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Burnt Shadows
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
37 posts | 29 read | 40 to read
Winner of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award An Orange Prize Finalist Nagasaki, August 9, 1945. Hiroko Tanaka watches her lover from the veranda as he leaves. Sunlight streams across Urakami Valley, and then the world goes white. In the devastating aftermath of the atomic bomb, Hiroko leaves Japan in search of new beginnings. From Delhi, amid India's cry for independence from British colonial rule, to New York City in the immediate wake of 9/11, to the novel's astonishing climax in Afghanistan, a violent history casts its shadow the entire world over. Sweeping in its scope and mesmerizing in its evocation of time and place, this is a tale of love and war, of three generations, and three world-changing historic events. Burnt Shadows is a story for our time by "a writer of immense ambition and strength. . . . This is an absorbing novel that commands in the reader a powerful emotional and intellectual response" (Salman Rushdie).
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review
NovelNancyM
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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Pickpick

This novel has a complicated plot that spans 50+ years. I enjoyed that chapters with Sajjad more than the others. The ending set in Afghanistan was complex that I was not as engaged. However, the last line of the novel is so powerful that I think this is a book that will stay with me for a long time.

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charl08
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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My book made it back to me - and here is a (much delayed) photo of the lovely bookmarks included in the package.

Thanks to @Cupcake12 and @jenniferw88 for the fun exchange.

#LitsyPostalExchange

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TrishB
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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Pickpick

Loved this ❤️ historical fiction with brilliant central characters. The women are awesome. So good to read some of these events from a perspective that is not reflective of my historical teachings in school!!

Cupcake12 I read this earlier in the year and enjoyed the story being told over different time perspectives. 12mo
CarolynM Currently reading Home Fires. I haven‘t read her before, but I think I‘ll be reading more. Stacking this one🙂 12mo
Balibee146 This is lurking in my online cart for the next time I can justify a treat 😁 12mo
See All 7 Comments
TrishB @Cupcake12 yes it really worked. 12mo
TrishB @CarolynM I enjoyed Home Fires, but liked this even more. 12mo
TrishB @Balibee146 have to admit it never takes much to justify for me! 12mo
Balibee146 @trishb lol same 😘 12mo
75 likes2 stack adds7 comments
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jenniferw88
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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Pickpick
LeeRHarry I loved this one too 😊 12mo
Cinfhen Great choice 💜 12mo
BarbaraBB Wow! I loved this one as well 12mo
Librarybelle Lots of love for this one…I may have to try it 12mo
55 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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jenniferw88
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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#weeklyforecast @Cinfhen

Continue Count!!! 😂😂😂
Finish the other 2.

Cinfhen 👍🏽💕 12mo
53 likes1 comment
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jenniferw88
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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#weeklyforecast no change really from my #bookreport - I'll be continuing them all, except that I'll maybe try to finish the tagged. @Cinfhen

Cinfhen Sounds like a plan 🤩 13mo
47 likes1 comment
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Megabooks
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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Pickpick

Shamsie is a MASTER at moral ambiguity. She puts characters in situations that reveal greater truths about our society.

Hiroko was in Nagasaki when the bomb was dropped. After losing her fiancé, she is bereft and heads to his family in India. There, she begins a journey that will take her to post-partition Pakistan and eventually NYC. Along the way, she loses much, but the fate of her family and her fiancé‘s are bound like a spider to a web.

LeeRHarry This is my favourite book by this author 😊 13mo
BarbaraBB Great review. She really masters it indeed 💕 13mo
Megabooks @BarbaraBB yes! Thank you once again. I hope to get to more of her books this year. 13mo
Megabooks @LeeRHarry it is excellent, but my favorite is 13mo
67 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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Cupcake12
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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Mehso-so

A heart wrenching story covering a time period of over 70 years. Written with warmth, character and above all realism. Following the life of Hiroko Tanaka, the book is plot into 3 sections- 1940s, 1980s and 2001.
It tackled a lot of subjects and included detailed descriptions of daily life. Conflict is a huge part of this book but I felt they weren‘t covered in detail or focused upon.
Overall, a good solid read but not my genre of choice.
#lmpbc

charl08 That was quick! 💪💪 1y
27 likes1 comment
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Cupcake12
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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Finally starting this tonight. My first #LMPBV
Thank you @charl08

Andrew65 I enjoyed this one many years ago. 1y
Andrew65 This is my post from 4 years ago. https://www.litsy.com/web/post/1200682 1y
charl08 Hope my writing is vaguely readable! 1y
Cupcake12 Great review…getting into it now. @Andrew65 Your writing is lovely but my daughter has helped to read them 🤣 love the little reference notes on new vocabulary x 1y
31 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Jas16
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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Pickpick

A book that starts with the dropping of the atomic bomb in Nagasaki, ends in the US after 9/11, and touches on Indian partition in the middle. I got swept away in the grand scale of the story but Shamsie manages to make it all feel personal as well, told through the eyes of two families each with their own strengths and prejudices. The final stretch started lagging for me but the end more than made up for it. I found this to be a powerful read.

