Anam’s debut novel is a wonderful journey through the birth of a nation and the lengths a mother will go to protect her children. When Rehana Haque’s husband dies, she loses her children to her brother-in-law in Pakistan. She manages to get them back by building a new home on the front lawn of her bungalow. How she managed to get the money remains a secret. Not long after Rehana celebrates the tenth year of her children’s return to Dhaka, the country is on the verge of revolution and her children are caught up in the energy of the student movement. Once again, Rehana is tested to see just what she is willing to do in order to protect them. I did not know much about the revolution in Bangladesh in 1971, so it was interesting to read about it from the point of view of an average citizen. Although the revolution is the looming backdrop, the book is more about love and devotion. Sometimes poignant, sometimes shocking, this was a gripping read.