Setting
The story is set in colonial India from the late 1800s till after the First World War. It was the time when India was under British rule. In 1857, Britishers saw the first major uprising against them, which we also refer to as the first struggle for India's independence.
Storyline
The story is told from three perspectives of people belonging to three different generations of the same family. Cecily, in the 1850s, when she was travelling to India from England to get married to a much older Army officer posted in India. She also recounts her struggles of getting accustomed to living in a new country. Most of Henry's story is about his motherless childhood during the 1860s and later his troubled marriage with Rebecca during the 1880s. Henry's daughter, Lila's story is about the loss she suffers in her childhood and later her life in England.
My Thoughts
Belonging is a multilayered book and not an easy one to read. Several times I had to keep the book aside to comprehend all that was happening in the lives of the protagonists. I like to read about India under British Raj as it was the dark times in our history. But reading about a British family in India was something new for me. It gave a glimpse of the British lifestyle during the Raj. Although the story is about a British family living in India, it does not stereotype the Indians. Henry and Lila both had an innate attachment towards India which was endearing. The three POV's could have been disastrous but the author has handled them well. They contribute to the flow of the narrative instead of disturbing it. The story is engaging and will ensure that you keep turning the pages. I honestly didn't see the twist coming at the end. Also, the epistolary style of writing adds to the beauty of the story. Cecily's letters to her sister and Henry's diary entries take the narrative forward. I would love to read how Lila's life continued in India.
Rating - 4/5
Recommend - Yes
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