Her world continues to be circumscribed entirely to that of her children. Still, through war, massacres and refugee camps, Rehanna is more a witness than an active participant. More interestingly, Rehanna falls in love with him.
It is a foregone conclusion when they ask their mother to hide a wounded rebel. Bangladesh is separating from Pakistan, and her children are involved in the separatist struggle. Now, however, the world around them is crumbling. Her problem is basically the same: how she can hang on to them. Rehanna still celebrates the anniversary of their return, keeping secret how she managed to bring it about. Fast-forward to years later, to 1971, when Rehanna’s children, Sohail and Maya, are young adults.
Tahmina Anam, the author of this first novel, begins powerfully: “Dear Husband, I lost our children today.” The voice is that of Rehanna, a young widow who has been forced to hand her children to her brother-in-law because she has no money.
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