FICTION: THE WONDER YEARS.

Byline: Imtiaz Piracha

After Dr Rafi Mustafa's previous book Tales from Birehra, a collection of interlinked short stories in English, comes Ae Tahayyur-i-Ishq (Na Junoon Raha, Na Paree Rahi), a coming-of-age novel which begins with a family deeply rooted in a culture rich in the traditions and values of a small town in northern India. Set in the 1930s and '40s, the middle-class, semi-rural household of the protagonist Bilal illustrates the relationships among the characters of three generations of a family which experiences fluctuating fortunes. The language and expression of the novel has a lucid flow and momentum that kept me going, turning page after page, never losing interest in the story even for a moment.

The centuries-old harmony of this family's multi-faith society is shattered suddenly by the upheaval and chaos of Partition, but really, the setting could be anywhere in the world where the trauma of war or natural disaster has toppled an established social and economic structure. This gives the novel a universal appeal. The subsequent events of rebuilding a new life from...