A Moment Comes

Starred review from May 1, 2013
India, 1947: As Britain prepares to divide the country before leaving, three lives unexpectedly intersect. The partition of India and Pakistan, based on a border drawn by British civil servants, rarely appears in Western literature, much less fiction for teens. Bradbury pens a careful, respectful--but fictionalized--account of the final days before the line between the countries was announced, recounting it in the voices of three teens. Impulsive, spoiled English Margaret may not be entirely likable, but her love for the strange country she finds herself in is wholly believable and makes her the perfect stand-in for the reader; through Margaret, India in this specific time comes to life, and hard questions about British culpability are asked. Much of Margaret's complex relationship with India plays out through her growing friendship with Sikh Anupreet, who has been caught in the violence between Sikhs and Muslims already, and Muslim Tariq, who hopes Margaret's father will be his ticket to Oxford since "[e]veryone listens to the men who have the right education from the right places." Through Tariq's and Anu's voices additional complexities and context are provided. Bradbury's research (detailed in an author's note) infuses but never overwhelms the narrative; the lack of solid resolution for the characters suits a book about a violent and confusing time. Historical fiction that brings its history to bloody, poignant life: rare and notable. (glossary) (Historical fiction. 14 & up)

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July 1, 2013

Gr 8 Up-As India stands on the brink of partition, three young people's lives become increasingly entangled with the upheaval and violence that surround them: Margaret, a British cartographer's daughter; Tariq, a Muslim teenager employed in Margaret's household who dreams of studying at Oxford; and Anupreet, a young Sikh girl also employed by Margaret's family. Although initially resistant to living in India, Margaret is soon enraptured with the culture. Tariq captures the interest of both Margaret and Anupreet, even though a relationship with him would be disastrous for either girl. He is pressed to join his family in what will become Pakistan, and although Margaret's father discourages him, he is convinced that an Oxford education would be the best for his future. There are multiple narrators, but each character's story is defined and intertwines with the others' seamlessly. Historical background of postcolonial India is neatly inserted within the narrative, and market and street scenes teem with everyday life. The awkwardness the protagonists feel about interacting with one another is honestly and realistically drawn. Characters are fully fleshed out and are sympathetic in their struggles to find themselves within the new India. Back matter includes a glossary and an author's note detailing Bradbury's personal connection to India and a brief overview of the partition. As clashes continue between and within India and Pakistan, this title fills an important niche in YA historical fiction.-Jennifer Schultz, Fauquier County Public Library, Warrenton, VA

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