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Another Gulmohar Tree
Usman is visiting post-war London from Pakistan when he meets a young aspiring artist called Lydia who has, like himself, come out of an unhappy marriage.
Just as the lonely strangers' friendship begins to blossom into something deeper Usman has to return to Karachi, leaving Lydia behind.
Two years later, Lydia abandons her life in London and boards a ship to Karachi, where the two are married. But as the years flit by Usman feels a growing distance between them. He realises that he hasn't noticed the buds of the gulmohar tree unfurl, and that he has lost sight of his love for his wife.
A beautiful account of a marriage that is in turns wry and unashamedly romantic.
Another Gulmohar Tree was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize Europe and South Asia in 2010.
Aamer Hussein was born in Karachi in 1955 and moved to London in the early 1970s. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and reviews regularly for The Independent and the TLS. He is the author of Turquoise, This Other Salt, and the editor of Kahani: Short Stories by Pakistani Women. He has held visiting posts at the University of Southampton and the University of London, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Just as the lonely strangers' friendship begins to blossom into something deeper Usman has to return to Karachi, leaving Lydia behind.
Two years later, Lydia abandons her life in London and boards a ship to Karachi, where the two are married. But as the years flit by Usman feels a growing distance between them. He realises that he hasn't noticed the buds of the gulmohar tree unfurl, and that he has lost sight of his love for his wife.
A beautiful account of a marriage that is in turns wry and unashamedly romantic.
Another Gulmohar Tree was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize Europe and South Asia in 2010.
Aamer Hussein was born in Karachi in 1955 and moved to London in the early 1970s. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and reviews regularly for The Independent and the TLS. He is the author of Turquoise, This Other Salt, and the editor of Kahani: Short Stories by Pakistani Women. He has held visiting posts at the University of Southampton and the University of London, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
114 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2009
10 people are currently reading
251 people want to read
About the author
Aamer Hussein
25 books42 followersAamer Hussein was born in Karachi in 1955 and moved to London in 1970 for further education after a year at boarding school in India. He has a degree in Urdu, Persian and South Asian studies from SOAS, and later studied French, philosophy and psychology. He began publishing fiction in the 1980s in journals and anthologies. His first collection of stories, Mirror to the Sun, appeared in 1993, to be followed by This Other Salt, Turquoise, Cactus Town, and Insomnia. He has also published a novella, Another Gulmohar Tree (2009) and a novel, The Cloud Messenger (2011). His stories have been translated into many languages, including Italian, Arabic and Japanese. In 2012, he contributed four original stories and a memoir in Urdu to the Karachi journal Dunyazad. Hussein, who is also an essayist and critic, is Professorial Writing Fellow in the Department of English and Humanities at the University of Southampton, and a Senior Fellow of the Institute of English Studies at London University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
December 11, 2019
I read this book for the first time in April 2017. That time I couldn't get much out of its story. For me, it was a simple story in which two people from different regions meet, get married and start living in a house made and renovated according to their own taste.
Some days ago, I saw a review of one of my fellows in which she had mentioned reading books while sitting under Gulmohar Tree during her childhood days. It reminded me of this book but I couldn't recall much of its story. So, I bought my my copy because last time I had borrowed it from the university library.
This time, I realized Aamer Hussein is a master of words. He has told a simple story of cross-cultural relationships, but in a well crafted manner. The book is full of allegories. The first part of it contains three stories for children. But, these stories are (in)directly linked with the second part. While the second part contains a love story of Usman and Rukeya which ends in their marriage and tells ups and downs of a typical marriage. Usman keeps on singing while Rokeya, in some ways, finds and loses her dearest thing in the both parts of the book.
Some months ago, I read Amitav Ghosh's The Shadow Lines that also gave me similar feelings. That story also talks about the cross-cultural relationships and Amitav Ghosh is also an elegant writer just like Aamer Hussein.
Some of my favourite lines:
"She wondered whether written words came from a different place -- of memory, perhaps -- that didn't depend on the eyes at all."
"But eyes, Usman had commented, were the greatest deceivers; they showed you colours you couldn't aspire to, dreams that filled you with boundless longing. Longing led to loss, loss to lamentation and mourning."
"You don't choose the language you write in, it chooses you."
Some days ago, I saw a review of one of my fellows in which she had mentioned reading books while sitting under Gulmohar Tree during her childhood days. It reminded me of this book but I couldn't recall much of its story. So, I bought my my copy because last time I had borrowed it from the university library.