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks How are you? I hope that you are doing well 💛 2y
48 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Sparkin
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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Started reading it last week and enjoyed it but can‘t muster the emotional energy to continue.

3 likes1 stack add
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achalla
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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"When the war's over, I'll be kind."

9 likes2 stack adds
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Centique
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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Pickpick

This novel takes on an epic scale, two families, two to three generations that connect the atomic bomb in Nagasaki, the end of British Rule and the beginning of partition in India, through the war against Soviets in Afghanistan and 9/11. A less accomplished writer would have drowned in all that! Shamsie juxtaposes those truly scarred by war with those for whom acts of war are intellectualised and excusable - she does it through a personal lens ⬇️

Centique It is as much about individual relationships and families. So good but I feel emotionally wrung out at the end of it! 4 stars and a broken heart ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💔 5y
Cathythoughts “4 stars & a broken heart “ what a beautiful description 👍🏻♥️💔😘 5y
SoniaC Loved that book so much. 5y
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Reggie Yeeesh!!! What a great review! 5y
Centique Thanks @Cathythoughts @Reggie 💕I think this has taken me to a new level of thinking about immigration and white “fear” Really makes it visceral. Can‘t wait to read more by Shamsie. 5y
RohitSawant Wow, this sounds intense! Great review! 5y
93 likes5 stack adds6 comments
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Parvez
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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Can't wait to read all of them 😍😍

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Andrew65
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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Some of the great diverse reads out there, read all except for Pachinko - this year!
#DiverseReads #ANewChapter

msford88 Ahhh, Pachinko is great!! 5y
Andrew65 @msford88 So I hear and I need to read it! 5y
lmbix Just started Pachinko... 5y
Andrew65 @lmbix Hope you enjoy it. 👍 5y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Great choices!!! ❤️📚🙌🏻 5y
117 likes1 stack add5 comments
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AnneCecilie
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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Pickpick

Starting in Nagasaki 1945 and ending in New York 2002, this novel covers a lot of recent history. We see and experience these events through the eyes of members of two families. This is a novel that makes you think.

My second book finished for #MakeMeReadIt

BarbaraBB Happy you liked it! 5y
48 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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AnneCecilie
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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Starting my second book for #MakeMeReadIt and #13in3

Samplergal 👍🏽 5y
BookNAround Such a good book! 5y
54 likes2 comments
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Andrew65
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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Week 34/52 2018 - #BookStats
8 Books Finished, 3440 Pages Read
3 Books Currently Reading

#LitsyAtoZ 0 (24/26) - U, X left
#MountTBRChallenge 1 (35/52)
#YearoftheChunkster 1 (19/26)
#SeriesUptoDate 0 (16/20)
#SeriesFinished 1 (4/20)
#ListyPassport 0 (2/12)
#MakeMeReadIt 1 (7/12)

Pamwurtzler Nice job! Do you have books on deck for U and X? #litsyatoz 6y
Andrew65 @Pamwurtzler Thanks. 👍 Not yet, I had chosen a couple but wasn‘t happy with them so am exploring them ready to use as commute books when I go back to work next week. (edited) 6y
EadieB @Andrew65 Nice week page and book total. Can‘t wait to see your month of August totals! 6y
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Andrew65 @EadieB Hopefully should be quite positive! 6y
Andrew65 @EadieB Just checked, finished 27 books in 27 days in August so far. (edited) 6y
EadieB @Andrew65 That‘s great! One a day! 6y
65 likes6 comments
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Andrew65
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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Pickpick

Finished my fourth book during the #24B4Monday #Readathon, & now clocked up 22 hours 35 minutes.

It took me a quite a while to get into this book, but once I did it is a story that I really enjoyed and I‘m sure will stay with me. It covers key events such as the atomic bomb attack on Nagasaki, partition in India in 1947 and events pre and post 9/11 in Afghanistan. This book delivers quite a powerful punch, why did it sit on my shelf for 6 years!

BeansPage Holy 🐄!!! 6y
Andrew65 @TheReadingMermaid It‘s been a good day! 😍 6y
Leniverse Wow! Are you going for 48B4Monday!? 6y
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Andrew65 @Leniverse Lol! 😂 Don‘t think I‘ll make that but would be good to break 30 hours. 6y
Reviewsbylola Glad you‘re staying strong!! 👏🏻 👏🏻 6y
Andrew65 @Reviewsbylola Holding steady, and a book I‘d like to finish on day 3! 6y
71 likes6 comments
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Andrew65
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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Started Burnt Shadows, my seventh #MakeMeReadIt book. Had it for 6 1/2 years so about time! #Orange

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alisonrose
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
Mehso-so

The writing is undeniably beautiful and vivid, and I really liked following Hiroko through her life and all the upheaval she experienced and witnessed. But I felt like the story started getting away from the author in the last quarter or so. It got too sprawling and tangents started taking over what had been the central focus. Could‘ve done w/o the portions from Raza‘s perspective for sure. But def think others might enjoy more than I did. 3/5 ⭐️

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alisonrose
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie

She had no interest in belonging to anything as contradictorily insubstantial and damaging as a nation.

