I always try to seek out literature about Partition whenever possible, because as a Westerner, I feel like we've never spoken about it once in classrooms. Under the Tamarind Tree jumps between time periods to show the ripple effects of tragedy and conflict in people's lives, and this is such a well-written novel. There's a deeply complex storyline and characters contained within these pages, and I think it's such a good read for those who are interested in the plot or subject matter.

I was interested to read this story set in Pakistan, touching on Partition, as I knew very little about this setting or this tragic part of history. known as Partition. This book taught me so much about the feelings of displacement that must have been felt throughout Pakistan and India. The partition caused Muslims to flee to Pakistan and Hindus to flee to India - in many cases leaving their whole life behind and being forced to relocate and start anew.

This dual-timeline story revolves around four friends - Rozeena, Haaris, Aayla and Zohair. The reader is introduced to Rozeena in a current timeline while her memories take the reader back to a neighborhood in Karachi, Pakastan where the friends met while growing up. Some of the families are in this neighborhood following Partition, while other families are well established here. The friends' families are of various financial means. Central to this story are the long-standing beliefs and traditions of Indian families. As one tragic event snowballs, secrets and loyalties are tested.

I really enjoy reading about different cultures. There were so many aspects to this story that would have happened so differently in my growing up years. It was so helpful to have the context that the author provided in order to understand the family and community pressures. The mystery of the tragedy and how it affected each of the friends unwinds slowly through memories.

As a slow burn novel with explorations of grief, expectations, friendship, atonement and forgiveness, this is a melancholic and what I would call more "serious" read. It was beautifully written but I do wish there was a little more character development for each of the friends. I recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group, G.P. Putnam and Sons for the ARC to read and review. Put date: 8.15.23

A beautiful story about 4 teenagers growing up in post-partition Karachi. Rozeena, Haaris, Aalya and Zohair all live in post-partition Karachi, Pakistan. They come from different economic backgrounds but they are the best of friends. Until tragedy strikes and their lives are changed irrevocably. The story is told in two timelines - 1960s and 2019. The novel aptly brings out the devastating effects of the Partition of India into two separate countries - a hasty exercise inefficiently executed by the British administration resulting in untold loss of lives and property on both sides. It begins with Rozeena's family fleeing angry rioting mobs unfortunately resulting in the death of her younger brother. This one event has reverberating consequences on Rozeena's mindset and her decisions in later life. Her actions directly/indirectly affect the lives of her friends. It's a beautiful story told in a lucid enthralling manner. It aptly captures the societal norms, requisites and restrictions in the Pakistani society especially for women and those of poorer means. The book then switches to 2019 where a now aging Rozeena and Haaris are trying to come to terms with the secrets of their past and how best to bring them to closure. Truly an engrossing tale, I was unable to put it down till the end.

Thank you Netgalley, Nigar Alam and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC, the opinions that follow are my own.

A must read! Entertaining and educational in the most delightful way! I don’t usually pick up books like this but I was drawn to the description and the cover. I’m so happy I requested this book!

This story will be sticking with me for a while and I don’t intend to spoil it for anyone. I will say, check the content warnings as the subject matter is not light and deeply worth reading!

Wow, such a sweet story. I loved pretty much every character in this book! I loved the dual timelines. I was intrigued since the beginning, with the mysterious part of the story. I also loved that there were so many relationships throughout the book-family and non-family related. I am not really familiar with Pakistan or their history or culture, so it was really interesting to read about that. I will definitely be recommending this to my family and friends!

A beautiful story about the lasting impacts of childhood secrets. Although this story took me a little to settle into, the second half was absolutely worth waiting for. These four friends were faced with such difficult decisions, and my heart broke for them. I also really enjoyed learning about life during the Partition-- a topic I knew absolutely nothing about prior to this book. A solid debut from Alam!

"Under the Tamarind Tree" by Nigar Alam is the first book I've read about the Partition-when the British withdrew their rule from the subcontinent and divided it into India and Pakistan-from the Muslim perspective rather than the Hindu perspective, though the historical realities of the Partition are more of a backdrop to the story than the focus of the book. The plot follows the lives of a family and their neighbors as they cope with a multitude of tragedies and strive to conceal life-altering secrets. The writing is good, but the story unfolded a bit too slowly for my taste. It kept my interest, but I wouldn't describe it as a page-turner and I didn't feel compelled to stop everything and read it straight through. I usually really enjoy stories told through dual timelines, but I found myself confused at times with this one; I think there was just too much going on and perhaps a chronological telling of the story may have worked better for me.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

This story was beautiful - heartbreaking at times and often infuriating (characters making choices we'd rather them not, and Sweetie was just maddening) but ultimately, the story of four friends in Pakistan after many of their lives were so upended after Partition was uplifting. That anyone could survive an event like that and come out with positives in their life was touching.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for my copy of Under the Tamarind Tree by Nigar Alam in exchange for an honest review. It published August 15, 2023.
Wow, I found this book to be so hard to put down! I found the subject matter, post-Partition, to be utterly fascinating. I have not read much from this perspective, and I found it so important.
Another thing I really enjoyed about this book is the duel timelines. I appreciated and enjoyed both stories, and was kept guessing all along how things would go.
This is definitely worth the read!