This time, I realized Aamer Hussein is a master of words. He has told a simple story of cross-cultural relationships, but in a well crafted manner. The book is full of allegories. The first part of it contains three stories for children. But, these stories are (in)directly linked with the second part. While the second part contains a love story of Usman and Rukeya which ends in their marriage and tells ups and downs of a typical marriage. Usman keeps on singing while Rokeya, in some ways, finds and loses her dearest thing in the both parts of the book.
Some months ago, I read Amitav Ghosh's The Shadow Lines that also gave me similar feelings. That story also talks about the cross-cultural relationships and Amitav Ghosh is also an elegant writer just like Aamer Hussein.
Some of my favourite lines:
"She wondered whether written words came from a different place -- of memory, perhaps -- that didn't depend on the eyes at all."
"But eyes, Usman had commented, were the greatest deceivers; they showed you colours you couldn't aspire to, dreams that filled you with boundless longing. Longing led to loss, loss to lamentation and mourning."
"You don't choose the language you write in, it chooses you."
July 6, 2022
Aamer Hussein is a gifted storyteller. Clean, spare, emotionally astute tales with just the right amount of detail. This novella follows the love affair between an English woman and a Pakistani man who meet in London in 1950. Both are divorced, both are lonely, but despite her hopes, their friendship remains just that. He is eleven years older and only in the country for a year. Two years after his return to Pakistan, she follows, intent on winning his love, which she already had even if he hadn't acknowledged it. They marry and set up home in Karachi. Over the coming years she settles into the community with perhaps more ease than he does, leading him to question himself, his dreams of being a writer and what it is that his foreign born wife understands of this new country—one that neither actually grew up in—and what he has lost touch with.
After having just finished a long, experimental work, a simple and beautiful love story was a perfect change of pace. A longer review can be found here: https://roughghosts.com/2022/07/06/an...
After having just finished a long, experimental work, a simple and beautiful love story was a perfect change of pace. A longer review can be found here: https://roughghosts.com/2022/07/06/an...
February 1, 2015
This is a story of a cross-cultural marriage beautiful love affair. I am sure I will read it again just because it is one of those books which teach you more the second time and then even more the third time! Nonetheless, the story had a very calming effect on me.
I would have preferred to read it on a rainy day, while perched on a windowsill, and sipping a hot cup of coffee. Every now and then as the story would unfold, I would take a quick glance outside, hoping for the Gulmohar tree to appear magically.
I would have preferred to read it on a rainy day, while perched on a windowsill, and sipping a hot cup of coffee. Every now and then as the story would unfold, I would take a quick glance outside, hoping for the Gulmohar tree to appear magically.
March 5, 2017
Beautiful and lyrical.
December 30, 2019
Another Gulmohar Tree is a short book by Aamer Hussein (only 104 pages). It is the story of Usman and Lydia, who despite all sorts of differences among them, chose to be with each other because love rules all. Hussein has written a very lyrical account of these two lovebirds belonging to different races, religions, and countries. The story is from a time when the colonial reign was very freshly over from the subcontinent and muslims had attained a separate homeland in the shape of Pakistan.
The book merges two very different types of stories where one has talking frogs in it while the other talks about a contemporary romance between two people separated by borders but united by hearts.
The first part of the book is filled with a tint of magic realism and a touch of fairy tales. We have talking animals, singing heroes, evil stepmoms and humans turning into crocodiles. All these elements will make you feel as if you're reading a children story book (especially the crocodile one).
In the second part of the book, called Puzzled Angles, Hussein suddenly changed his style of writing. He immediately jumps from simple, easy and fairytale like story structure to a more complex yet lyrical one. He grabs us by the hand and asks us to take a leap from the magical lands of talking frogs and crocodile brides into the contemporary world of courtship and romance between a girl and his foreigner lover.
There are different stories going on side by side in the book. Hussein has done a tremendous job in weaving all these stories of different kinds with each other. They are all so subtly intertwined that they keep their individuality alive while merging effortlessly into each other.
I would suggest you all read this short book and embark on a magical journey with Hussein's relatable characters. This was my first book by this author and I absolutely loved his writing style.
The book merges two very different types of stories where one has talking frogs in it while the other talks about a contemporary romance between two people separated by borders but united by hearts.
The first part of the book is filled with a tint of magic realism and a touch of fairy tales. We have talking animals, singing heroes, evil stepmoms and humans turning into crocodiles. All these elements will make you feel as if you're reading a children story book (especially the crocodile one).
