Belonging

(Paperback)

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Description

Lila Langdon is twelve years old when she witnesses a family tragedy after her mother unveils her father's surprise birthday present a tragedy that ends her childhood in India and precipitates a new life in Sussex with her great-aunt Wilhelmina. From the darkest days of the British Raj through to the aftermath of the First World War, Belonging tells the interwoven story of three generations and their struggles to understand and free themselves from a troubled history steeped in colonial violence. It is a novel of secrets that unwind through Lila's story, through her grandmother's letters home from India and the diaries kept by her father, Henry, as he puzzles over the enigma of his birth and his stormy marriage to the mysterious Rebecca.

Reviews

'A beguiling tale of love, mystery, race, identity and the importance of homeland. Sinhas masterful storytelling and powers of sensual description transcend both history and time.' - The Lady; 'I finished Belonging a few weeks ago and I really loved it! This is a wonderfully rich and well thought out piece of historical fiction, that explores themes of love, identify, race and colonialism. I loved the three different perspectives and how the story and family secrets gradually unravelled A beautifully written, page turner. I would definitely recommend it, especially if you like historical fiction.' - The Artful Elle; 'All of the strands [are] equally gripping... The historical details are meticulously researched, from the WW1 sections which delve into the role of Brightons Royal Pavilion as Dr Blighty and the experiences of the Sikh soldiers who were hospitalised there, to the dark days of the Siege of Cawnpore, but its as seamlessly woven in as the threads on that mysterious tablecloth.' - Hurst Life; 'Sinhas book is a delight because it deviates from the predictable anti-colonial narrative and instead portrays the intimate lives of the colonials and not the natives... the writing is both gripping and well-researched.' - New Indian Express; 'Reading [Belonging] is a deeply felt, mesmerising experience.' - Historical Novel Society; 'One of the most gripping, engrossing, heart-in-mouth novels Ive read... An outstanding first novel.' - Shiny New Books; 'Ambitious and powerful... Belonging explores serious themes and delves deep into dark moments of history, yet remains beautifully readable and engaging to the last a brilliant, polished debut.' - Sussex Life; 'Sinha balances emotional drama with hard-hitting narrative and this is an excellent read.' - We Love This Book; 'A fascinating and fantastic study of Britain and India through the eyes of three generations of a troubled family' - The Committed Reader; 'A beautifully crafted epic of love and loss, ethnicity and homeland.' - Bookanista

Author Bio

Umi Sinha was born in the military hospital in Mumbai (then Bombay) in 1952 to an English mother and Indian father. She grew up in India in the decade following Independence, when there was deeply held resentment against the British. She moved to Britain in 1968 during the backlash against the mass immigration of Asians who had been expelled from Uganda and Kenya. The experience of being an outsider looking for a place to belong, along with the impact of history political and personal on individual lives, is a major theme in her writing. Umi has an MA in Creative Writing and taught at the University of Sussex for ten years. She teaches creative writing classes and workshops, runs a performance storytelling club and offers a mentoring and manuscript appraisal service for writers called Writing Clinic. She is also a trained mediator and trustee at her local community centre. She has had short stories published, including in Cosmopolitan magazine and in a Serpent Tails anthology. Her debut novel, Belonging (Myriad, September 2015), has been listed for several prestigious awards, most notably the Authors Club Best First Novel Award. Umi is currently working on a new novel set in Italy and India between 1943 and 1948.