This is an ambitious book set. Following dual timelines exploring the lives of two lovers who never were in 1960s Karachi and jumping ahead to the present, this is a tale that unwinds slowly, each reveal adding a little more flavor and understanding. I was happily surprised that all my assumptions turned out to be incorrect, making the twists and turns unexpected and interesting.

Alam stated he wanted to bring this era of Pakistani history to light from the point of view of people like his own parents. Set in the recent aftermath of the British relinquishment of the subcontinent and the horrific violence that followed the hasty separation of India and Pakistan into independent nations, the location becomes almost another character, especially the flora.

The writing is engaging, however I do wish that the characters felt a little richer. There are moments when the purpose of the characterization intended by the author overshadows the actual character, limiting the depth of both the story and the character.

I was especially interested in this because I know so little about Partition. That’s kind of a small part of the story here (although it does have a huge effect on the story). I enjoyed that this gave me insight into a culture I don’t see a lot of in books, although I admit some of it confused me at the beginning. I was also super frustrated but just because I hate how the world was - and still is in so many ways.

I truly enjoyed this and it was very sad but overall told a great story about sacrifice and love - for family, friends, and lovers. I only wish some of the past stuff was revealed a little sooner because it took until about 70% of the way in before I had a good grasp of what was happening. Since it’s not exactly a mystery, I would have liked a few pieces sooner just so I could feel invested earlier. But at the end, all my questions were answered and I’d come to care for all the characters immensely.

As it says on the cover, this is a book in which characters live with secrets. The story is presented in different timelines jumping from 2019, to 1964 and during the partition.

The main characters have a hidden past, secrets kept for years, holding their painful memories from partition.
Rozeena the main character is atoning with what happened more than 50 years ago.

I would like to have seen more development on the characters, I couldn’t connect as much with them as I would like but I approached what the novel showed me about the stories behind all the people that had to leave their homes and be relocated.

What I appreciated most was learning a little about this time of independence and mass migration, it was painful to learn about what happened during partition, all those deaths and violence, after the division.

After finishing the book I watched videos about this period and I love when a book takes you to another. Now I added more novels set in this time. To me, this was a good introduction to learn about this time.

Thank you Putnam Books and Netgalley for this e-ARC.
Pub date:August 15th,2023

I went into this book knowing nothing of the history of the Partition. The main character, Rozeena's family had to flee to Karachi, Pakistan following the partition and her brother lost his life trying to save her. Rozeena has worked hard to become a doctor. She struggles to create a practice as she and her friends (Haaris, Aalya and Zohair) try to find their way in their mid 20's. Class issues, family beliefs and superstitions create obstacles for all of the friends. A death at a party that they all attend changes their lives forever. This story was beautiful - heartbreaking at times and often infuriating (characters making choices we'd rather them not, #NETGALLEY #UNDERTHETAMARINDTREE

Sometimes with multiple POVs, it can be a bit difficult to distinguish the different voices, but Alam did it with ease. Each character was well-developed and unapologetically human. The history of Partition was intriguing and I enjoyed reading how the effects still impact people today.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A story that can rest in history feels like a feat to be achieved. The author intentionally creates a story that achieves shaping history and the realities of people who lived during the Partition. Refugees have a voice instead of being a pawn in someone's progress for power. Women have a place to present themselves. Focusing on a tamarind tree grounds the story in place amidst pain and destruction. Nigar Alam achieves the dualities of hope and fear.

Under the Tamarind Tree
By Niger Alam

This story takes place in the 1960s and 2019. It tells the story of the partition of India and Pakistan caused by the British withdrawal. It is a heartbreaking story of life at the time, but also of the long-lasting effects on the future of the families involved in this story.

The partition caused Muslims to flee to Pakistan and Hindus to flee to India, leaving trails of death and destruction behind. The many displaced people struggled to reestablish families, homes and traditions.

