This is a family saga that spans three countries. The story is atmospheric and multi layered. It is told over four decades. An amazing debut

Fabulous, I really enjoyed this book, it's well put together and thought out.
We follow sisters Nasrin and Sabrina on their journeys. When their dad dies their modern and successful lives are thrown back to a life and memories left behind. We adventure through London, Wales, Bangladesh and New York. I 100% recommend this book and the cover is just beautiful.

I made several attempts to get into this book; on my third attempt I made it through to Part 2. I found it incredibly slow-going, cluttered with characters and lacking a hook to pull me in. Unfortunately, I won’t be reading any further.

In order for your heart not to break completely you need to call upon your inner Buddhist and allow the concepts of karma and reincarnation to soothe through the harrowing events that engulf Ky and her family.
Whilst on the surface this book may present as a murder mystery it’s much more than a Whodunit. To a degree that aspect is secondary to the main thrust which deals with grief, family and friendship but also the plight of Vietnamese refugees relocating to Australia.

The dynamics of the family situation are dealt very realistically here Ky’s parents remain resolutely Vietnamese and seem to resist any absorption into Australian society and culture to the extent that they don’t even learn to speak English. There’s always a sense of confrontation between Ky and her parents but the older, more mature Ky can begin to see the motivation of her mother and father.

The nub of the story revolves around the untimely murder of Ky’s younger brother, Denny, who has seemed to be a fine, upstanding, young student until the fateful night when he is violently murdered. Returning home to Cabramatta from Sydney for the funeral Ky propels herself into her own investigation using her journalist background. She seeks to discover the answers that the police have failed to find.

Seeking the truth is one thing, where you find it is another. Grief invariably produces a sense of guilt and blame and this novel sees Ky examine her past and her present to determine whether she could have changed the course of events.

The story is not just told from Ky‘s perspective. We travel back to the past to see Ky’s friendship with Minnie and the list of witnesses Ky has extracted from the cooperative police officer offers not just some salient points in the investigation but some fascinating characters. The characterisations are well honed and believable. The interaction between the key players is poignant at times, The dialogue honest and relevant.

It’s not an easy read and at times it was depressing. I was actually moved to tears towards the end of the book when the adult Ky and Minnie were talking. Considering this is a debut novel it’s quite impressive in its concept and execution. The writing is crisp and perceptive, the narrative well paced.

My thanks to HQ stories for a copy and a place upon the blog tour.




Tracey Lien was born and raised in southwestern Sydney, Australia. She earned her MFA at the University of Kansas and was previously a reporter for the Los Angeles Times. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. All That's Left Unsaid is her first novel.

Absolutely love the cover of this one! A nice read but probably won't remember it in a few weeks!

Thanks to the publisher for an eArc via NetGalley.

It took me a little while to get into this novel - mainly due to my ongoing reading slump - but I was immediately blown away by Nilopar Uddin’s writing style. Her prose is very lyrical and poetic, yet not overly complicated. I’ve loved getting to know Nasrin and Sabrina, and the way their individual lives in London and New York, and their shared childhood in the Beacons and Bangladesh, are presented reminds me of the Vignes twins in Brit Bennett’s ‘The Vanishing Half’ (one of my favourite reads of recent years). The dynamics within the family are thrown into disarray following the shock death of their father, Shamsur. The sisters are forced to deal with their grief as well as a shocking discovery from the reading of their father’s will, whilst grappling with their individual problems. For Sabrina, her high power job in banking is put on the line when she is drawn into an investigation into a fraudulent trade deal within her company. And for Nasrin, her father’s death triggers the return of her childhood epilepsy. I’ve also loved reading about the different ways in which the characters relate to their Bangladeshi heritage and religion, and the constraints placed upon women within this culture.

A good family led novel about a family that is set across three countries and four decades. The Halfways delves into the complexities of family relationships and mental health issues.