In the second part of the book, called Puzzled Angles, Hussein suddenly changed his style of writing. He immediately jumps from simple, easy and fairytale like story structure to a more complex yet lyrical one. He grabs us by the hand and asks us to take a leap from the magical lands of talking frogs and crocodile brides into the contemporary world of courtship and romance between a girl and his foreigner lover.
There are different stories going on side by side in the book. Hussein has done a tremendous job in weaving all these stories of different kinds with each other. They are all so subtly intertwined that they keep their individuality alive while merging effortlessly into each other.
I would suggest you all read this short book and embark on a magical journey with Hussein's relatable characters. This was my first book by this author and I absolutely loved his writing style.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 23, 2020
For me the more compelling aspect of this novella was its juxtaposition of a plainly told story of a romance that leads to a cross-cultural marriage between a Pakistani and an Englishwoman and the lore of the river crocodiles to whom farmers pay tribute including humans who went on to live with them, as well as other parables. There is subtle symbolism as well as description that gives a poignant otherworldly sense. This is in the first part called Gulmohar and the parables here are subtly connected to the story told in the second part.
"The crocodiles' bread was green, made of weed and lichen mixed with river water and the minced flesh of river creature. It had a mossy smell."
The bulk of the novella is in the second part called Puzzled Angels. Usman Ali Khan a writer and Lydia Javashvili a painter meet in London and eventually settle in Karachi. The novella is an easy paced exploration of physical and emotional migrations, cross-cultural relationships, creativity, sacrifice, settling down and building relationships.
"The crocodiles' bread was green, made of weed and lichen mixed with river water and the minced flesh of river creature. It had a mossy smell."
The bulk of the novella is in the second part called Puzzled Angels. Usman Ali Khan a writer and Lydia Javashvili a painter meet in London and eventually settle in Karachi. The novella is an easy paced exploration of physical and emotional migrations, cross-cultural relationships, creativity, sacrifice, settling down and building relationships.
November 9, 2019
A tale within a tale, an intertwining of fable with fiction. Gently written, it is a short novel of love that changes over time, beginning not from an abundance of passion and excitement, but gradually warming and evolving with its own memories of togetherness.
September 17, 2024
Found this in a coffeeshop and began reading out of boredom. I honestly didnt expect to be moved by it as much as I did. A beautifully crafted story that I wish more people read. Definitely digging Pakistani literature more after this.
April 16, 2019
Beautifully written and highly allegorical. A must-read book for Pakistani diaspora.
September 15, 2014
The first third of the book is composed of what reads like a deconstructed children's story or fairytale. This very unusual approach draws the astonished reader into a vividly colored world of sun-drenched gulmohar trees, talking one-legged frogs and magical crocodile creatures.
What follows is an enchanting love story, deceptively simple yet never unnecessarily simplified, depicted in brightly painted sentences.
Its subtleness, and modest beauty literally gave me goosebumps. Lydia and Usman find each other in a time when Partition is not such a distant memory, and when a good Catholic girl isn't supposed to make a match with a non-Catholic man. Nevertheless, they have a connection that spans cultures, religions, languages and eventually even locations. In order to better understand him, she explores the Koran, and applies her intelligence to studying the book and works on remarkable Muslim women. She then decides to convert to Islam and change her name to Rokeya. When, after their marriage, they settle down in a suburb of Karachi, Rokeya does her utmost to make a happy life for her husband, herself... and the three children that follow from their union. She succeeds in this, but not all is as perfect as it seems. Slowly, they have started to drift apart.
The focus of this novel is on the mixed backgrounds of our protagonists and how they cope with their trials and tribulations, and still make their marriage work. In our present-day society it is no longer taken for granted that one enters a relationship with someone of the same sex, faith, race or nationality. In the past, people were more likely to stay in their hometown, county or country, and find their mate there. But nowadays cross-border holidays and immigration have brought many different cultures into our vicinity, and where people are, romance is bound to happen. But if your loved one is foreign (or from a different faith), how much would you be wiling to compromise to be with him or her? Would you change your beliefs, your name, your language, and location? And even if you do, and your relationship is one ruled by love and respect, would you always feel at home abroad? Would you feel accepted as one of their own?
In my opinion, Hussein has written an extraordinary account of a very contemporary romance. Can you believe that he actually accomplished this in only 104 pages?
What follows is an enchanting love story, deceptively simple yet never unnecessarily simplified, depicted in brightly painted sentences.
