Spring, 1971, East Pakistan. Rehana Haque is throwing a party for her beloved children, Sohail and Maya. Her young family is growing up fast, and Rehana wants to remember this day forever. But out on the hot city streets, something violent is brewing. As the civil war develops, a war which will eventually see the birth of Bangladesh, Rehana struggles to keep her children safe and finds herself facing a heartbreaking dilemma.

"Deftly balances the story of nation against that of family . . . heart-shattering" - * Guardian *

"A stunning debut. Anam writes of torture, brutality, refugees and desperation, but she also writes of love and joy, food and song" - * Observer *

"A real page-turner, with a bravura, heart-stopping ending" - * Sunday Telegraph *

"Beautifully told, intimate and touching; Anam has a knack for making you care so desperately for her characters that you admire their failings as much as their strengths" - * Daily Mail *

"Anam's prose is glowing and graceful throughout; whether detailing the degradations of a refugee camp, the tenderness of an unexpected love affair, or the exhilarated dread of a nation in cataclysm" - * Guardian *

"The authenticity shines through beautiful, simple prose" - * Harper's Bazaar *

"A striking story of a spirited mother struggling to bring up her children" - * Financial Times *

"A voice of real eloquence" - * Independent *

"Compellingly twists the personal and the historical, humming with handed-down wisdom" - * Literary Review *