I had high hopes for this book, given it's beautiful cover and intriguing synopsis, but unfortunately it just wasn't the right book for me. It's great to see a British-Bangladeshi author adding to the contemporary fiction scene with a book that is definitely packed with strong emotions and interesting plot points, but overall I found the way that cultural identity and heritage was portrayed quite off-putting and overdone.

The Halfways - Nilopar Uddin

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were very well formed and a great story line all the way. Such a well written book.

Thank you to Net Galley and HQStories for this arc copy in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to the team at @hqstories for letting me be a part of the #blogtour for this title. Firstly, how beautiful is this cover!? This book was a mixed bag for me. It definitely took me a bit of time to really get into it but once I did, I felt I was invested in the characters. The use of Sylheti words within the dialogue took a bit of time to get to grips with but I do think it added to the culture of the characters which was so vivid. There was a lot of emotion in this story, which at times was quite hard to take, but I put that down to the wonderful writing by Nilopar Uddin, it was very effective. This is a story about sisterhood - good and bad - and family ties and it certainly allowed the reader to delve into these character’s lives.

Excellent eye-opening read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access this book in exchange for my feedback.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Uddin's novel explores the complexity of family history and belonging for members of the Asian disapora in the UK. She also explores the pressure felt by every member of the family, whether to fit in, achieve, or to make a perfect family, and uncovers several secrets along the way. While I saw the main plot twist coming a mile off, I didn't predict the later events of the novel (and would be impressed if you could!). Uddin's writing is lyrical but down-to-earth, and I really liked the characters she created.

A really different book for me, but one that I did enjoy. It is fairly unusual (well, maybe it isn't as I don't normally read stories like this!) in as much as the author chose to not translate a lot of the Sylheti / Bengali words or phrases, which would usually bother me. I like to understand everything and am one of those readers that has to read every word! However, as the author explains in the glossary at the end of the book, as things were in context, it didn't actually matter. It didn't spoil the overall story or affect the sentiments and I just learnt to go with it.

A great family saga, spanning from Bangladesh to New York with a lot of the main action taking place in the Brecon Beacons. I have walked up Pen Y Fan so could immediately picture those scenes. A real eye opener of a story for me - I come from what I would consider to be a fairly 'traditional' part of the country and in my life, I have not experienced a great deal of diversity, so it was fascinating to read about a completely new to me culture, religion, and way of life. I would recommend this book if you feel such a story would interest you as well.

Thank you to Net Galley & the publishers for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review, which is what I have given.

I love a story about family drama, sisters, and intergenerational houses, so *The Halfways* was a must. Sisters Nasrin and Sabrina travel to their parents’ home in Wales, from London and New York, respectively, for their father’s funeral. At the will reading, their father’s shocking secret is finally revealed and the sisters lives are turned upside down by the surprise and the following uncertainty.

Uddin made her characters tread the fine line of being relatable, but unlikeable, which is a true feat. I love reading about unlikeable characters, as long as they are compelling, and *The Halfways* delivered. Jahanara, Afroz, Nasrin, and Sabrina can be selfish, petty, and mercurial, but ultimately put their family and each other first. I find unlikeable characters to be compelling when done correctly, which these characters are. I am definitely hoping for more unlikeable characters in any future writings Uddin brings out.

This book is one of my favourite books I read this year. The story, the characters and the mix of English and Bangladeshi language and the food made it so real and so interesting. I loved to discover a different culture through the story of the Islam family and the struggle of being in between cultures. When I was reading I felt like I was there with the characters, feeling their emotions either when going through their family drama or their culture expectations.

“Can a brown person be English? Why is it that they allow us the Brit bit but not the English? BritishBangladeshi. Never English-Bangladeshi, never Welsh-Bengali. .. ‘I feel like the language works to exclude us”

My thanks to HQ for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Halfways’ by Nilopar Uddin.

The first thing that stands out about this debut novel is the exquisite design of its cover. It is an epic family drama spanning decades and moves between London, Wales, New York and Bangladesh. The title refers to how the younger members of the family think of themselves as existing halfway between two cultures.

