Dur e Aziz Amna is a gifted storyteller and I have been eagerly awaiting her second novel. A Splintering is virtuosic in setting a gripping tale of ruthless ambition and class mobility against the backdrop of Pakistani society in the throes of political and socio-economic change. I came of age in precisely the time period in which this novel is set in the same cities so the novel was particularly captivating to read. The protagonist Tara, has an electrifying presence on each page and I love how Amna has created a character with a dodgy moral compass, acidic language, unending needs but she is persistent in subverting the patriarchy and making it work for her. I found myself strangely rooting for her despite not finding her particularly likeable. I read A Splintering with avidity and I suggest you do, too.

i have no words to describe the sensuality and feverish tone of this novel. it grapples with femininity, motherhood, and ambition in a language i am yet to be familiar with. the protagonist, tara, learns how to bend the men in her world to her will, and this is written not with abstractions but with a near-tangible sense of self. this book served its purpose. i am, literally, at lost for words at how gripping this novel was. i read it for straight 3 hours, without stopping, in hopes of finding out what happens in the next pages. it is raw and real—everything i could wish for in a novel. really perfect for fans of elena ferrante like me.

how this novel portrayed ambition was very beguiling and familiar. this book is, in so many ways, a rage awakening for women. that beneath each and every one of us lies a rage suffused by ambition, and the protagonist very much exhibits this rage with her searing voice all throughout the novel. amna’s profound ability to articulate words and write them is inspiring—i especially loved how it’s titled the way it’s titled because it starts to make sense after reading the book. amazing and powerful work! i can’t wait for it to be out in the world.

From a rural area of Pakistan into the city, Tara knows what she wants. And she figures out how to get it, working her way through a difficult family and social conventions. Interesting view of Pakistan and an unsatisfied woman.

Will try to work on a longer review of both this book and Dure's debut novel but I finished this one in a sitting and really enjoyed reading it on a whole.

A Splintering is one of those remarkable stories that you only get every once in a while. The knife of the plot is not only stuck in you, it twists and twists until the book is over, and the wound stays fresh for a while after. I haven't been able to stop thinking about the protagonist, even though I was equal parts awed, disgusted and afraid of her. Any criticisms I had of the text were just projections of my own perceptions and how they've served me in the real world. The complications of the characters is exactly what makes you keep reading, even the slightest cursory sentence holds depth. It was hard to put down. Kudos to the author, who continues to set the bar for literary brilliance.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tara is born in rural/pre-industrial Mazinagar, and yearns for more from a young age. But as we follow her life story, something in her shifts from aspirational to avaricious; from hungry to heartless. But is this shift inevitable, and will she really stop at nothing to protect what she has claimed for herself?

This is an utterly stunning (in many ways) read, with a deliciously unreliable narrator. Tara has an excellent narrative voice but constantly assesses and judges others in a way that the author masterfully encourages the reader to examine for themselves. None of the characters are particularly lovable but they are all clearly complex individuals, each affected by their lot in life with their actions clearly motivated by their own insecurities and beliefs. Tara doesn't do much genuine self-reflection but being inside her head is fascinating.

The book deftly explores topics including misogyny, classism, sex work, corruption, toxic family relationships, domestic violence, etc with nuance and grace; set against a backdrop of various "levels" of Pakistani society. As the physical settings morph and shift over time, so do the characters and their relationships with each other. I felt challenged at several points, wanting to believe (for example) in the assertion that Tara's sex work felt empowering, but seeing the reality of what it was doing to her and her family (especially her daughter - which she avoids facing) and how she repeatedly chooses to put financial gain above all else.

The writing really provokes the senses, it is often deeply lyrical and there are several passages that really spoke to me. (I would love to come back to a paper copy at some point and annotate it.) There are many interesting repeated motifs, such as Tara's reflections on the nuclear family in Islamabad, which really drive home how she is changing over the years.

I love the ending, which is fitting and moving, but also love that not everything is left completely resolved. What will happen to Tara next? She is actually still in quite a volatile situation and it is left up to the reader to contemplate on where her life might lead in the near and distant future.

This is a clever and original book which will stay with me for some time.

The story is set against a historical backdrop that will likely resonate most with those who remember the world before the 1990s. Interestingly, the historical elements are woven in so subtly that, without prior context, you might assume they’re just part of the fictional setting. That said, I did find myself anticipating certain events, one of which arrives almost offhandedly, delivered in a line that’s easy to miss if you’re not paying close attention.

