I love the title and the cover of this book and two of the reasons I chose it. It is a great look at political upheaval and the strength people find to endure it. This was a heartbreaking and captivating atmospheric drama and how the aftermath of war can build the best in families. I enjoyed the cultural traditions and applaud the families that started over after their tragedy.
In 1964, Rozeena's family fled to Pakistan, so she could get her education as a doctor after her brother was killed. She builds her friendship with Haaris, Aalya, Waleed and Zohair. When they plan a neighborhood party, it turns quickly to tragedy when Waleed dies and Zohair suffers a debilitating injury after falling off the roof. They cover up the incident.
They bury the secret until Waleed's wife, Kulsoom, blackmails them into coming forward or paying the price. There are a lot of difficult situations. We witness social hierarchies, cultural differences and secret relationships. This could ruin Rozeena's career if it comes out she covered this up. One of the highlights is Haaris sends Zara, a granddaughter to stay with Rozeena and a beautiful lifetime friendship begins.
I didn't always know what was going on or understand the situations but it was a good look at the Middle Eastern and Asian beliefs that built the story into an atmospheric and dynamic book.
Thank you NetGalley and G.P.Putnam for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

A wonderful historical fiction book about a setting and era you don't see all that often. The setting alternates between 2019 and in the mid-1960's in Karrachi, Pakistan. The book focuses on four friends who end up as neighbors after the division of India and Pakistan. I think the book handles a difficult topic with great care and provides good representation. It is well written and while it jumps timelines it does so in a predictable way that is easy to follow. Overall it was an enjoyable read, and will be especially loved for any who love family dramas!

A woman in Pakistan receives a phone call from an old friend asking for help. The request will force her to face secrets from her past and revisit decisions made decades earlier. Debut author Nigar Alam brings to life post-Partition Pakistan with an over-ambitious plot in Under the Tamarind Tree.

In Karachi, Pakistan, in 2019, retired physician Rozeena Masood hears from someone she’d never thought would contact her again. Haaris, her friend from her old neighborhood, calls from his home in Minnesota to ask Rozeena for a favor. His granddaughter, Zara, is visiting family in Karachi. Would Rozeena mind if Zara spent some time with her?

As she thinks of her own grandchildren all grown up and busy in their own lives, Rozee welcomes the opportunity to reconnect with the young generation. The call bothers her, though. She was so sure that after everything she, Haaris, and their other two friends went through, her connection to Haaris would stay in the past. Yet here he is, 55 years later, calling her, asking for help like no time has passed at all. Like they don’t share any secrets that need to stay hidden.

When Zara arrives at her house, Rozee senses that spending time with the teenager has nothing to do with the past but everything do with Zara’s present. Her older brother has recently died in a terrible accident, and Zara hasn’t been herself since. Suddenly Rozee understands: Haaris has sent Zara to her because she knows what it’s like to lose someone in a horrific tragedy.

In the late 1940s, most of Rozee’s family escaped the genocide following the British retreat from India. The pulling back of all troops created the separate country of Pakistan and also caused one of the largest mass migrations in human history. That migration led to chaos, confusion, and mass murder. As Rozee and her parents literally ran for their lives, her brother was killed.

Two decades later, Rozee builds her medical practice by scraping together whatever resources possible. After her father’s death, Rozee is the sole breadwinner for the household. She’s afraid she’s not going to make it and that her mother will be forced to sell their home. After the horrors of the past, the home is more than just a house. It represents tentative peace in their lives. Rozee can’t let it go.

The only source of some levity in her life is her best friend and next-door neighbor, Aalya. When Rozee’s family moved to Karachi, they met Aalya’s family and the girls became soul sisters. Across the street lives Haaris in a much nicer, more expensive home. Upstairs from Aalya is carefree Zohair who has a quiet ambition to make something of himself.

The four are virtually inseparable nearly from the time they meet, but young adulthood is now challenging them. Rozee is dealing with her family’s finances. Haaris’s family wants him to join the family business, but Haaris doesn’t approve of the shady dealings the business requires. Aalya’s family needs her to marry up in society so they have some financial security. Zohair wants to marry Aalya but worries he’s not worthy.

On the night of a huge party at Haaris’s house, events spin out of control and lead to a death. The four friends have to figure out how to protect one another as well as their own families and their reputations. Their method of doing so will force them to tell lies, keep one another’s secrets, and break one another’s hearts.

Author Nigar Alam brings to life a less well-known part of the human experience: the years following the division of India and Pakistan, particularly where life in Pakistan is concerned. Her desire to highlight this portion of history is admirable and necessary. Unfortunately, the novel doesn’t quite meet expectations.

