Customer Reviews
Wonderful - By: Mrs. G. K. Lloyd, 06 Dec 2006 
I thought the book was very interesting especiallly for me coming from the sub continent but on the other side of the fence to speak - it gave you a wonderful insight of life in pakistan at time of war. I enjoyed reading the book & couldn't put it down. Very thoughtful though thru the eyes of an 8 year old - her privileged background - the relationship with the servants, the vividness of the book - you could imagine the canal, the nuns. Moni has done a wonderful job in potraying life in the 70's in pakistan.
Not the best... - By: Clear Smith, 23 Jul 2006 
This book is seen through the eyes of a nine year old who is spending her holiday in a sleepy Pakistani village whilst civil war is rife miles & miles away in East Pakistan.
I found myself skim reading much of this book to get to the main meat of the story, this is not something I often do therefore I think I must have found it quite tedious. Perhaps I couldn't fully appreciate the fact that so much of it was seen through the eyes of a young child therefore much of the narrative seemed innocent to the consequences of what was about to occur. Therefore I found myself predicting much of it before the narrative itself got to those conclusions.
It does however give a great snapshot into Pakistani life & culture but I didn't think it focused enough on the war which was constantly mentioned but without going into enough detail. What is most interesting is the story of the servant girl & her demise. This is gripping & haunting but it is a pity the rest of the book brings it down.
End of Innocence - By: Franceska van Dijk, 29 Jun 2006 The End of Innocence is a captivating coming-of-age tale set in 1970s Pakistan, where worlds collide & things falll apart.
The story unfolds with Rani, a young & beautiful servant, who innocently seeks romance & adventure in a culture bound by honour & tradition. But tension mounts as the complexities of real life overtake Rani & her eager & privileged sidekick Laila, both floundering in unfamiliar territory.
Peopled by characters so sharply drawn that you recoil from Sister Clementine's breath, feel the crispness of Tariq's starched shirt & sink into the pillowy folds of Sardar Begum's belly, this book is delightfully rich & funny.
But at the same time, & with elegant ease, Moni Mohsin shows how the darker side of social conformity, politics & religion challlenge even the powerful & liberal, with long term falllout.
A wonderful debut.
Magical writing - By: H. Rastegar, 21 Jun 2006 Both beautifully written & suspenseful, this touching first novel had me hooked from page one. Although easily read in one sitting, the story stayed with me for days afterwards, haunting me with its beauty, eloquence, & tragic sadness. Mohsin has a real talent for creating memorable characters that burst to life through the pages, from the severe, demanding grandmother to the honourable father to the bubbly, romantic best friend who, as the granddaughter of a family servant, also provides us with a snapshot of the prevailing class issues of Pakistan at the time of the civil war. But it is through Laila, the main character of the novel, that one truly experiences the drama & excitement. Mohsin expertly draws the reader into the mind of a nine year-old child, which is no smalll feat--Laila's innocence & naivite are wholly believable, & one feels instantly attached to her & invested in her troubles. When I finished the book, tears in my eyes, I could not stop thinking about Laila in the midst of that privileged life in Pakistan, yearning to feel loved & involved & important, a desire so great that it inadvertently lead her to unleash a disaster. Moni Mohsin truly has a magical touch--I can't wait for her next novel!
A wonderful shapshot of pakistan in recent history - By: London Reader, 18 Jun 2006 Pakistan is not somewhere I have thought about much before, but Ms Mohsin's book is very provocative - a coming of age novel novel which enlightens about the 'civil' war which ended the strange existence of an West & East Pakistan, divided by thousands of miles of India (courtesy of the British partition), highlights the anipathy between India & Pakistan & also puts the tension between the traditional pakistan & the modernisers into context. The main character is a young girl, persuasively drawn by the author, who is sucked into a secret & ends up playing a role in a tragic event. The adults & the children are alll fleshed out, with each given realistic flesh & feelings. The book is very enjoyable, & as Ms Mohsin is a new author this bodes well for other books from the same source. Some of the scenes are wonderful - such as the first visit to the cinema of the grandmother, & the care which is lavished on her & her party. She has written a well-crafted & interesting book which will be of interest to alll types, including book clubs.
