A Burning: The most electrifying debut of 2021
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- Synopsis
- 'Immaculately constructed, acidly observed and gripping from start to finish, A Burning is a brilliant debut.' The Guardian'A big hit in America last year, this buzzy debut about the impact of a terrorist attack in a Kolkata slum on three connected characters is full of hot-button global topics, including violent nationalism' Metro&‘Powerful. […] Majumdar&’s page-turning thriller seeks to open our eyes to the role of persecution in populist politics&’ – Mail on Sunday &‘An evocative insight into class, corruption, injustice and power dynamics, this poignant tale makes for memorable reading&’ Cosmopolitan &‘Majumdar conjures up three notably effervescent, intense voices&’? Daily Telegraph'A brilliant character study about politics and power, this assured debut moves at a thriller's pace but with a meticulous eye for detail.' Nikesh Shukla'A Burning is a political thriller so charged and tense, it will keep you reading after lights out.' Red Magazine A girl walks through the slums of Kolkata holding an armful of books. She returns home smelling of smoke, and checks her most prized possession: a brand-new smartphone, purchased in instalments. On Facebook, there is only one conversation. #KolabaganTrainAttack On the small, glowing screen, she types a dangerous thing… &‘If the police didn&’t help ordinary people like you and me, if the police watched them die, doesn&’t that mean that the government is also a terrorist?&’ Set in contemporary India, A Burning is the story of three unforgettable characters, all dreaming of a better future, whose lives are changed for ever when they become caught up in the devastating aftermath of a terrorist attack. Jivan – a poor, young, Muslim girl, who dreams of going to college – faces a possible death sentence after being accused of collaborating with the terrorists.Lovely – an exuberant hijra who longs to be a Bollywood star – holds the alibi that can set Jivan free, but telling the truth will cost her everything she holds dear.PT Sir – an opportunistic gym teacher who once taught Jivan – becomes involved with Hindu nationalist politics and his own ascent is soon inextricably linked to Jivan&’s fall. Taut, propulsive and electrifying, from its opening lines to its astonishing finale, A Burning confronts issues of class, fate, prejudice and corruption with a Dickensian sense of injustice, and asks us to consider what it means to nurture big ambitions in a country hurtling towards political extremism.A Burning is a novel for our times and for all time.
- Copyright:
- 2020
Book Details
- Book Quality:
- Publisher Quality
- Book Size:
- 304 Pages
- ISBN-13:
- 9781471190285
- Related ISBNs:
- 9781471190261
- Publisher:
- Scribner UK
- Date of Addition:
- 01/21/21
- Copyrighted By:
- Megha Majumdar
- Adult content:
- No
- Language:
- English
- Has Image Descriptions:
- No
- Categories:
- Literature and Fiction
- Submitted By:
- Bookshare Staff
- Usage Restrictions:
- This is a copyrighted book.