The Songbirds

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Pub Date Mar 27 2020 | Archive Date Dec 27 2021

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Description

“A great coming of age love story. Tender, easy-paced & redemptive.” - Goodreads.

The Songbirds celebrates true freedom. And redemption.

Kasim is an impressionable and ambitious young man, who wants to go very far in life. In doing so, he lets go of the hand of Sumera, the one woman who truly ever loved him. But, when he reaches the top, he realises that it’s all just a mirage; a golden cage. While he finds himself locked in a cage of his own making, Sumera finds herself locked in a cage made by others. Her crime is not that she is a fiery blogger. Rather, in the eyes of her enemies, her crime is that she is a woman; that too, one who cannot keep quiet. The only way Kasim can set himself free is if he helps Sumera to her freedom.

In the beginning, amidst poetry and the innocence of youth, the love story of Kasim and Sumera sprouts in the romantic settings of Bada Ghar, the mystical house of a long-gone but not forgotten poet, Bulbul Baba. But Kasim’s loss of innocence drives the lovers apart. When realisation dawns, Kasim’s yearning for Sumera returns, becoming stronger than ever, but a huge barrier now stands between them. Not only that, but time could also be running out because Sumera has earned herself too many enemies.

The Songbirds is a literary tale that goes to the heart of what’s ailing the world today and tries to find the answers to our most pressing questions.

Alif’s bio: I write to usher in change. At the same time, my novels brim with hope & have a riveting plot. The Songbirds is my latest novel. My other novel, Guns and Saffron, has received excellent reviews on NetGalley and Goodreads saying that it is addictive, fresh and enlightening.

I hope you enjoy reading my novels.

“A great coming of age love story. Tender, easy-paced & redemptive.” - Goodreads.

The Songbirds celebrates true freedom. And redemption.

Kasim is an impressionable and ambitious young man, who...


Available Editions

EDITION Ebook
ISBN 9781838595616
PRICE $0.99 (USD)
PAGES 200

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Shelf App (EPUB)
Send to Kindle (EPUB)

Average rating from 5 members


Featured Reviews

WOW! This book was utterly engaging. To be honest, it took me by complete surprise. I was enthralled by the oriental aspects of the novel, I read it in one sitting. Such a shame that great books such as this one don’t get much visibility. I highly recommend this read. It is a book about freedom and what it means to be a woman. Loved it, and I hope you enjoy it just as much.

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☆☆☆☆,75 /5

Ce roman m’a complètement enchantée. J’ai eu l’impression un de ces contes de fées déchirants, réalistes et optimistes malgré les difficultés rencontrées par les personnages. C’était une très belle lecture.
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Kasim est un jeune homme ambitieux, qui veut aller très loin dans la vie. Et il est prêt à tout. Même à lâcher la main de Sumera, la seule femme qui l'a vraiment aimé. Mais, quand il atteint le sommet, il se rend compte que tout n'est que mirage ; semblant à une cage dorée. Alors qu'il se retrouve enfermé dans une cage de sa propre fabrication, Sumera se retrouve, elle, enfermée dans une cage fabriquée par les autres. Son crime n'est pas d'être une blogueuse passionnée. Au contraire, aux yeux de ses ennemis, son crime est d'être une femme. La seule façon pour Kasim de se libérer est d'aider Sumera à se libérer… Aussi simple que cela, oui.
¤
L’histoire de Kasim et de Sumera est une de ces histoires d’amour dont j’ai envie de me souvenir éternellement. Ce n’est pas une histoire toute rose, où tout se passe bien, où tout va bien. Au contraire, il y a des difficultés, des obstacles, du désespoir… Et pourtant, la force et l’affection qui les unissent sont toujours présentes et leur lien indéfectible ne peut disparaître.
Du début de leur relation, en passant par ce qui va les séparer à ce qui va les réunir à nouveau, nous suivons Kasim et Sumera sur plusieurs années. J’ai trouvé ce roman très intéressant car il traitait de thèmes bouleversants. À quel point est-on prêt à sacrifier ce qu’on a de plus cher pour parvenir à nos fins ? Est-ce aussi nécessaire d’arriver à un tel succès ? L’homme est ambitieux, mais qu’en est-il de la femme ? Quelle est sa place dans la société ? Comment la traite-on ?
À travers ce roman et ces deux personnages qui n’auront pas connu un parcours facile, malgré les apparences, on va se poser énormément de questions sur la société dans laquelle nous vivons, des questions qui seront nécessaires finalement pour l’évolution de la nouvelle génération.

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ENGLISH REVIEW:

This book completely enchanted me. It felt like one of those heart-wrenching, realistic, upbeat fairy tales despite the challenges the characters faced. It was a beautiful read.
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Kasim is an impressionable and ambitious young man who wants to go very far in life. In doing so, he lets go of Sumera's hand, the only woman who really loved him. But, when he reaches the top, he realizes that it is only a mirage; a golden cage. While he finds himself locked in a cage of his own making, Sumera finds himself locked in a cage made by others. Her crime is not to be an avid blogger. On the contrary, in the eyes of his enemies, his crime is to be a woman; that too, the one who cannot be silent. The only way for Kasim to be free is to help Sumera to his freedom.
¤
The story of Kasim and Sumera is one of those love stories that I want to remember forever. It's not a sweet story, where everything is going well and is perfect. Oh no, there are so much difficulties, obstacles, despair ... And yet, the strength and affection that unite them are still present and their strong love cannot disappear.
From the start of their relationship, through what will separate them to what will bring them together again, we follow Kasim and Sumera over several years. I found this book very interesting because it dealt with overwhelming themes. How much are we ready to sacrifice what we hold dear to achieve our ends? Is it also necessary to achieve such success? The man is ambitious, but what about the woman? What is her place in society? How do you treat her?
Through this beautiful story and these two characters who don’t have an easy journey, despite appearances, we will ask ourselves a lot of questions about the society in which we live, questions that will ultimately be necessary for the evolution of the new generation today.

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