The plot skates across the surface of complicated feelings. The narration doesn’t sink deep enough into what was truly a horrific event for those families who experienced it. Instead, it suffers from telling the characters’ thoughts rather than showing them, leaving readers to fill in the gaps of what might be a very unfamiliar story to many.

The book also suffers from an overly complicated story. The number of secrets the characters share is excessive, resulting in a rushed ending where everything must be revealed. The novel hurries through key dramatic moments, not allowing readers to absorb what’s happening before throwing another wrench into the mix.

Those completely unfamiliar with the events of India and Pakistan’s division by the British might want to check this one out. Others may want to skip it completely.

Enjoyed this title very much - historical fiction which introduces me to a period of time and events I know little about is a challenge I like. Set alternately in the 2019 and in the mid-1960's in Karrachi Pakistan, this novel centers on the life of four friends who land as neighbors after the withdrawl of the British and the partitioning of India and Pakistan. Each battles his/her own challenges of adulthood, and the tragic events of one night send their lives into whole new directions. In the more current day, Haaris, who emigrated to the United States, and Rozeena, a pediatrician who fought to stay in Karacchi, reconnect to help Haaris's grieving granddaughter. These renewed connections send ripples through time, disturbing buried memories and secrets with potential consequences for all involved. Very evocotive of the time, space, sights, and smells of the eras involved, I highly recommend this one!

Under the Tamarind Tree by Nigar Alam is the first novel I’ve ever encountered that takes place (partially) during Partition in India, a deeply tragic, avoidable event that resulted in the death of an estimated two million people. This isn’t all that sets it apart and makes it unique, however, because it also tells its story from the perspective of an aged Muslim Pakistani woman who lived through that time. It isn’t often that I have had exposure to that type of tale, though it is notable that of the two times I’ve seen Partition discussed on fictional television shows, both were through the perspective of women. This story goes into the experience of a Muslim woman specifically, as relates to their societal code, present and past.

This book was many things to me. It was confusing, frustrating, and infuriating, but at other times I found it to be beautiful, poignant, and heartbreaking. I’ll try to break down each response as best I can without spoilers, but to preface my review, I should clear the air on a few things. First, I’d like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC at no personal cost. Second, I need to let anyone reading this know that I am a white feminist millennial born and raised in the US, and that flavors my response to this book.

Perhaps uniquely so, I’ve known about Partition and its horrific aftereffects for several years. I’m married to a man whose father is a Hindu and who emigrated from India, having been born not too long after that time. His family - out of shame or bitterness, or what, who can really say? - acts as though Partition was a blank spot in the history of India, and of their family. They never spoke of it to my father-in-law, and he never learned of it in school. I’m guessing that’s not terribly uncommon in their education system, at least as it was when he was a child there. I cannot make any statements about its current state, because I have no frame of reference (other than Modi is evil and condones genocide, which of course does not bode well for future generations and their education).

There are a few rare episodes of popular shows that depicted the horrors of Partition very well. The first is Doctor Who, in episode ‘Demons of the Punjab’, in the eleventh series (season), from 2018. It’s terribly sad and reminds us to be wary of artificial boundaries drawn between lands and peoples. The second show is Ms. Marvel. This one has several episodes that really stick the landing for a ‘good’ Partition story. The main character is Kamala Khan, a second-generation Pakistani American, who must relive some of what happened to her family during the Partition. Let’s just say it was a real tear-jerker, for me, anyway. (In fact, this book most reminded me of Ms. Marvel’s family backstory, and the young secondary character reminded me of Kamala’s experiences in Pakistan when she visited her family there. These scenes also highlight how different modern depictions of Pakistan may be from commonly held misconceptions.)

It's sad, frustrating, and infuriating that it is only now, more than 75 years later, that Partition is being talked about and shown on sources of popular media. It’s maddening that the history of India and Pakistan, and the direct result of British rule and meddling, is omitted from relevant texts and courses. The estimates are that as many as 2 million people were killed during Partition, amid ethnic and religious violence. Can you imagine omitting the Civil War from our history textbooks in K-12 schools? (Well, not to go too far down this rabbit hole, but there are many politically motivated individuals who are attempting to rewrite those books to change how history is taught, in order to make the Confederacy and slavery seem “not that bad”, with statements that glorify and lie about the treatment of enslaved people.) And, of course, these modifications completely ignore the scientific facts of inherited trauma via epigenetics, an emerging but very real field. (People descended from those who underwent extreme trauma [having lived through the Holocaust, Partition, the Tulsa Race Massacre, or slavery] have had that trauma passed down to them. Trauma can literally change how your DNA is expressed, and you can pass that gene expression down the line to your descendants. We can’t address this – work towards solutions – until we acknowledge the facts of human history, bloody though it may be.)
{I was a bit of a high school history and civics nerd, so it turns my stomach to see these attempts to “edit history” take place and, many times, succeed. We should all know by now that “those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it”.}

