Ice-Candy Man

Description

As the British eke out the final days of their rule of India, the threat of Partition gathers and sectarian violence escalates, spreading across the nation and inching ever closer to the affluent fringes of Lahore. Lahore is where eight-year-old Lenny lives. Crippled by polio but inquisitive and spirited, Lenny spends her days in the park with her beautiful Ayah, enjoying the company of the plethora of suitors drawn to her striking nanny. There's the Sikh zoo-keeper, the Masseur, the Pathan, strong Imman Din, and Ice-Candy Man, peddling popsicles along with political unrest through the streets. But Lenny's world is upended as riots break out and the once harmonious people of Lahore turn against one another. Amidst the chaos, her beloved Ayah is abducted. Lenny's innocence, exuberant humour, and heart-wrenching perspicacity leads us through these momentous events, revealing the irrationality of adult behaviour as the fragile unity of a nation teeters on the cusp of historic change.

Bapsi Sidhwa was born in Karachi in 1938 to Parsi parents, and raised in Lahore. She is the author of several novels including, The Bride, The Crow Eaters, An American Brat, and Water. In 1991 she received the Sitara-i- Imtiaz, Pakistan's highest honour in the arts.