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alisonrose
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie

... she‘d learnt the desire to walk behind time.

[This is how the author refers to nostalgia, and what a perfect and beautiful way to put it.]

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alisonrose
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie

I love that about the Americans—the way they see certain kinds of craziness as signs of character.

16 likes1 stack add
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alisonrose
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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This cover!! #nowreading

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BarbaraBB
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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Pickpick

Another book by Kamila Shamsie that I loved. Moving from Japan, to India, to the US and to Afghanistan Shamsie writes about human relationships between different cultures and religions. She writes about the wish to understand eachother and how hard that becomes when reality hits and fear and prejudices take over. I love all Shamsie teaches me and the #homage she pays to innocent muslims.

#pop18 book with ugly cover #aprella #marchmadnesschallenge

LeeRHarry Ooh I loved this one! 😊 Ugly cover? I've seen a lot worse 😊 (edited) 6y
TrishB Sounds interesting 👍🏻 6y
jhod I would definitely pass that cover by if I hadn't read Home Fire and therefore recognised the author! 6y
See All 11 Comments
Andrew65 I own a copy of this and need to read it. 6y
Reviewsbylola This sounds so good. Great post. 6y
emilyhaldi I don‘t know anything about this author... will have to investigate! Stacking this one 👍🏻 6y
Cinfhen Same @emilyhaldi and I see I‘ve already stacked this title😉 (edited) 6y
Mdargusch Great choice! 6y
BarbaraBB @jhod That‘s how I felt. Such an author deserves a better cover! 6y
BarbaraBB @Andrew65 Please do! 6y
alisiakae I‘m still trying to pick out my #uglycover book, but it will likely be one of my older Agatha Christie‘s! 6y
85 likes7 stack adds11 comments
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RobinGustafson
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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Happy to see Exit West and Burnt Shadows as required reading for an English course at my campus

BarbaraBB And The Reluctant Fundamentalist. Also a great novel! 6y
RobinGustafson I need to read that one! It‘s been on my TBR for awhile 📚 6y
19 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Munazah
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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I dont know how will be I and my life if in world there in no reading material remain 📚🤔😢

4 likes1 stack add
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Munazah
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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Pickpick

Seems I am pretty liking it 😂

DebinHawaii Welcome to Litsy! 🎉📚👍😀Hope you enjoy it here! 6y
Munazah Hahhaha. Thank you.. I am sure how it will work for me but I am pretty excited to see how much people love to read. .. 📚❤ 6y
RaimeyGallant Us Littens, we're pretty big on the reading thing. ;) Welcome to Litsy! #LitsyWelcomeWagon Some of us put together Litsy tips to help new Littens navigate the site. It's the link in my bio on my page in case you're interested. :) 6y
Munazah Ah Thank you . I will surely try to utilize some tips of you ❤ 6y
8 likes1 stack add4 comments
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rachaich
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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Pickpick

Thoroughly hooked by the storyline in this. I felt that the way in which it moves through both tine/era, and country, kept me totally interested. I think the ending, and the last few chapters, was a well thought out way to end. Excellent read.

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elliebatey
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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Mehso-so

Just finished this book, I rate it 3/5. Enjoyed the plot and characters, but at times the story dragged on and didn't grip me the whole way through 😐

MayJasper Useful to know, thanks 6y
5 likes1 comment
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rachaich
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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New read started last night. One that I've chosen to read rather than a book club pick. So far it's drawing me in.

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rockpools
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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Devastating.

An epic story that ranges from Nagasaki to India to Afghanistan. The title refers to #scars left on Hiroko's back, after the bomb.

#junetunz @Cinfhen

Cinfhen 💔 7y
Libby1 I loved this one. 7y
rockpools @Libby1 It was SO different to her earlier books! Think I'd like to read this again. 7y
Libby1 I haven't read any of her other books yet. Maybe I will! 7y
43 likes1 stack add4 comments
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SoniaC
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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#day10 #somethingforsept #bookssetinasia. Loved both of these. The stories were engaging and the writing was solid.

42 likes2 stack adds
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Shan-nana
Burnt Shadows: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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"Konrad imagines conscripts sent out at night to net the clouds and release them in the morning through factory chimneys to create the illusion of industry"