I’m sorry for the detour. Now back to the review:
One of the biggest sources of ire for me in ‘Under the Tamarind Tree’ was probably a cultural disconnect; a misunderstanding or unfamiliarity with what might be Pakistani or Muslim customs. There were several scenes that left me deeply confused. Picture this: a senior woman answers her cell phone. Her childhood friend, a man who now lives across an ocean and countries apart, is on the other end. The woman’s son, who is in the room, balks when he realizes his mother is on the phone, and rushes across the room to take it from her and talk to the other man. Finally, once satisfied, he hands the phone back to his mother and allows her to carry on with her conversation, but he remains in the room. Is this a cultural thing? Is it a sexist thing? Or is there some other reason that I don’t understand? Are 80-year-old women not allowed to speak to men on the phone without supervision? Is that really what’s happening or am I misinterpreting something? I don’t know. My brain always tends towards the worst-case scenario, which is that of a controlling, patriarchal society that doesn’t allow women to answer the phone, and so, right or wrong, that is the one that sticks. There is another [spoiler] piece of the story that could explain this behavior, but these instances are never specifically explained, so I can only guess and go with my gut.

With that said, I do not think that Under the Tamarind Tree depicts the frightful imagery of Islamic culture that those of us in the West frequently see. There are events and situations that would be different if women and girls were full and trusted members of society, but those events also took place in the 1960s in Pakistan, and I believe the cultural response, while different from what it would have been in the western nations, was only held back by a few decades, unlike how many religion-dominant cultures today hold back women to positions worse than they had centuries ago.

In the book, as in life, so-called feminine “modesty” is an enforced cultural standard, which doesn’t sound all that awful, until you realize how insidious and one-sided it is, and how it places the blame for men’s behavior on women. When a woman’s clothing is deemed “immodest” - whether by choice or as the result of a man tearing the woman’s clothing, for example - she must be kept hidden for fear of being held “guilty” for the entire situation. Scenarios like these are infuriating, but they’re nowhere near as heartbreaking as many modern horror stories of gender-based cultural oppression.

Relationships, friendships in particular, are something this book often handles masterfully. The secondary character, a young American girl, a second-generation Pakistani immigrant, and her budding relationship with the main character (the senior woman) is beautiful to behold. The girl begins depressed, mourning, and standoffish but, by the end of the novel, she has come into her own as a person, with the loving support of her family around her. This would not be the case if not for the woman-girl mentoring type of relationship they develop, and it’s rather wholesome and nice.

That said, there are a few points where characters seem to act inconsistently with their “true North”, or their moral compasses. They would have to overlook a key aspect of what makes them who they are in order to act the way they do in a handful of scenes. This is probably the thing that most frustrated me about this novel. I was venting frustration to my husband at one point, because an experienced physician overlooked the most important aspects of head trauma and essentially shooed away someone who needed supervision, much to my chagrin and counter to her character’s essence.

The flashbacks to the time of Partition are frequent, at times every other chapter, but it was usually easy enough to keep up with. The title of each chapter states what year the story takes place in. I’m not sure why, perhaps it took that long to get published in the time of COVID-19, but the modern dates are listed as 2019. (It’s just a quirk I noticed, and doesn’t have any effect on the story, I just wondered why that might be.)

Overall, after I’ve mentally tallied it all up, I recommend this book to most readers. Why? It’s eye-opening, especially to western readers (namely Americans and people in the UK) who didn’t have any knowledge of Partition beforehand. This is, as far as I’m aware, an entirely fictional accounting of events, but I believe it is based on the true family histories of the atrocities of Partition, because all the stories I’ve encountered of the events run neatly parallel to each other. The book isn’t perfect, but nothing is. Under the Tamarind Tree is very well-written and can appeal to a broad audience. It has the potential to be eye-opening to historical facts and cultural realities, although it is itself fictional. It’s a story of family, friendship, heartbreak, love, generational differences and similarities, and I think everyone can – or at least should try to! - relate to those things.

I give it a solid 4 out of 5 Stars.

