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Pakistan increased and then the war starts and their passion for
Bengali leads to their involvement and support for the war. Rehana then must struggle to keep her children safe. She would do and sacrifice anything for her children and does by the end of the book. This affliction leads Rehana to struggle with finding her own identity outside of motherhood.
34:
465:
Rehana's whole adult life has centered around her children. As a young widow she fights to regain custody of her children after losing them to her late husband's brother and wife. As her children get older Rehana struggles to relate to them. The struggle to relate intensifies as the tension in East
214:
as both her children become increasingly involved with the war efforts. The book starts with the death of Rehana's husband and losing then regaining the custody of her children, and then fast forwards to the start of the war where Rehana struggles again to hold on to her children. Rehana struggles
498:
Rehana's story shows the often forgotten experience of women in war. Rehana must bear the deepest part of her soul to save her children. This includes giving up the man she grows to love to save her son and herself. This story reveals that while a women's role in war is different, they too do not
489:
Sohail and Maya were born in Dhaka and their native tongue is
Bengali and have an easy loyalty to Bangladesh. She must search within herself if she believes in the war and finding independence for Bangladesh. Rehana finds her nationalism within her own experiences and those she loves that have
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as the book phrases "a pair of horns" on either side of India. This large separation between the two territories led to East
Pakistan to be treated like a colony. The West controlled the political majority and economic distribution of both territories. There were also major cultural differences
370:
561:(3.5 out of 5) based on critic reviews with the critical summary stating, "Tahmima Anam’s ambitious and powerful debut is the first novel in English to describe Bangladesh’s war for independence, a brutal conflict that left 3 million dead and 10 million homeless."
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Throughout the book Rehana struggles with her feelings toward
Bangladesh. Rehana grew up in calucutta and then left to west Pakistan after her marriage and her native tongue became Urdu, Rehana does not feel the same sense of
239:, India in poverty after her father, an Indian aristocratic lost their fortune from bad luck and worse advice. She moves to East Pakistan after the marriage to Iqbal Haque. Her native tongue is Urdu.
408:. Whereas East Pakistan had both Muslim and Hindu populations and spoke mainly Bengali. The inequality, neglect, and differences led to the unrest in East Pakistan. The call for independence from
419:. This military operation targeted Bengali intellectuals, academics including university students, and Hindus. They were captured, tortured, and/or killed. This led to the
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described its beginning as the struggle of a new author, but the story turns "into a real page-turner, with a bravura, heart-stopping ending"; and Theo
Chapman from
293:: Guerrilla commander, injured in secret operation and brought to Rehana's house to be nursed back to health by Rehana and then becomes Rehana's love interest.
452:
intervened in
December 1971 on the side of the Bengali, Pakistan gave Independence to East Pakistan on 16 December 1971, and thus Bangladesh came into being.
323: : Faiz's wife. She cannot have children so works to have Rehana seen as unfit after the death of Iqbal so that she have get custody of Sohail and Maya.
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of her children and finding her own personal identity outside of being a mother and where her sense of nationalism fits into that identity. The book ends
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before it was released which left some critics questioning some of the liberties that Anam took with the fictional characters and telling of the story.
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This led the author to be inspired to write about everyday citizens' war experience and small, but meaningful ways they can become revolutionaries.
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that caused millions of refugees to flee to India and the deaths of 58,000 to 3,000,000 civilians. The exact number of deaths is still unknown.
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called for independence from
Pakistan and establishment of the new country of Bangladesh. The civil war began in full force.
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Though the Indian military was already pumping the
Bengalis against West Pakistan, the Bengali efforts bore fruit when the
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The book has, however, received some criticism for having factual inaccuracies. This includes citing the 1963 film
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This historical fiction novel centers the point of view of Rehana Haque, a widowed mother who struggles through
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826:
Women and War: Negotiating the
Interstital Spaces Between Gender and Nation in Tahmima Anam's "A Golden Age"
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170:
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974:"Discourse of Discontent: A Study of Select Works of Tahmina Anam, Taslima Nasrin and Manjushree Thapa"
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515:. Its original release date was 8 January 2007, and it has been translated into 22 languages.
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was born in
Bangladesh, but grew up traveling around the world due to the work of her father,
277:: Maya's Friend who was captured by the Pakistan army and kept at the cantonment in Dhaka and
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431:
416:
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732:"The Big Jubilee Read: A literary celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's record-breaking reign"
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Mar/Apr 2008 issue, a magazine that aggregates critic reviews of books, the book received a
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through the eyes of one family. The novel was awarded the prize for Best First Book in the
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Growing up with two parents that had been involved with the Bangladesh Liberation War,
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and Pakistan was formed in 1947. The territories were situated on either side of
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The author was inspired by her family's personal experience of their role in the
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The mounting Bengali nationalist movement led to the Pakistan army to carry out
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brought the idea of the nation of Bangladesh to hold significance for her.
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181:. The first chapter of the novel appeared in the January 2007 edition of
1027:"A Daughter of Bangladesh Revolutionaries Makes Sense of Life After War"
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was important to Anam's family. This theme is reflected in the book.
299:: Silvi's fiancé, Pakistan soldier turned freedom fighter for Bengali
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called the book a "thought-provoking work and a rewarding read".
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described the book as a "stunning debut"; David Robson from
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The book was originally published in the United Kingdom by
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271:: Mrs. Chowdhury's daughter and a love interest of Sohail's
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repeatedly. She and her unborn child died in the hospital.
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between the two territories. Pakistan mainly practiced
842:
Thorpe, Vanessa; Haider, Mahtab (26 November 2006).
