historical backdrops against which this book is set making this true to its genre as historical fiction. I thought the characters were well portrayed and multidimensional. I read this book immediately following The Covenant of Water, which is also a sweeping multigenerational historical fiction. I enjoyed this debut novel by Janika Oza so much more - this one had depth, breadth, complex characters, and conveyed so much more emotion to connect with the reader. I’m hoping the author is knee deep in her next book and look forward to reading it. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

4.5⭐️

This story takes place primarily in Uganda, and spans one family’s life journey over 4 generations. It is beautifully written, emotional and heartbreaking.

I loved this book. The writing is exquisite and I was immersed into the story and characters. I had never learned about the African railway construction, and the people who were shipped from other countries, such as India, go work tirelessly on it. I had also not learned much about the dictatorship in Uganda, under Idi Amin, and how millions of residents of Uganda were forced to flee to save their lives. The pain and trauma that was represented in this story is prominent, and very well executed. If you are looking for a family saga, with pain and resistance and main themes, pick this one up!

Wowza we have a stunner on our hands. A History of Burning was such a well crafted and brilliant novel in my opinion. It will really make you think about a lot of things including humanity and how we deal with power. It will also make you feel a lot of feels. If you love multigenerational stories you will not want to miss this one.

we often speak of reading books we love in relation to sating a fierce hunger. we devour, consume, inhale books with urgency, feverishly. the shocking quickness with which we finish these books a sign of how profoundly they touched us.

but what of the books we savor, slowly? what of the books that resemble the scoop of ice cream we enjoyed as children on a summer’s day? which, in spite of the sweltering heat and our childlike impatience we were forced to ingest delicately, with care, one single lick followed by another. what of the books whose words imprint on us like the subtle but persistently present trail of melted ice cream that trickled down our arms, its stickiness lingering there well into the evening?

janika oza’s debut novel “a history of burning” was the type of book i wanted to take my time with. this was not a book i wanted to consume or devour in a single sitting, nor did its rich historical content allow me to. if ever i found my mind drifting, even if slightly distracted, i stopped reading. i wanted to be completely present as i absorbed oza’s intentional and exacting prose.

this is a triumph of a novel. it’s a nuanced testament to the dangers of ethnonationalism, of national borders, of the various ways we’ve constructed categories delineating between “us” and “them” and the harms in doing so.

i can confidently say this has been the best read of 2023 thus far. i’d recommend it to everyone.

thank you net-galley and grand central publishing for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

A History of Burning is a multigenerational family sage that begins in India and treks the reader through Kenya, Uganda, the UK and Canada. Pirbhai was only a boy when he was lured by a man who promised him work to support his mother and sisters. Instead, he ended up on a boat to Kenya where he was forced to work on the railway being constructed in East Africa by the British. As he grows older and leaves the railway work, a chance encounter at a local merchant's shop gives him a job, a place to sleep and eventually a wife. With his wife, Pirbhai moves to Uganda and begins a family of how own. It is in Uganda that Pirbhai's children and grandchildren will once again be uprooted as political and racial unrest forces those of Indian descent to flee.

I absolutely loved this novel! I knew nothing of the history of Indians in Africa and the circumstances that brought them there and forced many to flee. The story is heartbreaking at times as families are separated voluntarily and involuntarily. It's a story of being an immigrant and starting over repeatedly in multiple countries. But it's also a story of resilience and courage, the meaning of "home" and shows the true strength of familial bonds.

Thank you to so much to Grand Central Publishing for this gifted early review copy.

These people were very amazing how they survived a lot of different things.. IRPNAI. Use this village in India and goes over to the African continental to build a railroad for the British government.. It was very harsh conditions so he eventually left and I met a person who would help I like the book because it showed how people were up against the British in Uganda but this cost the family to leave too. You can see in this book how? You can see in this book. Out of the country was up against the English and then in Uganda but the person who took over from the British was not very nice. He just plays a lot of people who are not you're a African. him in a pharmacy. The pharmaceutical is working the father said you must marry my daughter. So he marries the daughter and then moves to a different part Of the country because her father owned another business. So they start. A? Family. They had a really good life and they had a daughter and then she married another man. Things were going well until the British decided to leave your Ganda and this is when the hate and the violence started with these people because they were Indian descent.. They had radical groups and. They have three daughters and two sons. The Sons died. And they had problems with the oldest one because she was with a radical and she believed in this her name was. L a n h. She eventually married this man but things weren't going too well. She had a baby but when he was arrested and they had to flee the country. She gave the baby to her mother. S*** rest of the family love to go to toronto. They had it live there but it was very difficult. They had a life there but it was very difficult but the father tried so hard to keep everybody going.. You can see when people get displaced. It's hard because they don't speak the language and they don't really have social services from these people. Was a doctor and she went over to india to study but eventually she made her way back to To toronto i'm married to man. The grandmother was raising the sun from the missing daughter and they never told him what really happened to. Her because she never kept in contact. He eventually found out he was very angry about it and couldn't realize this. This is what happens when you're displaced and families get broken up and have to go to another country to live to survive. It was really hard for him. Was really good because he tried so hard and he bought a house and things that never went really well for him but he kept trying. You'll find out what happens to the missing sister it's pretty interesting how she somehow survived all this. People don't realize when you're displaced from a country I have to leave everything behind to go. It's very hard.

A family saga very rich in historical detail. I learned so much of India’s history by reading this book. (Of course I was googling to learn more). I highly recommend.
Many thanks to Grand Central Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

A multi-generational story about an Indian community living in Uganda. Pirbhai was looking for work to support his family and is unknowingly taken from India to work for the East African Railway. In his new life of dangerous work, he's just trying to survive. He marries Sonal, the daughter of the store owner who helped him after the railway, and together they try to build a new life in Uganda to support both of their families. Uganda is still under British rule, which develops discontent among the various communities and as Uganda heads towards independence, there is increasing hatred against the Asian community. Pirbhai's son Vinod marries Rajni, who came to Uganda partly to escape the Partition, and as their three daughters come of age, they're faced with the Asian Expulsion decree. They are forced to leave their home and find refuge elsewhere, along with thousands of other families, leading to the split of their family and community all across the globe. Overall, a sweeping and heart-wrenching tale of a family trying to stay together and make a life but having to make extremely difficult decisions in the face of danger and hatred.

A beautifully told, often harrowing story about a part of history we don't get to read much about, in fiction or even non-academic nonfiction: Gujaratis who were taken to Africa as indentured servants and had to then leave everything behind in the 1970s due to a dictatorial political edict.

Multigenerational sagas are tricky because they sweep across vast landscapes and time periods. For a debut novel, Oza's work is an impressive feat.

My only wish is that Oza might have given us occasional flickers of laughter in the dark.

Astounding, remarkable debut, unlike anything I've read before and one that will stay with me long after reading. Excited for this book to be out in the world and to read everything Janika Oza writes!

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the advanced copy.

This is an epic story of one family that spans across multiple generations. It's beautifully written and jumps around the various family members as they age and how their lives change. So be prepared to memorize all the family members or write them down so you can remember who is who.