*4.5 Stars*

I’m ashamed to admit this, but I did not have high expectations going into Where the River Parts. I requested it from NetGalley back in 2016 because the premise sounded interesting, but I found that I kept putting it off as I wasn’t seeing people reading it. With under 100 ratings on Goodreads, I worried that this book was going to be a disappointment. Since I decided to participate in #YARC2019 and this book is set in India/Pakistan, I decided I would kill two birds with one stone and finally pick it up.

Where the River Parts is a historical fiction about the partition of Indian in 1947 into India & Pakistan and explores the tensions between the Muslim & Hindu people during that time. I know I sound like a broken record, but one of my favorite aspects of historical fiction is learning about events in history that I knew little to nothing about. Is it embarrassing to admit that I did not know that Pakistan was part of India prior to 1947? Probably. I had no idea about the animosity between the Muslim & Hindu people during this time. I was appalled to discover how these two religious groups treated each other: mass murders, mobs, abductions, rape. Hundreds of thousands (potentially millions) of people on each side of this conflict were affected. The exact numbers are not clear, but it is estimated that up to 2 million people total were killed during this time. After the partition, the Muslims occupied Pakistan while the Hindu people flocked to India.

Where the River Parts follows Asha, a Hindu girl, as she is forced from her home with her family leaving behind everything she knows. We watch as Asha must overcome one hardship after the next. My heart ached for Asha throughout the majority of this book, but Asha found a way to keep moving forward. She was a very sympathetic character, so I was very invested in Asha’s plight.

A big aspect of the plot line is the forbidden romance between Asha, a Hindu girl, and Firoze, a Muslim boy. While this book is part historical romance, it was so much more than that. If you’ve followed my reviews for a while, you probably already know that I don’t typically tend to enjoy books where the romance is central to the plot. Despite the fact that romance was a decent chunk of the story, there was plenty of substance to the rest of the story that kept me satisfied.

The plot of Where the River Parts had a little bit of everything: forbidden romance, religious conflict, historical context, cultural framework, family drama, etc. The pacing of the book was well done. There was never a point in the book where I felt the story was lacking or dragging, I was entertained the entirety of the book. I really enjoyed that this story followed Asha as a young girl and progresses throughout her adult life, and into her advanced years. I also appreciated how things seemed to come full circle at the end of the book with Asha & her Granddaughter.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the writing was excellent in Where the River Parts. There is not a lot of information on the author, but I’m fairly sure this is her debut novel. When you see a debut novel with not many ratings on Goodreads, I think the assumption tends to be that the writing is going to be amateur… Again, I’m ashamed that I misjudged this book based on preconceived notions.

I only had one small issue with Where the River Parts. Towards the second half of the book, there is a pretty substantial time jumping going on. While I totally understand this was necessary for the story, the way the story transitioned was a bit jarring & abrupt. I think the author could have added a little more to the story to smooth the transitions a bit.

Where the River Parts is truly a hidden gem. I am baffled that there are only around 90 ratings on Goodreads for it. I really do wish this book had more attention and that more people would give it a go.

Trigger/content warnings: rape, mob violence, murder, infertility, PTSD, and miscarriage.

*Big thanks to Sandstone Press for providing me with a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the chance to review this book, however, unfortunately, I was unable to download this title before it was archived.

I honestly could tell by the writing of the first 2 chapters that it wouldn't be a good fit for our box and had to put it down. I may read it again in the future!

This story is about Asha and her family and friends and the price they paid for India’s independence and Pakistan’s partition from India. Asha’s journey through her life is one of heartbreak, astonishing hope and endurance. Her description of her life in India was amazing and so very interesting. I think most of us know about India’s independence but not necessarily the stories behind it. I really enjoyed this book and was enthralled with Asha’s journey.

Found it difficult to get into this book. Unfortunately on this occasion I could not finish it

Beginning in 1947, at the time of India's independence and partition into India and Pakistan, Where the River Parts follows Asha, a Hindu in what is now Muslim Pakistan, as she is forced to leave her home and her beloved Firoze, a Muslim. It is beautifully written and I loved the premise of it, the start is great, but as time (months, years and decades) pass, I grew to care less and less about the characters, which is a shame since it had such great potential.