Golden Age, A

By Tahmima Anam
(HarperCollins e-books, eBook, 9780061570117)

Other Editions of This Title: Paperback (December 17, 2008), Hardcover (December 19, 2007)

Available eBook Formats: Adobe Digital Editions, Palm eReader/iPhone, Microsoft Reader

Categories: General

Selected by Indie Booksellers for the Fall '09/Winter '10 Reading Group List

“A Golden Age is both a personal and a political history. The revolution of 1971 in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) is seen through the lens of family relationships, where choices that are sometimes perceived as abstract in the history books have immediate and heart-stopping consequences for individuals. Anam's writing is precise and her characters complex. The culture and the region are depicted in rich detail, and the plot builds to an ending that is both perfectly logical in the context of the novel and breathtaking in its daring. What more can a reader ask?”

-- Lilla Weinberger, Readers' Books, Sonoma, CA

Description

As young widow Rehana Haque awakes one March morning, she might be forgiven for feeling happy. Today she will throw a party for her son and daughter. In the garden of the house she has built, her roses are blooming, her children are almost grown, and beyond their doorstep, the city is buzzing with excitement after recent elections. Change is in the air.

But none of the guests at Rehana's party can foresee what will happen in the days and months ahead. For this is 1971 in East Pakistan, a country on the brink of war. And this family's life is about to change forever.

Set against the backdrop of the Bangladesh War of Independence, "A Golden Age" is a story of passion and revolution, of hope, faith and unexpected heroism. In the chaos of this era, everyone--from student protesters to the country's leaders, from rickshaw'wallahs to the army's soldiers--must make choices. And as she struggles to keep her family safe, Rehana will be forced to face a heartbreaking dilemma.

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