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There are currently 18 member reviews
for Burnt Shadows
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Rhonda M. (Concord, OH)
A book for our world
Kamila Shamsie's Burnt Shadows was like no book I have ever read. It put the tensions of the world and the people inhabiting it into a totally different light. It made you think about our world as a global world trying to coexist. The only problem I had with this book which kept me from saying it was great was I think the author tried so hard to get her points across and involved so many characters that I don't think they were totally developed at times. I would still recommend it as a great book that book clubs will find wonderful discussions to come from. I will be thinking about this book for several days.
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Trezeline B. (Columbia, MD)
Burnt Shadows
Kamila Shamsie covers three generations of two families in 365 pages. The language she uses is beautiful. At times I could imagine I was in the scene she was describing. Although at times the story gets a bit tedious, over all the continuing relationships between the characters is interesting and you really get insight into the many effects of war. We, as Americans are sometimes so unconcerned about what happens in foreign countries. We don't see the changes in ourselves caused by war and certainly don't realize the effects on people of other countries. This was a good read.
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Linda A. (Palo Alto, CA)
Burnt Shadows
Kamila Shamsie has written a book of immense scope, following the intertwined lives of two families from 1945 to post-9/11; from Nagasaki through Delhi, Pakistan, New York and Afghanistan. I found the earlier days in Nagaski and Delhi more believable even though the horror is palpable. The story is compelling and definitely worth reading. The characters are complicated as are the relationships between and among the families in their various representations. This is a thought-provoking story of inter-cultural involvement on many levels. At times I had to suspend my disbelief.
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Christine E. (Royal Oak, MI)
Families and Tragic Times
Kamila Shamsie did a good job in tying together three tragic events in world history in the latter part of the 20th Century. These events were tied together by their impact on three generations of two multi-ethic families. I enjoyed the book for the most part but got a little bogged down with the jumping around from different time periods and places and also by the different ethic groups in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
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