A meditation on love’s complicated intimacies…
Set in South India and London, Alif’s brilliant novel beautifully captures the melancholy of longing and love. The son of an “upper-class family” Kasim falls in love with “the poor distant relation” Sumera, the headstrong, audacious beauty. The circumstances separate the lovers, but Kasim finds it hard to let go. In a particularly tender narrative filled with intriguing details of everyday life in the small South Indian town, Alif spins an intriguing tale, detailing the breakdown of Kasim’s life: his deep love for Sumera, other women in his life, his move to London, his marriage followed by a bitter divorce as he finds his way in the world while a forlorn longing for Sumera’s companionship stays at the back of his mind. Along the way, Alif explores the religion-based intolerance in a country that is seemingly westernized on the surface but still traditional in its dealings. A stunning literary tale!
Note: This title is free on Kindle Unlimited.
The Songbirds: Set Yourself Free
By Alif
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Troubador Publishing
Pub date March 19, 2020
ASIN B0865VZKPG
Price $2.31 (USD) Kindle edition