Nasrin and Sabrina are sisters who are living what appears to be happy and successful lives in London and New York. When their father, Shamsur, dies suddenly they rush to Wales to be there for their mother. For many years the family has run The Peacock, an Indian restaurant in the Breton Beacons. Their cousin, Afroz, who lives in Bangladesh, travels to Wales to represent the extended family at the funeral.

When Shamsur’s will is read a shocking family secret is revealed that upsets everyone. No further details to avoid spoilers.

I found this a beautifully written novel that combines a variety of themes focused on relationships between various members of the family. It has moments of lightness and hope as well as sadness and loss.

While the family in the novel are fictional, Nilopar Uddin’s parents did run an Indian restaurant in Wales and regularly visited their extended family in Bangladesh. She acknowledges that she drew on her childhood memories in writing ‘The Halfways’.
Following the main story Nilopar Uddin includes a glossary of a selection of Sylheti terms that she used in the novel.

I feel that ‘The Halfways’ is the kind of novel that will appeal to reading groups given its themes that are both universal as well as specific to the experiences of those dealing with the sense of being ‘Halfways’.

Overall, I found Nilopar Uddin’s writing lyrical and evocative. Her descriptions was superb and it allowed a sense of immersion in the lives of her characters. A stunning literary debut. I could easily see ‘The Halfways’ as a nominee for the 2023 Women’s Prize for Fiction.

The Halfways is about three cousins who live in the US, UK and Bangladesh. Sisters Nasrin and Sabrina reflect on being first and second generation immigrants while Afroz was pressured into accepting an arranged marriage in Bangladesh. A family event brings the three women back together and allows the novel to examine the ways different Muslim women adapt to living in the West.

The title refers to those trapped between two cultures and also to their status as women - who have ‘half a man’s worth’ Afroz reflects as she prevents her neighbour beating his sister. Another character observes that ‘a cousin is only half a sister.’ Nasrin and Sabrina’s family business, a restaurant in Wales named the Peacock, plays a central role in the novel and Nilopar Uddin acknowledges this was inspired by her own parents who owned an Indian restaurant.

This novel was well written and immersive, but it was challenging to look up the many Sylheti words in the glossary while reading on my Kindle. Some characters are much more compelling than others and the novel starts quite slowly until a family secret is revealed. It also seemed unrealistic that one character came from Bangladesh for a family event and then managed to stay and work in the UK for many months without any mention of a visa. But I enjoyed the chance to read about a different culture and spend time with these three women and their husbands, lovers, parents and friends. It was a great holiday read.

I was sent a copy of The Halfways by Nilopar Uddin to read and review by NetGalley. I really loved this book, it was so full of emotion and life! The characters were really well drawn and there was a great sense of place. The author dealt brilliantly with the inevitable division between family members that were born in a new country, Wales, with a very different culture and way of life to that of their parents who were from Bangladesh. It was so interesting to see the conflicting beliefs and morals between both the parents and children - and that which occurred within the personal psyche of the new generation themselves. I also loved the way that the text was interspersed with a lot of Bangladeshi words, quotes and phrases. This made the writing all the more authentic for me. A wonderful book, well worth 5 stars.

A family saga beginning and ending in Bangladesh with short forays to New York and London and a ‘lifetime’ in the Brecon Beacons.

Relationships lost and regained, and a long-held secret which has profound consequences once uncovered.

The story is engaging and the characters - flawed, complicated, compliant or abrasive - are well-written. Several decisions seem to be unlikely based on what we know and for a book ‘about women’ my favourite character is Riaz but sadly his story is not concluded satisfactorily.

Worth a read.

Although this book was interesting I do not think it suits being an audio book as there are quite a few words that you need to look at the glossary for and going backwards and forwards is difficult, because of this reason I couldn't finish the book because I was missing so much, this wouldn't be an issue with a physical book