Under the Tamarind Tree by Nigar Alam is an enthralling debut.
Honestly this was one of those (don’t judge a book by it’s cover or description) for me.
I didn’t think going into this at first I was going to be sucked in like I did.
Alam did a great job creating this family/friend drama.
Her writing flowed beautifully throughout creating family drama that gripped me.
I liked how very character-driven this story was.
These are my favorite types of books; I find that novels with interesting and realistic characters stay with me a lot longer than books with quick plots.
Overall, a compelling, interesting and entertaining story.
I’m looking forward to reading more future books by Nigar Alam.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Attention grabbing story of friends and family trials and tribulations set in Karachi, Pakistan between two different timelines. The summary says "captivating and atmospheric" and I 100% agree. Each section leaves you wanting more. It sings of the connections between large scale historical events and the smaller, more personal events that shape our lives and times to come.

This was an incredibly well thought out and detailed story set during the partition. The characters and storyline was incredibly rich and complex and it is certainly a book I would recommend. I do feel that some of the details and timing/pacing left the book feeling a bit confusing/disjointed. But this was not a major issue at all, and did not affect how much I enjoyed reading it.

Rozeena's quiet life in Karachi is disrupted by a phone call from an old friend she thought she'd never speak to again. Her friend's granddaughter is going through a rough time and needs a change of scenery. When the teenager comes to stay with Rozeena and work in her garden, Rozeena is reminded of her own youth: the trauma her family survived during the Partition, the best friends she came of age with in Pakistan, and the shocking death that tore them apart.

This sweeping historical fiction set across multiple timelines paints a vivid picture of a complicated life and country. Nigar Alam has created a complex, layered protagonist, and moments of Pakistan's history are artfully woven into Rozeena's story. It's both quietly moving and full of compelling twists that keep your attention through the last page.

The story of the partition of Pakistan and the secrets of 4 friends during 1964 has lifelong consequences. This was a great debut and recommended for fans of Khalid Hosseini.

This novel spoke to my heart; as a daughter who has experienced loss and wants nothing but the best for her family. Set in Pakistan the reader is exposed to the aftermath of war, cultural traditions, starting again in so many ways in life. Loss of family, life, tradition, being in the social circle……all things anyone of any culture can relate too. Four friends face difficult situations in their lives that altar their relationships and future. Through the descriptions I was taken to the intimate settings in my mind and always had a craving for chai tea and warm potato samosas. The story weaves the characters past with events of the future; the reader is taken back and forth throughout the novel. Although it has not been released as of yet I have high hopes for the novel and its author. Thank you #NetGalley #NigarAlam #UnderTheTamarindTree #G.P.Putnam’sSons for the opportunity to read a free ARC for my honest review.

A fascinating look into the underrepresented history of India and Pakistan post-British colonialism. Intriguing characters and a consuming storyline. Good use of language and scene descriptions. Drawbacks are a modest overuse of cultural terms unfamiliar to the average reader without enough explanation. Overall, a recommended read.

Under the Tamarind Tree is a dual timeline story about friendship, secrets and the pressures of society. This story follows the story of Rozeena, a woman living in Karachi in 1964, who is dealing with the pressure of desperately needs her medical career to take off in order to save the home her family has lived in since Partition. The story also follows Rozeena to 2019, where she reflects on her life and tries to unravel her past that she has worked hard to keep under wraps for decades. While Rozeena deals with her struggles in her career and at home, she runs into problems with her friends that culminate in a night that will change all of their lives.

The author does a good job of creating mystery in the first chapter and keeping the reader interested in learning more about Rozeena and her past. This story of Rozeena's past is filled with many twists and turns that I did not see coming and that add a lot of depth to 2019 Rozeena. I really appreciated being able to learn more about Partition and how it affected so many people and how those effects were felt for decades. This story also touches on the issues that arise from worrying about expectations from society in regards to class.

I found the story to be a little bit rushed, especially towards the end and some of the transitions between scenes were a bit jumpy.

Overall, this was in interesting story that touched on topics that are still important in today's society.

In 1960s Karachi, Pakistan, the events of one night changed the lives of friends Rozeena, Haaris, Aalya, and Zohair forever. Those events lead to revelations about the families' escapes from India following Partition, showing they are linked in more ways than they thought. In present day, all of these secrets are brought to the surface again when Haaris reaches out to Rozeena and asks if his granddaughter can spend the summer interning with her.

Just as I struggled to write the above paragraph, I sometimes struggled to keep all the strings of the story in their proper places in my head. There are so many secrets being revealed throughout the story across all timelines. More secrets than necessary in my opinion as some didn't really seem to add much to the story. I enjoyed the setting and the writing at sentence-level is strong but I think further revision could have presented a clearer story.