Its subtleness, and modest beauty literally gave me goosebumps. Lydia and Usman find each other in a time when Partition is not such a distant memory, and when a good Catholic girl isn't supposed to make a match with a non-Catholic man. Nevertheless, they have a connection that spans cultures, religions, languages and eventually even locations. In order to better understand him, she explores the Koran, and applies her intelligence to studying the book and works on remarkable Muslim women. She then decides to convert to Islam and change her name to Rokeya. When, after their marriage, they settle down in a suburb of Karachi, Rokeya does her utmost to make a happy life for her husband, herself... and the three children that follow from their union. She succeeds in this, but not all is as perfect as it seems. Slowly, they have started to drift apart.
The focus of this novel is on the mixed backgrounds of our protagonists and how they cope with their trials and tribulations, and still make their marriage work. In our present-day society it is no longer taken for granted that one enters a relationship with someone of the same sex, faith, race or nationality. In the past, people were more likely to stay in their hometown, county or country, and find their mate there. But nowadays cross-border holidays and immigration have brought many different cultures into our vicinity, and where people are, romance is bound to happen. But if your loved one is foreign (or from a different faith), how much would you be wiling to compromise to be with him or her? Would you change your beliefs, your name, your language, and location? And even if you do, and your relationship is one ruled by love and respect, would you always feel at home abroad? Would you feel accepted as one of their own?
In my opinion, Hussein has written an extraordinary account of a very contemporary romance. Can you believe that he actually accomplished this in only 104 pages?
March 31, 2014
The Gulmohar fails to blossom.
First 40 pages are merely a fairy tale with one Gulmohar tree, one frog that yields gold coin for slices of bread, few crocodiles & so on.
Remaining story revolves around Pakistani Muslim Usman & London Catholic Lydia. Usman's versatile knowledge and Lydia's thirst for knowledge brings them together despite the differences. Lydia converts into Islam for Usman, calling herself Rokeya (the small girl who finds frog for little Usman in the intro fairytale). On one fine day, Usman understands the growing distance between him & Rokeya. And rest of the story goes in Usman mending the distance. Not-so-crispy tale. Nothing is catchy except the title.
First 40 pages are merely a fairy tale with one Gulmohar tree, one frog that yields gold coin for slices of bread, few crocodiles & so on.
Remaining story revolves around Pakistani Muslim Usman & London Catholic Lydia. Usman's versatile knowledge and Lydia's thirst for knowledge brings them together despite the differences. Lydia converts into Islam for Usman, calling herself Rokeya (the small girl who finds frog for little Usman in the intro fairytale). On one fine day, Usman understands the growing distance between him & Rokeya. And rest of the story goes in Usman mending the distance. Not-so-crispy tale. Nothing is catchy except the title.
November 26, 2017
Another Gulmohar Tree was my first introduction to Aamer Hussein's fiction, and while this was my first ever book by the author, it most certainly wasn't the last. I related to Usman's character in ways I never imagined. IMO, this is the beauty of AH's fiction, he knows the art of weaving deepest, darkest and most haunted human emotions with most simplicity and ease. Words just comes naturally to him! These are the stories you'd want to read in cold winter nights with a steaming coffee mug. The characters will come talk to you, if you just listen carefully!
January 20, 2023
Aamer Hussein was introduced to me as an undergrad and by this point, I think I've read most of his works. Hussein's prose is beautiful but I think this one is definitely one of my absolute favorites. I don't think I've read anything quite as beautiful as this despite being very simple. The prose flows beautifully, you can actually feel the care in the words, and the descriptions are lovely. I really like how Karachi is almost portrayed as a character in this book. Read it all in one day and super glad I picked this up!
January 30, 2015
A short philosophical text about human relationships (specifically lovers). Aamer delivers a simple message to the readers: anyone can outgrow a relationship with passing time. If you do not care and tend to it, it will wither like a flower, without any hope of revival. I felt nostalgic as I read this book - for my country, for lost relationships, and my love for nature.
December 12, 2014
Vivid, beautiful, heartbreaking. Aamer is a masterful storyteller.