This is the story of families living on a street in Karachi, all of whom have secrets they feel they must keep in order to survive. The young people involved have been brought up in a tradition of duty to family before self and rigid castes in society, and ultimately this leads to tragedy on multiple levels.

I liked this book much more than I expected to. I learned a great deal about the partition; the failures of the British and the resulting displacement and suffering of Muslims and Hindus alike. I would recommend it to anyone who reads for learning as well as entertainment.

Under the Tamarind tree is a wonderful debut from author Nigar Alam! This dual timeline historical fiction novel has everything I love all in one story including family secrets, drama, and a bit of mystery that will keep readers guessing until the end.

This book centers around Rozeena, a young adult living in Karachi, Pakistan. Her family was forced there as refugees following horrific losses during Partition. Years after Partition, Rozeena is a young adult navigating family ties, a growing career, and cultural expectations. She has three very close friends, but the events that unfold at a welcome home party will change the course of all of their lives forever. In the present day timeline Rozeena's life is interrupted when she receives a phone call with a friend from her past asking for help. Helping her friend will uproot the life she has created and the secrets that have been hidden for decades.

It took me a little while to orient myself to the setting and the dual timelines as there are several characters in this book. That being said, once I was into it I knew I was going to love it. The past timeline was more compelling and enjoyable to me than the present timeline but both were strong. Along the way I found myself guessing where the book was going and I was continuously wrong in a good way. There is a lot of drama that keeps readers hooked and puzzle pieces that come together satisfyingly in the end.

I would absolutely recommend this book and gave it 4.5 stars!

The settings:

1964. Karachi, four friends, secrets. "Rozeena is running out of time. She'll lose her home—her parents' safe haven since fleeing India and the terrors of Partition—if her medical career doesn't take off soon ... the interwoven lives of her childhood best friends—Haaris, Aalya, and Zohair—seem to be unraveling with each passing day. The once small and inconsequential differences between their families' social standing now threaten to divide them. Then one fateful night someone ends up dead and the life they once took for granted shatters."

2019. Karachi. "Rozeena receives a call ... what begins as an ask to look after a friend’s teenaged granddaughter struggling with her own demons grows into an unconventional friendship—one that unearths buried secrets and just might ruin everything Rozeena has worked so hard to protect." {Well, not exactly how it all transpires, but...]

Rozeena, a doctor, a strong female character, is the centerpiece of the narrative. I liked her.

The dual timeline [which I like] sometimes made me dizzy it spun around so much,

I wanted to love this book as it has much that resonates with my list of reading likes--a different cultural setting, history, a story, and writing that doesnt make me cringe! BUT.

Loss, secrets, class/society, more secrets, friendships, family, VERY slow reveal.

Sad.

This book just didn't do it for me It was [somewhat] interesting, but I just wan't that interested! I liked the history and learning about partition, the class system and how the turn of events [both historically and on that" fateful night"] affected the characters' lives. It was suspenseful, and I kept waiting for the reveal--it did string me along but it didn't grab me. And no spoiler--I didn't figure it out.

I had to look up tasbeeh and soyem, both Muslim prayers [not explained].

In the minority of readers who really liked this book. A debut novel; hopeful for the next book.

The description of this book was compelling, with what sounded like a fascinating plot and character relationships. Plus I was eager to read a historical novel about Partition because I absolutely loved Shauna Singh Baldwin's What the Body Remembers. I was also looking forward to a strong female protagonist and female relationships. I seek out fiction from writers all around the world, especially female authors.
But I just couldn't finish this. As other reviewers have suggested, the prose style seemed more aimed at a young adult audience and was overly wordy.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

One night. Four friends. Countless secrets. And secrets don’t always remain hidden.

The story begins in 1947 with Partition, when 300 years of British rule in India ended. The Radcliffe Line established a partition between India and Pakistan, displacing millions and creating one of the greatest migrations in human history. Rozeena, her parents and her brother are fleeing the violence and rioting when her brother is separated from the family and killed.

We then move to 2019, with Rozeena retired from a successful medical practice. She receives a call from someone she hasn’t talked to in decades, and is immediately fearful of secrets that will be revealed.

The book alternates between the past and present, with secrets being revealed very slowly. The writing was easy to understand, yet it jumped so much from past to present that it felt disordered, and I would have enjoyed the story more if it was chronologically presented.

While the book does include Partition and obviously has a major impact on the characters’ lives, the subject itself is not explored very fully. Some of the main themes are family, love, friendship, duty and responsibility, and the author does give us an intricate look into the social and cultural mores of the place and times. Also enjoyable were the descriptions of Karachi’s breezes, the food shared and the abundant gardens and lifestyle of a foreign country.

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