A family memoir of a time of turmoil

Broken Threads is the author’s story of the lives of her family who originated from India. She uses family documents, memories and the voice recordings of her older relatives to gather information to tell their stories. Her journey starts with the remnants of an old sari which travelled from India to Britain and is one of the few family possessions that still survives.

The author’s grandfather married a partly white, Roman Catholic woman and rejected the marriage arranged for him. Members of her family become doctors or work for the British. Although they are mostly Muslims, her family lived peacefully among Hindu neighbours until independence and the creation of Pakistan in 1947 when communities fell into conflict and bonds were shattered. The turmoil of that time is reflected in the history of this one family, what they lose and how they re-establish themselves.

I really enjoy family memoirs and this is an excellent example of the genre. The author writes movingly, but also honestly about her family members and what happens to them. She talks about racial segregation and the conflict that arises from different religious traditions. This is not a history of partition but the author shows its effects on individuals and family members and thus illustrates how badly it was done. The context of this family story is particularly well done with just enough history to enable the reader properly to understand the situation at the time.

I found this book fascinating and also very moving.