November 27, 2020
A beautiful tale of love that explores the regional fairy tales only to elaborate the upcoming tale of a displaced white woman's choices about life. Unlike other stories of white women who choose their love over their country and suffer miserably only to be divorced and going back to roots, this novella tells an exceptional story of white woman Lydia:the gulmohar of the story, who falls in love with Usman, leaves London for him to go to Karachi Pakistan, accepts Islam not for Usman, but after studying and being impressed by Islam, marries him and makes lives of both complete and rich in love and comfort. She along with her husband builds a house for the family and plants a gulmohar tree in the centre of her lawn. Gulmohar tree the central motif of the novel unites the fables of the start and the story of Lydia who as Rukeya is leading a fulfilling life in Pakistan. She comes to know that Gulmohar was transplanted from Madagascar, but now it has totally immersed itself through its roots in soil of Pakistan. Just like Lydia who displaced herself from London and as Rukeya accepted Pakistani land and culture as hers. This acceptance goes both ways. Not only Rukeya digs her roots in Pakistani culture but Pakistan too accepts her, makes her comfortable and nurtures her potential as an artist. Just like the folklore of a village boy Usman, who gets gold coins from gulmohar tree, Usman Ali Khan too is rwarded with the love, comfort, understanding, content for stories, children and carefree life, gold for a man, by Rukeya. Though their marriage saw the weak moments when Usman felt drwan away from Rukeha's daily account of happenings, or when he doubts that Rukeyah may have tender moments with Richard; an acquaintance. But these fragile moments are soon overcome by Usman's recounting of Rukeya's love and support at every step of his life. In the end even after suggested by Usman to back to London for a visit, Rukeya enlists the works to be done at home. After Usman's death she and her son republish his short stories. This shows her devotion to her husband and his work. Another Gulmohar Tree is a love story of a writer and an artist who overpowers the hinderences in making their lives successful. They both nurtures each other's potential by discussion and beind critics of each other.
August 10, 2020
"She wondered whether written words came from a different place - of memory, perhaps - that didn't depend on the eyes at all."
A young man from Pakistan visits London in the 1950s, meets a foreign woman, and they both fall in love with each other. The book takes place partially in London and partially in Karachi as Usman and Lydia try to cope up with the struggles of married life. Another Gulmohar Tree is a short philosophical novella on the intricacies of human relationships.
"You don't choose the language you write in, it chooses you."
Another Gulmohar Tree is a beautifully and almost lyrically written book that shows the compassionate and sincere compromises involved in love. As we see Lydia leave her own world, her people, her culture, and her identity behind to make her marriage with Usman work, it reminds us of how no relationship is to be taken for granted. The book also goes on to explain how without attention and delicate care, anyone can grow weary of a relationship as distances between Lydia and Usman continue to grow despite their efforts.
"But eyes, Usman had commented, were the greatest deceivers; they showed you colours you couldn't aspire to, dreams that filled you with boundless longing. Longing led to loss, loss to lamentation and mourning."
The first few pages of the book are written like a poetic fairy tale which only starts making more sense when you're halfway into the book. Aamer Hussain has magically connected the two different worlds of fantasy and realism with his lyrical writing that is hard to let go of once you're entranced by the book. If it's raining and you've got yourself some coffee, this is the book you should choose to read.
A young man from Pakistan visits London in the 1950s, meets a foreign woman, and they both fall in love with each other. The book takes place partially in London and partially in Karachi as Usman and Lydia try to cope up with the struggles of married life. Another Gulmohar Tree is a short philosophical novella on the intricacies of human relationships.
"You don't choose the language you write in, it chooses you."
Another Gulmohar Tree is a beautifully and almost lyrically written book that shows the compassionate and sincere compromises involved in love. As we see Lydia leave her own world, her people, her culture, and her identity behind to make her marriage with Usman work, it reminds us of how no relationship is to be taken for granted. The book also goes on to explain how without attention and delicate care, anyone can grow weary of a relationship as distances between Lydia and Usman continue to grow despite their efforts.
"But eyes, Usman had commented, were the greatest deceivers; they showed you colours you couldn't aspire to, dreams that filled you with boundless longing. Longing led to loss, loss to lamentation and mourning."
The first few pages of the book are written like a poetic fairy tale which only starts making more sense when you're halfway into the book. Aamer Hussain has magically connected the two different worlds of fantasy and realism with his lyrical writing that is hard to let go of once you're entranced by the book. If it's raining and you've got yourself some coffee, this is the book you should choose to read.