511:, and then later published in the United States by
235:: Main character; Widow and mother. She grew up in
1098:"Tahmima Anam: The Good Muslim & A Golden Age"
1046:"The Middle Stage: On Tahmima Anam's A Golden Age"
1024:
673:
255:: Rehana's daughter, university student, moves to
311:: Rehana's neighbours and fellow 'sewing sisters'
1307:
1248:"A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam - Canongate Books"
1025:Lalwani, Nikita; Winter-Levy (20 October 2016).
1001:"The Story Girl: A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam"
876:"At Home, at War: Tahmima Anam's 'Golden Age'"
610:Shortlisted for Costa First Novel Award (2007)
534:
245:: Rehana's son, university student, joins the
426:The book features the attacks on the city of
21:Golden Age (disambiguation) § Literature
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259:to be a journalist for the freedom fighters.
1183:"Love conquers against a background of war"
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177:2008. It was also shortlisted for the 2007
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434:. Rehana's children escape the attacks on
32:
1154:"A domestic drama set during a civil war"
1096:Rheannon, Francesca (21 September 2011).
844:"New fiction star taps Bangladeshi roots"
1278:Villanueva, Marianne (13 January 2008).
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190:In 2022, the novel was included on the "
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899:Burton-Hill, Clemency (21 April 2007).
384:before its fight for independence from
1308:
901:"Review: A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam"
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438:due to an engagement party for Silvi.
412:led to the Bangladesh Liberation War.
373:Map of Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh
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388:in the Bangladesh Liberation War.
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788:. United Kingdom: HarperCollins.
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305:: Rehana's Hindu tenants at Shona
1291:Smith, Wendy (3 February 2008).
943:"And ne'er the twain shall meet"
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527:was generally well-received. On
200:Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II
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441:The next day 26 March 1971 the
1181:Chapman, Theo (21 July 2012).
1122:"A Golden Age By Tahmima Anam"
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680:. New York: Harper Perennial.
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391:East Pakistan was formed when
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265:: Rehana's friend and neighbor
215:with understanding passionate
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1293:"The Reluctant Revolutionary"
1077:literature.britishcouncil.org
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169:. It tells the story of the
171:Bangladesh War of Liberation
7:
1280:"A Widow's Window into War"
1073:"Tahmima Anam - Literature"
676:A golden age : a novel
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605:Commonwealth Writers' Prize
393:British rule ended in India
356:Bangladesh Independence war
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175:Commonwealth Writers' Prize
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981:shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in
161:is the first novel of the
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1187:The Sydney Morning Herald
1044:Chandrahas (5 May 2007).
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582:The Sydney Morning Herald
494:Women's experience in war
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212:Bangladesh Liberation War
179:Guardian First Book Award
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1351:Novels set in Bangladesh
824:Snider, Cynthia (2010).
703:"Review: Tahmima Anam's
421:1971 Bangladesh genocide
309:Mrs.Rahman and Mrs.Akram
1284:San Francisco Chronicle
941:Burton-Hill, Clemency.
617:First Book Award (2007)
345:, who is the editor of
287:: Rehana's dead husband
784:Anam, Tahmima (2007).
672:Anam, Tahmima (2009).
607:Best First Book (2008)
374:
249:as a guerilla fighter.
194:" list of 70 books by
19:For other novels, see
828:. pp. Chapter 5.
432:Operation Searchlight
417:Operation Searchlight
372:
16:Novel by Tahmima Anam
576:The Sunday Telegraph
565:Clemency Burton-Hill
499:come out untouched.
303:Mr and Mrs. Sengupta
1336:Fiction set in 1971
1298:The Washington Post
1211:"Birth of a Nation"
28:
1331:Bangladeshi novels
1215:The New York Times
1127:Bookmarks Magazine
629:The Bones of Grace
530:Bookmarks Magazine
519:Critical reception
375:
365:Historical context
26:
1341:Historical novels
1326:Bangladeshi books
1316:2007 debut novels
795:978-0-7195-6010-1
711:Lehigh University
701:Singh, Amardeep.
486:as her children.
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192:Big Jubilee Read
142:Followed by
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63:Historical novel
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147:The Good Muslim
104:Media type
89:March 2007 (UK)
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1156:. 2007-03-31.
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1255:. Retrieved
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1132:the original
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947:The Guardian
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905:The Guardian
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848:The Guardian
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786:A Golden Age
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715:. Retrieved
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705:A Golden Age
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615:The Guardian
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196:Commonwealth
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167:Tahmima Anam
158:A Golden Age
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45:Tahmima Anam
503:Publication
484:nationalism
470:Nationalism
450:Indian Army
343:Mahfuz Anam
337:The author
333:Inspiration
285:Iqbal Haque
217:nationalism
77:John Murray
1356:War novels
1310:Categories
1257:2018-12-14
1228:2018-12-16
1192:2018-12-17
1167:2018-12-16
1138:14 January
1107:2018-12-17
1082:2018-12-14
1055:2018-12-17
1011:2018-12-17
986:2018-12-16
952:2015-07-22
918:2018-12-16
885:2018-11-27
861:2018-12-16
717:2015-07-22
636:References
476:patriotism
461:Motherhood
404:and spoke
378:Bangladesh
328:Background
315:Faiz Haque
187:magazine.
163:Bangladesh
1223:0362-4331
1162:0307-1235
913:0261-3077
856:0261-3077
591:Cleopatra
291:The Major
136:181926640
73:Publisher
67:War novel
622:See also
386:Pakistan
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