I wouldn’t describe the first-person narrator—or any of the characters, really—as especially likeable. But that didn’t detract from my experience. I don’t need to like a character to be pulled into their story, and in this case, the author completely succeeded in getting me to care. The characters make sense within the world they live in; their behavior feels shaped by their environment in a way that adds depth rather than distance.

A Splintering is a captivating look into ambition, family, and societal expectations in Pakistani life. I was hooked from the first page and ended up finishing it in on sitting.

The main character follows Tara who is restless, determined, and far from perfect. She refuses to settle for a small life and dreams of marrying a man from the city, getting a job, and escaping the limitations placed on her by tradition and poverty. Her obsession with creating a different life pushes her to make choices that are bold, sometimes ruthless, and often morally grey.

What makes this story so compelling is how Tara is constantly reaching for more, even after she escapes the life she once felt trapped in. It’s not just freedom she wants, it’s power, status, security. And she’ll do whatever it takes to get there.

The author writes with such precision and grace. Every sentence feels intentional, and the structure of the book is just as sharp as its themes. This one’s going to stay with me for a while.

A Splintering by Dur e Aziz Amna

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Firstly Thank you to @netgallery @duckworthbooks and @dureamna for sending me an arc to review.

A Splintering is captivating and insightful in to the Pakistani society I found myself engrossed from the start and finished this in a few hours.

The protagonist doesn’t want to live a mediocre life and dreams of marrying a man from the city and getting a job and living freely away from her family. Her obsessive nature and her persistence in becoming more than a farmers daughter and living just above the breadline makes Tara want to live outside of the traditions and expectations of hers and her husbands family.
Once free from these chains and living and supporting her own family she realises that it isn’t enough for her and her children and wants endlessly for more. Tara is callous, ruthless and willing to do what ever it takes to make sure she can give her family everything and that’s what makes the book compelling and fascinating at the same time.
Amna’s way in which she writes is elegantly composed and expertly constructed throughout.

A Splintering, the latest novel from Dur e Aziz Amna, is an absolutely stunning masterclass in character building. Meet Tara, a young woman from Pakistan who is restless, yet determined to upgrade her life from that of poverty to something more. And then wants even more. She is great narrator, and she pulled me through this beautiful novel in one breathless sitting. Dur e Aziz Amna is a truly great writer, and one getting stronger with each novel. I thoroughly enjoyed this and highly recommend it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Forgot to update my Goodreads🙃I initially was left having absolutely not an idea of what to rate this book.
The main woman, Tara, at first was a woman of power…then became in my opinion a terrible person. Semi took back her power but through the power of a man and some of her actions weren’t that far from those she detested (or the meaning behind them). She clearly couldn’t understand the beauty of other people’s contentment and always wanted more more more which parts I understood but parts I was like girl come on, have sympathy, empathy and understanding.
But I have to say, this is not a book like anything else I have read and I was pretty entertained throughout it all.
I didn’t expect to be reading a historical fiction at all but here we are. Huge thank you to NetGallery for the early copy of this book!

Tradition has it that the women in Tara’s family are the property of the head of the household, but that is not her mild mannered father. It is her brother, who singles her out for his cruelty, trying to get her out of school early to follow the form of girls waiting at home for the home of a husband. Subservience and purity are requirements of girls, while the men of the household are free to pursue their own desires. Her ambition is the life of the city, and independence, which must come at a cost. Whilst her country is engulfed in political turmoil and violence, she must carve a place in it. An unforgettable character, Tara’s story is unsettling and compelling, we don’t know if we should love her or hate her, but we are kept guessing.

This was such a captivating read.

The struggles, the dreams, the way of life.

Living with her parents and siblings Tara always dreams of more. Seeing her siblings married off and her mum just making do, she wants and strives for more for herself.

As you go on the journey with Tara and the obstacles she overcomes you can't help but be impressed with her grit and determination. What she is willing to do, even if some of her ways are not exactly safe or seen as appropriate. However, she does it all for her family and herself. To cling to independence and wealth.

I found this story fascinating, the history, the views and perceptions of class and wealth, what the men and women had to live with and through.

Vividly told through descriptive scenes, this was a brilliant read. From the beginning it’s made clear that Tara is different to her sisters, her mother and her aunties. She will not live the same life as them, she dreams of escaping to the city and carving something better for herself. In doing so, she makes decisions that had me in shock as a reader. I loved reading about her, she was fiercely ambitious, to a point that was damaging.