December 29, 2020
Book Review
Another Gulmohar Tree by Aamer Hussain
🏵️I felt drawn to this book since the first time I got to know about it. Being about enchantments and sweet love is how I always imagined it. Well, I was partially right. This book is about Love and growing old with it, refinding and redefining love that must not be lost and be always protected. The story looks pretty simple on first read however it is greatly influenced by the symbology especially the Gulmohar tree. 🏵️Now, I've read reviews where they were able to find the connection and it made sense to them, most found it after second or third read and maybe I'd reread it sometimes, as well, but from the first read, there wasn't much connection I could feel. I believe I must read it again to totally absorb it and make sense of it.
🏵️The writing style couldn’t impress me much and probably I was expecting something totally contrasting than what the book offers, I was slightly disappointed.
Rating ⭐⭐⭐
🏵️A line I absolutely love from this book
" Pain, it said, must break its boundaries to become its own palliative."
Another Gulmohar Tree by Aamer Hussain
🏵️I felt drawn to this book since the first time I got to know about it. Being about enchantments and sweet love is how I always imagined it. Well, I was partially right. This book is about Love and growing old with it, refinding and redefining love that must not be lost and be always protected. The story looks pretty simple on first read however it is greatly influenced by the symbology especially the Gulmohar tree. 🏵️Now, I've read reviews where they were able to find the connection and it made sense to them, most found it after second or third read and maybe I'd reread it sometimes, as well, but from the first read, there wasn't much connection I could feel. I believe I must read it again to totally absorb it and make sense of it.
🏵️The writing style couldn’t impress me much and probably I was expecting something totally contrasting than what the book offers, I was slightly disappointed.
Rating ⭐⭐⭐
🏵️A line I absolutely love from this book
" Pain, it said, must break its boundaries to become its own palliative."
June 14, 2023
Very warm and rich and lovely, like the Gulmohar tree itself.
I found Usman's Song was both new and unexpected. The prose was beautiful and the writing was on point.
For me, Rokeya and Usman are two diverging paths into adulthood, where you somewhat unconsciously choose which to walk upon as you enter. Rokeya's outlook is undoubtedly the only way you can be an adult with a still-fulfilling life. And I aspire to be like her and learn from her, like Usman in the end.
All in all, I look forward to revisiting this after some time again. To remind me of the beauty of both Pakistani literature and novellas.
I found Usman's Song was both new and unexpected. The prose was beautiful and the writing was on point.
For me, Rokeya and Usman are two diverging paths into adulthood, where you somewhat unconsciously choose which to walk upon as you enter. Rokeya's outlook is undoubtedly the only way you can be an adult with a still-fulfilling life. And I aspire to be like her and learn from her, like Usman in the end.
All in all, I look forward to revisiting this after some time again. To remind me of the beauty of both Pakistani literature and novellas.
August 11, 2018
A friend of mine found this book in an old bookstore and ended up disliking it. He gave it to me when we decided to swap our least favorite books for fun.
Guess what? I LOVED THIS BOOK!! It was beautiful and so well written! I finished it in under two hours.
Guess what? I LOVED THIS BOOK!! It was beautiful and so well written! I finished it in under two hours.
April 29, 2021
The start was very promising. The end is just like the end of any other desi novel. It is a nice light read, something to get through quickly while on a flight or on a bus. I kept desiring more from the language, but in vain
September 25, 2018
Short read. But unmemorable. I'm reviewing this a month later and honestly can't recall anything from this book.
February 7, 2019
I couldn't really enjoy the book much. In the beginning the fairytale feeling of the book was bizarre.As the story progress almost in the middle it wasn't really interesting.
July 5, 2019
A lovely tale of a cross cultural relationship
October 26, 2019
Beautiful, spare, and sincere. It carries you away for the short time you are reading it.
January 3, 2021
The best part was when I was transported back to Karachi and was trying to reminiscing all those places.
Wonderful, short but sweet.
Wonderful, short but sweet.
August 15, 2021
Aamer Hussein is singular in the elegance of his writing. If I could, I would rate this work higher.
December 17, 2021
It was refreshing book. It reminds the readers to take a break from the rushing routine and take a moment and appreciate the small things we love.
September 1, 2016
If this book is a canvas, Aamer Hussein is the master painter. Just wow. This book takes you back from pre-independence era to formation of Pakistan to ways people lived during martial law. A story about a young writer from Pakistan who meets a Londoner and how they fall in love, get married and raise three wonderful kids. A story about another gulmohar tree in their backyard and the struggle of Usman becoming a successful writer. A story about Lydia who became Rokeya and her discovery of being an expatriate in Pakistan. A book about a journey of a married couple and their ups and downs in life.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews