This is one of the ebooks I got out from Auckland libraries. I’m not quite sure what made me pick it, probably the title because I’m a sucker for anything that might be about geography or geology. But it was a lucky pick.
Kamila Shamsie is a Pakistani writer born in 1973. She lives in England and Karachi and writes in English.
In Kartography, we meet Raheen and Karim as young teenagers. They have known each other from infancy and are inseparable friends. But there is a secret in their past. At some time in their past, before the Pakistani civil war in 1971, their fathers were engaged to the other’s mother. But then “the music changed” and they swapped partners.
The story is told by Raheen and it explores more than just the complicated personal relationship between Raheen’s and Karim’s parents. It’s a homage to Karachi and its people. It’s a criticism of Karachi/Pakistani society. It’s a love story. It’s a coming of age story very skilfully portraying how the acts and convictions of the parents influence their children. It was a history lesson to me who had no idea that Bangladesh was ever part of Pakistan (which geographically makes absolutely no sense to me!)
But more than that, it’s one of those few books that are so well written that you almost step into it. It’s not just a good story, Kamila Shamsie plays with words and uses words to convey more than just what we read on the surface. It’s a clever book. It’s an interesting book. It’s a lovely story.
Kamila Shamsie has written 5 novels and don’t be surprised if you find me writing about any others of her books. I think I quite would like to try Salt and Saffron next.
Highly recommended
In the City by the Sea (1998)
Salt and Saffron (2000)
Kartography (2002)
Broken Verses (2005)
Burnt Shadows (2009)