Her relationship with her husband was a little lacklustre but I can see why, given the type of character he was. I loved her inner monologues as she questioned her motherhood, life as a woman, and decisions she had made that led her to the life she once so desperately craved. This was a book full of big emotions, regret and sacrifices and highlighted a woman’s need to control her own life.

A Splintering is a raw and immersive portrayal of one woman's struggle to assert herself in a world determined to hold her back. Set in a rural Pakistani village overshadowed by political unrest and natural disaster, Dur e Aziz Amna paints a vivid, often harrowing picture of life on the margins, where survival is a daily act of resistance.

Tara is a remarkable protagonist. Her desire to escape the violence and limitation of her home is fierce, but what truly struck me was the quiet, deliberate way she learns to navigate and manipulate the power structures around her. The writing is spare and precise, yet emotionally charged, carrying a sense of urgency that never lets go.

This book does not romanticise its setting or characters. Instead, it offers a clear-eyed look at the complex intersections of class, gender and ambition. Tara's journey is not about grand gestures but small, deliberate acts of defiance that slowly chip away at the forces trapping her.

There is a distinct rhythm to the prose, something unfamiliar yet captivating. The language carries the weight of its landscape, its customs and its silences. The tension between what is expected and what is possible simmers throughout.

A Splintering is both intimate and political, a story of a woman carving out a sliver of agency in a world stacked against her. It is bold, affecting and lingers long after the final page.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

An extremely readable story of a young Pakistani girl with ambitions to improve her status in the male dominated culture of Muslims. Incredible saddening facts as an intelligent Tara struggles to fulfil her dreams. Life is tough but with grit and determination Tara takes a path that at any time if discovered would have serious repercussions. The novel is set during the time of Benazir Bhutto, but is more about family relationships and culture.

An eye opening novel, clearly presented and humbling. Direct and to the point and although a short read, provides an excellent starting point with historical detail.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC for review.

i believe a book well written is one that makes you feel exactly what it aims for. tara may be the character whose eyes we see the world through, but she is far from being the only main character of the story. the women present are all main characters in their respective ways, different in many facets of life, but one thing joins them, and it is anger.

female rage is splashed across the story like fuel. It's a kindling behind every word, behind every emotion, and behind every action that the women do. be it fighting tooth and nail for her daughter to finish her education, trying to shed and distance oneself from a past that kills unabashedly, or letting the pain gnaw slowly and fester for years, the main drive of the book is pure unfiltered anger that you feel throughout every line.

Hunger and rage are what drive the story forward, are what make it almost impossible to hate tara. as an audience to her bathe to strive for more, we watch her from wanting the simplest things in life to growing incessantly unsatisfied and knowing that her hunger will never subside. Tara strives for one thing, and that is to feel complete, to be able to look at all the times she had been humiliated, and think them to have been worth surviving. however, there is no more dangerous thing than the appetite of the poor, and some watch as tara does her impossible to become the thing she claims to hate but envies.

throughout the book tara kept say my how much she hated those rich housewifes who do nothing all day, while actually meaning that she hates having to go and slave away at a job or for a man, to afford half the lifestyle these other women have. for a projects her feelings of inadequacy on to every other woman she meets, to try to feel superior. she mocks other women for putting on a show to showcase their wealth when she herself does the same thing. she hates any mention or association to her village on it brings her back to being the girl that used to be beaten by her brother, she is put back in a place where she has no power, at the mercy of other men, determined to get away, which makes it all the more morbidly funny when she finds herself later in the book, still at the mercy of the men in her life simply in a different font, but with the illusion of power; be it for her main drive for success is to one up her brother, her deadbeat husband with no backbone mascarading as a modernist, or the countless men who she relies on for income.

even when her big bad villain goes away at the end, there is no sign she feels a sense of relief because her greatest enemy has always been herself.


there is so much i could talk about with the different ways how motherhood is portrayed through the generations, the illusion of women's choices under a patriarchal society, how tara spent so long distancing herself from her village just to end up under the sheets of one, how this man got to feel good about his village as it serves as an inspirational coming of age stories, while women have to feel ashamed and disgusted from where they came from, that tara has this delusion that money will provide her safety and having that proven false with the earthquake... there is so much from this book to dissect it's truly a masterpiece.

final thing i will say is that this book proves that life is a circle, that no matter how fast you try to outrun your family, there will come a day where you will look at a mirror and see them staring back at you, but worse.