Set in 1941, during the Blitz and air raid ward Ruby meets lawyer Ruby. This is a story of the Indian involvement in the war. Really well written, a interesting part of the second world war that people may be unaware of. Will definitely read more from this author

Unfortunately, I could not connect with this story. The premise was very strong, and the description had a lot of potential. I will say that the writer was appropriately expressive, and the details did not lack when it came to depictions. I am a big WW2, and historical fiction reader, and was disappointed that this was not how I thought the story would progress. It was more leaning towards shedding light on the Indian and Kenyan-born British population, their cultural differences and the tribulations that they faced as Muslims in the time period they were in. I cannot in good conscious give this book a terrible rating, for it not delivering on what it was advertising.
Thank you to the author and Netgalley for this free eARC and the opportunity to review this book honestly.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7536571198

An interesting historical novel centred around two individuals - Ruby mixed heritage - lonely in London working as an air raid warden and Kitty - from India educated at Oxford and estranged from her family because of marrying a Muslim for love.

It’s 1941 and London is suffering through the Blitz. Kitty is based at the India Forum - a body advocating Indian independence. Here she meets Ruby who is drawn to the organisation as a relief from her loneliness and a means to understand more about her heritage. She meets Satyajit - a radical - and finds herself torn between her heart and her head.

Kitty also faces a dilemma - she defends Indians called up for conscription but her own husband is determined to serve. She is also concerned about the radical activities of individuals like Satyajit and the possible implications on the work of the Forum.

Both are tested and made to question their loyalties and commitments.

I knew very little about the political situation in India at this time - it was interesting to learn more and understand the impact on Indians living in England.

I have always enjoyed a WWII historical fiction novel but I've never read one like this.

Set in London in 1941, the war provides the backdrop that brings the characters of this book together but never becomes a main feature. Instead, we focus on the fight for Indian independence taking place within London.

An ARP warden with a secret and an Indian lawyer are our leads. Slowly, as the book progresses, these two women become more intertwined but they never have much of a relationship with one another. Instead, we see their relationships with the men around them evolve and the characters of Ruby and Kitty emerge from that.

I learnt a lot about the fight for Indian independence, which I knew happened through the 1940s but had somehow never connected it in my brain to WWII, and the people who fought for it. A great historical fiction novel for anyone who is interested in the end of British colonial rule and the people it impacted.

Neemah Shah sets out to shine a light on the ‘stories that have slipped through history’s cracks’ as she illuminates the lives of Indians who have lived in the UK during the 1940s.

The story is told from the perspectives of two young women, Kitty and Ruby, both of Indian heritage but coming from very different backgrounds. What unites them is their desire to blend in: Ruby, born in England with skin ‘just on the right side of white’ is careful to hide her Indian descent. Kitty, born in Bombay and Oxford educated with fluent English, wore western clothes and even anglicised her name. More importantly, although they do have a good measure of distrust for each other, they are united in their support for the Indian Independence Movement backing the struggle led by Mahatma Ghandi and Jawaharlal Nehru.

Lobbying for independence in the actual home of the Empire is one thing, but pushing for it whilst Great Britain is at war is something else; it poses the question whether the fight against the Nazis is more important than India’s struggle for independence. Indian men were conscripted to the British Army to fight for freedom and democracy when, at the same time, they were not afforded the same rights in their home country.
The story highlights with impactful subtlety that under those circumstances there are no straightforward answers, which creates frustrations that are a fertile breeding ground for extremists.

Throughout the book, the big question of what Independence will look like focuses more and more on discussions about religious and ethnic divisions, something that has haunted modern India ever since the Radcliffe Line was drawn. I finished the story fearful for Kitty (Hindu) and her husband Haseeb (Muslem) who left India because their parents disagreed with their inter-faith marriage and who now, after the war, are thinking of returning home. What kind of home country will they find? – But this will be another story and I wish them the very best of luck.

I am grateful to NetGalley and Picador for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book and I loved reading about a part of history from the WWII that I didn't know anything at all so I liked to learn more about it. I think a lot of people who love historical fiction and who love learning about unknown parts in history.

A thread of light by Neema Shah is set WW2 in London. The two main character Ruby and Kitty. They are both of Indian descent. Ruby is an Air raid warden and has seen many fatalities during that time and Kitty works at the Indian Forum where they are campaigning for Independence from the British in India. This is where they both meet. Kitty is also a Lawyer but cannot practice in London and lives with her Muslim Husband Haseeb. Who is just been conscripted to fight for the British even though they can’t get their own independence. They left India because they were ostracized because Kitty is Hindu.
Although I enjoyed this historical WW2 novel which shows the different aspect of the lives in that time. I felt that it was bogged down with too much Politics and Conscription of Asian people and the independence of India at that time. I was expecting a more lighted hearted read due to being a historical novel, and this was far from it. Sorry, a got a bit too heavy for me personally towards the later quarter of the book and I started skipping paragraphs. 3.5 stars from me.

