Unpartitioned Time

Jindo, Malavika Rajkotia’s father, arrives in India as the Partition riots erupt. He is given a patch of barren land in small-town Karnal, to clear, cultivate, and resume life as landlord and patriarch. But stripped of his history, and facing an uncertain future in a land with an unfamiliar language, he transforms profoundly. Around this generous, funny, loving, and growingly despondent figure, Rajkotia weaves an intricate narrative of her family’s past and present, exploring themes of longing and belonging, privilege and the loss of it, and reflecting on the resilience of a people denied autonomy. Through her raw, lyrical prose, she guides readers through the struggles of a sprawling clan—uncles, aunts, siblings, cousins, and revered heroes— striving for recognition, identity, and security.