It started off a bit slow, with most of the actions and reveals occuring in the second half. In the first half I constantly felt like I had missed something when I was actually being presented with foreshadowing of secrets not yet revealed. I enjoyed the setting in Karachi, Pakistan and wish the whole story had just been set in the 1960s timeline.

3.75 Stars - Switching back and forth between the past (1964) and present (2019), Under The Tamarind Tree explores the relationship of Rozeena and Haaris, a childhood friend who she grew apart with. Their lives are then entangled again when Harris' granddaughter spends a summer "interning" with Rozeena in Pakistan. Mixed in to the story is the mystery behind and Rozeena reconciling parts of young self that she has yet to come to terms with.

Overall, I would recommend this book and it didn't seem to drag for me --especially around the halfway mark-- as some historical fiction has.

What I didn't enjoy:
- Though I liked the relationship between Zara and Rozeena, at times the links between them felt forced and Rozeena's realizations too on-the-nose
- Similarly, wish there was more time given to the 1964 time frame or even if there were dedicated chapters flashing back to 1947, when the families fled India

What I enjoyed:
- If you're like me and wish you learned more about the partition of India in school, this novel provided a brief introduction to it and its aftermath.
- Found myself absorbed in figuring out the mysteries and secrets alluded to in 2019

Deep and resonating. A wonderful read. Highly recommended for anyone who loves a good story with a deep secret that lasts for decades and comes to the present for a reckoning.

Tamarinds…mouth puckering tartness with a combination of bittersweet and sour in sticky soft flesh paste. Similar to the lives of four of the main characters encapsulated within this novel, dealing with the sweetness of friendship and love and contrasting with secrets and sorrows. The story begins with the partition of 1947 where Indian and Pakistani families were thrust into regions demarcated by a dotted line by the British. The horror and panic of this period sets the stage for the lives of these families. Rozenna, Aalya, Zohair,and Haaris were friends in Karachi although there is a secret that is not disclosed until the last half book about Rozenna’s brother who never made it but was trampled by the mob. The chapters in the book switch from the time of partition to the present which is sometimes a bit confusing but not to the point of decreased understanding. All are present at welcome party to Haaris when he returns to Karachi, but a deadly incident occurs which affects all of their lives forever. The chapters that focus on the present peel away the past secrets uncovering the questions from the past. The characters are fully realized, and their actions show how far one will go for love but sadly how secrets bind oneself, and don’t allow one to be free.

I did enjoy this but not as much as I expected. I think I expected much much more from it but I did love the relationship between Roozana and the other lady. I forgot her name now. But overall, Wasn't too impressed.

3.5 stars

Synopsis
Rozeena, a young pediatrician, lives in Karachi with her mother where her family moved after Pakistan’s independence. Struggling financially, Rozee is trying to prove to her family that she can care for herself and her mother. Meanwhile, her childhood friends and neighbors, Zohair, Aalya, and Haaris, are learning about the significance of class and status in 1964’s Karachi where their once innocent friendship is being overshadowed by societal expectations.
One night tragedy strikes at an event in the neighborhood that forever impacts the life of the four friends. In the aftermath, each of them ends up making difficult choices to protect their loved ones.
In present-day Karachi, Rozee finds herself confronted by the past when Haaris’s granddaughter, Zara, arrives at her doorstep. Through conversations about gardening and the past Rozee finds that Zara’s arrival might finally give her the closure that she needs.
What’s to like
South Asian readers may be attracted to this book for reading a story that resonates with them. The author paints a vivid picture of Karachi in the 1960s and the present.

What’s not to like
The book does not hold well against the high expectations of a Pakistani reader. The story is lacking and the drama element of what happens the fateful night is a bit of a letdown. The repeated mention of societal pressure, ‘Log kia kahengay (what will people say?)’ becomes annoying quickly. The presence of social expectations and pressure is true, but the reader wishes that the author offered more about Pakistani life. Zara wanting to become a gardener and landing at Rozee’s house seems strange, making the plot sound a bit forced.

Book Rating: 2.9/5 (rounded to 3 stars)

Under the Tamarind Tree is a drama about family and friends. The setting is in beautiful Karachi set on the Arabian Sea. It is very well written with interlocking stories from the present and the past. Lushly filled with betrayal and deception, decades old secrets and passions and love and friendship. This was such an original book, and I appreciated learning so much about this time and place in history. A beautiful story that I enjoyed reading. Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.