Mirror City

It is 1973. A newly independent Bangladesh is collapsing under the weight of impending famine, unemployment and political corruption. In the midst of this upheaval, Uma, a Bengali from Calcutta, moves to Dhaka with her husband Iqbal. As the young woman learns to make the new city her home, she faces upheavals of her own. Iqbal is a changed man, their mixed marriage raises too many eyebrows and the charged atmosphere in Dhaka makes it impossible to trust anyone. Uma has never felt so utterly alone in her life, until she finds herself unexpectedly falling in love. Mirror City brilliantly captures the turbulent early days of Bangladesh, the slow breakdown of a marriage and a woman's search to find herself. Nuanced, atmospheric and full of drama, this is an utterly compelling novel.