Golden Age

Description

'For all that she had lost, and all that she wanted never to lose again'. As Rehana Haque awakes one March morning, she might be forgiven for feeling happy. Today, she will throw a party for her son and daughter. In the garden of the house she has built, her roses are blooming; her children are almost grown-up; and beyond their doorstep, the city is buzzing with excitement after recent elections. Change is in the air. But none of the guests at Rehana's party can foresee what will happen in the days and months that follow. For this is East Pakistan in 1971, a country on the brink of war. And this family's life is about to change for ever. Set against the backdrop of the Bangladesh War of Independence, "A Golden Age" is a story of passion and revolution, of hope, faith and unexpected heroism. In the chaos of this era, everyone - from student protesters to the country's leaders, from rickshaw-wallahs to the army's soldiers - must make choices. And as she struggles to keep her family safe, Rehana will find herself faced with a heartbreaking dilemma.

Awards

Winner of Commonwealth Writers' Prize Best First Book - Eurasia 2008 and Commonwealth Writers' Prize Best First Book 2008. Shortlisted for Costa First Novel Award 2007.

Reviews

"* 'I'd put a few bob on Tahmima Anam - the extract from her novel-in-progress... is a vivid and intriguing slice of Bangladesh in 1959' (Written following the publication of Bedford Square, an anthology of new writing from Poet Laureate Andrew Motion's Creative Writing Programme at Royal Holloway, which included an extract from A Golden Age) - The Times 01/02/2006 * 'Vivid... momentous change and heartbreaking dilemmas' - Publishing News"

Author description

Tahmima Anam was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 1975 and grew up in Paris, New York City, and Bangkok. She trained as an anthropologist, earning a PhD from Harvard University. In 2005 she completed an MA in Creative Writing at Royal Holloway, London, and is the recipient of a Writing Fellowship from the Arts Council of England. She lives in London.