Kitty and Habeeb have left India because her Hindu parents have disowned her for marrying a Muslim man, Ruby is an air raid warden in London and after meeting Satyajit, gets drawn into the activities of the India Forum. The book focuses on the campaign for Indian independence from the UK during WWII and delves into the discrimination that people from commonwealth countries faced despite fighting for Britain.

It's an often difficult topic sensitively handled and despite being fiction, it is very educational if, like me, you don't know much about Indian independence. I enjoyed the way the characters developed throughout, particularly how Kitty got a bit more gumption. A good read but certainly not a light topic!

I was really excited for A Thread of Light because I loved Neema Shah’s first book, Kololo Hill. I loved learning about the Indian freedom movement in the UK during WW2—such an interesting part of history that doesn’t get much attention. But overall, the story didn’t quite grab me. I found Ruby hard to connect with, and the characters felt a bit flat. So different from her previous book. Still glad I read it, as this is an unique story.

this book was a brilliant and different take what ive ever read before on ww2. im a great lover of finding out about that era so seeing something totally new was a great start for this book and it just got better. the plot and the characters were so well drawn out i was instantly in to both their stories and the characters themselves.
this book tells from the vantage point of how those with Indian heritage was involved. they were almost involved with two battles.one at home for their independence and once that the rest of the world was having.
Rub is Brtisish born but has Indian heritage. and Kitty who is from India but has come to London to fight for their countries independence. their stories were so poles apart yet beautifully interlinked.
i felt like i was absorbing and learning all the way through and yet it didnt "feel" like it if that makes sense. i wasnt in lesson! the plot was perfect and i was swept along by both the information and the characters stories. i was learning via them.
i felt like i got such heartache from the stories of people we live alongside. things we take for granted in our every day is what others and their identity constantly have to fight for or against.
it was hard to learn of what they were going through in thier own country but also what they were having to fight for,for their country in this country too. independence it seems was something not many were getting on either side of the shore. and how freedom is something many of us find look different and is different in any culture. I sometimes find it hard to separate myself from that especially for woman in other cultures but this book was gentle with me.
i also felt sad and bad that this is such a non talked about part of that time and our history. so important. that at once makes me feel worse because i feel ignorant and its a active choice we/i dont know more about this isnt it. but ill save my own questioning for my own time.
for now i thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone and all. i think this would be a great read for anyone studying that era too. i know its fictional but it bare so much truths from then having googled and researched more myself.
it does also manage to keep giving us the scope of how bad the war was for everyone here. just a terrible time to try and survive. i cant imagine the terror.
im very grateful to have had the chance to read this book. it feels flimsy to say that, but i appreciate learning what i did from it so much.

I really enjoyed this London based WWII story with an unusual perspective. It focuses around fictional members of the India Forum in London and their endlessly patient fight for independence for India- trying to persuade the right hearts and minds that Britain needed to release its hold on their country. The narrative is told through two strong female perspectives- both part of the India Forum and independence fight and both characters with interesting back stories and reasons for their involvement. The reader sees a spectrum of approaches to the task of gaining independence through their eyes.

Engaging read, and I would highly recommend it. My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC

A Thread of Light by Neema Shah shines a search beam on to a dark corner of World War Two, the sometimes extreme struggle for Indian independence in a time of global conflict.

The story centres on the lives of Indian émigrés in wartime London who meet at the India Forum to plan resistance to the Raj. It is told from the point of view of two fictional protagonists; ballsy Londoner Ruby who loves to break society’s rules but who harbours a very personal secret, and idealistic barrister Keerthanaben, or Kitty.

Kitty hates the idea of her husband, Haseeb, joining up to fight on the side of British colonial power, and tensions in the marriage grow when Haseeb joins the RAF. Kitty feels particular foreboding during the Forum’s debates about a post-independence partition of India as she is Hindu and Haseeb is Muslim. In a shadowing of the country’s later fate, their marriage has left the couple estranged from their families in rifts that seem unlikely ever to heal.

Ruby becomes involved with devil-may-care Satyajit, a firebrand for Free India, while she is also an informant for British secret services. Drama builds towards a shockingly extremist act which forces Ruby into an impossible dilemma, but Neema Shah cleverly explores the nuances in every character’s motives so that our sympathies are constantly questioned and tested.

The events in the story are largely fictional but the authentic atmosphere of wartime London is skilfully evoked, and the history of extremists in the Free India movement is fascinatingly explored. Satyajit is a supporter of Subhas Chandra Bose, the real Indian nationalist who met Hitler and raised an army of Indian prisoners of war to fight on the side of the Germans and the Japanese. It’s an angle of India’s struggle for freedom that still raises controversy and Neema Shah presents the debate with empathy and even-handedness.

A Thread of Light is a beautifully told and moving story of two very different women finding their place in a turbulent world, and an important insight into a dark corner of India’s wartime struggle for freedom.

