Remnants of Partition: 21 Objects from a Continent Divided - Hardcover

'This is a book of startling originality, weaving stories of intimate connections with objects and harrowing histories of displacement into beautifully cadenced prose. It is a book to treasure.' -- Edmund de Waal, author of 'The Hare With Amber Eyes' 'A well-researched and richly readable book.' * Ramachandra Guha, author of 'India After Gandhi' * 'A wonderful idea stylishly executed.' -- Andrew Whitehead, former BBC India correspondent 'Aanchal Malhotra evokes one of the world's great tragedies in moving, beautiful prose, woven through everyday objects treasured as relics of a shattered age.' * Shashi Tharoor, Indian MP and author of 'Inglorious Empire' * 'Artfully weaves travel, memory and materials--all without guile--reminding us why India is one of the world's greatest storytelling cultures.' * Gurcharan Das, author of 'India Unbound' * 'This is a truly original way to approach the history of Partition. Through the finely observed details of everyday life, Malhotra's evocative writing brings depth and empathy to understanding this event.' -- Yasmin Khan, author of 'The Great Partition'

The emotion and trauma of the Partition are buried deep, but Aanchal Malhotra has found a way to recover them. Through the possessions saved by her own great-grandparents as they fled their homes, she discovers the unique power of such objects: to unlock the secrets of a colossal human migration, and a life that once was. Remnants of Partition is a remarkable alternative history, telling the family stories hidden within items carried between the new India and Pakistan, amid chaos and violence. They uncover a rich tapestry of pain and rupture, but also of hope and connection - in belonging through belongings, and identities reforged. From a string of pearls to a young woman's poetry, this extraordinary book gives voice to the voiceless, restoring the everyday to a great drama of the twentieth century. Its power and poignancy will haunt the reader.