There are books that leave you dumbstruck while there are some books that leave you speechless. This book left me with a feeling that is indescribable. It's been a few hours I finished the book and only now could I make myself write even a word for the book. Today, as Nadya AR’s second book has it's 1st anniversary, I couldn't help but write what I felt about Invisible Ties…
About the book- As Karachi burned in the 1990s, the painfully shy Noor Kamal found refuge in an antique jade mirror stolen from Daisy, her social butterfly mother. One fateful day, the violence hits home as a motley crew of burglars storm the Kamal residence, killing Joseph, the faithful driver who tried to shield Noor and kidnapping Daisy in the process. Traumatized by the turn of events and succumbing to familial pressure, Noor reluctantly agrees to start life afresh in Singapore as the wife of Meekaal Kalim, an investment banker. Trapped in a loveless marriage, Noor finds succour in studying psychotherapy. Her attempt to heal others brings her close to Ella, her neighbour and Jake, a handsome American who is struggling to deal with his emotional breakdown. As she tries to exorcise ghosts from the past and break free from the shackles, where will Noor’s longing for love take her? Would she be able to liberate herself from her strong cultural values and ties? A saga of love and trials, against a rich contrasting background, Invisible Ties is sure to appeal to the readers.
To begin with, I am in love with the cover of the book. This book surely falls under my top 5 favorite book covers of the year. Also, the handmade paper'ish feel that the book jacket has, makes me fall for the book all over again. The blurb speaks a tonne about the book but it surely does injustice to what the whole book is about. There are very few authors or books read by me who has so distinctively mentioned the intricacies of life in such a wonderful way.
Based in Karachi and then, Singapore the book traces the life of Noor Kamal and I would be lying if I say that I didn't connect to the character. I found a piece of me in Noor, also because I want to learn psychotherapy and I love talking to people and helping them in their lives by counselling them. The other characters in the book were Noor’s parents, husband, aunt and her mother in law apart from her friends, maid and driver. Well, the book has a character for everyone. My next favorite characters has to be her mother in law, Jake and Ella.
Talking about the writing style of the author, this book took me by surprise. To readers like us who are habituated in reading on a regular basis lightly written monologues and write ups, this was a heavy read. Not heavy in words but heavy in emotions and narration skills. The subtle way through which the author has described everything brings to me, as a reader, a relief that I'll probably not be able to explain through my review out here.
I remember certain points in the book that felt oddly familiar with my life and certain places where I felt the tear at the back of my throat and mind you! This doesn't happen all the time with me. The way the author has handled the whole book and the heaviness of it is a mammoth task and she deserves all the accolades that is possible for me to give. The only con that I felt about the book is the fact that it is not for everyone. The book will not be liked for the YA audience or the light readers for a quick read. You need to savor this book and understand every page of it. Only then, the Jade mirror will talk to you! Following this one, I guess I'll love to read the author's future and past works too. For me, this one's a 4.8 out of 5.
No comments:
Post a Comment