Neema Shah has given us an insight into WW2 in London that is different to any I have read before. A Thread of Light is so interesting and I was intrigued by the back story of Indian people in the UK who continued to fight for Indian independence despite the ongoing war with the Nazi's. I am grateful to the author for proving me with such a thought provoking and historically accurate read. This subject needs to have more exposure.
It is also a meaningful story about women and their role during the war. Specifically Indian born lawyer Kitty and air-raid warden Londoner Ruby, whose father is Indian., So different but both with their own battles. The intersectional discrimination Kitty faced was not surprising but was well portrayed and added a lot to the book.
I particularly liked the insight into the lives of British Indians in 1940's London and the authors research was clearly extensive, ensuring the richness of the descriptions.
I'd recommend A Thread of Light to book clubs, as it raises so many topics for discussion.

A different slant on the World War 2 novel. Two women - one an ARP warden, one a barrister - support, in different ways the Indian Forum (an organisation set up to promote Indian independence). It is an intriguing novel, with interesting characters from all sides of the debate. Well written, and I would highly recommend it.

With thanks to Picador and NetGalley for an ARC.

What I like most about A Thread of Light is the creative way author Neema Shah has used tiny details of everyday life. Her painstaking research brings to life a tumultuous period which was at risk of being forgotten. Food, clothes, travel, education, sport – every aspect of the experiences of Indians living abroad during the struggle for independence is explored.
The story is told from the points of view of two young women living in London at the height of WW2. Indian national Kitty has taken refuge in London with her Muslim husband Haseeb, after being rejected by her Hindu family because of their inter-faith marriage. She is an Oxford educated barrister, but due to misogyny and racism she is unable to land a job which is appropriate to her ability level. Ruby, a working-class air raid warden who is the daughter of an Indian father and White English mother, is keen to explore her Indian heritage. Both women must face enormous challenges. Ruby courageously faces the horrors of the Blitz while trying to cope with a family bereavement and hiding a dark secret. Kitty’s biggest problem is loneliness. She has one female English friend from university who invites her to parties, but this only makes her feel like the token foreigner.
Kitty and Ruby meet at the India Forum, an organisation set up by expatriate Indians to promote the cause of Indian independence. Unfortunately, no two members of the Forum agree on how to achieve this objective. The women are not drawn to each other and have only minimal contact, until Ruby’s attraction to the brooding Satyajit begins to affect the group and the cause they share.
I recommend A Thread of Light for its original and illuminating view of a small but meaningful chunk of colonial history.

A memorable story as much because of its ability to educate as well as its ability to entertain. Set in London, the travails of life during the Blitz are kept sharply in focus and yet the parallel troubles in a UK-based fight for an independent India still find an important place in the narrative. A dark story where it often seems like little progress is being made on either front, but one where it feels right that it is now given a current and broader audience.

Second World War and the Indian independence movement in London during the 1940s.
This fictional account of the Indian Union and its fight for independence emphasises the prejudices against foreign nationals and their skin colour. The author has introduced a number of characters, each of whom has different views on how to achieve peace, but none could foresee the eventual split of India and the movement across the borders of Muslim and Hindi alike.

I found this novel a more informative than an enjoyable read, painting a picture of London under attack from enemy bombs and homeland politics.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

An interesting story, full of conflict and drama, but for me it lacked something in the writing, which meant I didn't engage with the characters as much as I'd have liked. It should have kept me turning the pages, but somehow it didn't.

I'm a fan of WW2 historical fiction and think A Thread of Light is a good and enjoyable read. I liked the two main characters, Kitty and Ruby who are of Indian descent and live in London. The author weaves a good story following the two ladies during war time and the fight for independence for their country and heritage. I felt the first part of the story moved a little to slowly for my liking although it did pick up and soon became an engaging and interesting read. The authors writing is good and very descriptive and I could picture the characters in my mind when reading. I really liked the ending, it gives good closure for both characters as they carry on after end of the war. If you like historical fiction that is just a little bit different I think you'd enjoy this and would recommend it.

3.5 stars

A poignant and thought-provoking historical novel set against the backdrop of wartime London, where the fight for independence intersects with personal sacrifice and love.

London, 1941. Amidst the chaos of the Blitz, Ruby, a lonely air raid warden, finds herself drawn into the world of the India Forum, where a group of Londoners is tirelessly working to free India from British rule. While Ruby has her own secret reasons for joining the cause, her life takes an unexpected turn when she meets Satyajit—charming, aloof, and perhaps dangerous. Torn between her head and her heart, Ruby faces the struggle of whether to pursue her personal desires or stay true to her duty.

Kitty, a lawyer, is helping Indian men in Britain challenge conscription. Having left her family in Bombay to marry the man she loves, she now risks losing him as well. As the lives of Ruby and Kitty collide, they are drawn into a world of political tension and personal stakes. With violence closing in and the looming threat of war, both women must decide how far they are willing to go for the people they love.

A Thread of Light offers a captivating glimpse into a lesser-known aspect of history, providing a rich narrative about the struggles of the Indian independence movement during the Second World War. The novel is told from the perspectives of Ruby and Kitty, and their character development is vivid and relatable. The pacing of the story is well-balanced, and while the historical accuracy may not be widely known to some readers, the emotional depth and authenticity of the characters make it a compelling read.

This is a beautifully written and immersive book, perfect for anyone who enjoys historical fiction with complex characters, love, and sacrifice at its heart.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.