A Review on "The shadow of the crescent moon" By Fatima Bhutto

Well spending the free days, nothing to do except doing some house hold work and reading some good books. Fatima Bhutto had always been such a mysrty for me. Few years ago I read her columns in "Jang" newspaper and seeing her last name" Bhutto" I thought she is some one ordinary from Bhutto clan but indulging more and more in her articles I got to know that she was a "Bhutto Daughter" like Benazir. She is the daughter of Mir Murtaza Bhutto. Elder son of former prime minister and great leader Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. Having keen interest in Pakistani politics I love to read historical books based on this topic especially on Bhuttos. " The songs of blood and sword" was the second book I read on their dynastic politics. First one was " Daughter of the East" by Benazir. "Songs of blood and sword" was a best seller by the way and my review is due for sure. 

Today I am going to give you a very "detailed" personal account on "The Shadow of the crescent moon" a debut novel by Fatima Bhutto. I am writing this review since this master piece provoked me to do so. Its a really different angle of facts upon neglected areas of Pakistan like Waziristan. These areas belong to Pakistan but it seems distant not fully Pakistani. This is the story line of this novel basically. 

The novel covers the story of three brothers whose father was a freedom fighter while Pakistan was in making but he was not happy with the state's treatment of his people and the land of Mir Ali. His three boys adopts different coasts of life. The freedom fighter Inayat kept telling his deadly encounters to his sons. None of them took interest except his middle son Hayat who also prepares to follow his father's foot steps to fight for his land. Where as his elder son Aman Erum is a escaper. He escapes from his identity, his bitter history. He does not want to live the freedom war of his people. He went to America, studies there, make new friends, despite his tribal mindset he mingles with women and adopts American accent of English not calling himself Pakistani but relates counts himself among Bangladeshi students. After completion of his degree he starts setting up his own business but what he had done to go that far? He agreed to spy of rebellious activities in Mir Ali to the Army. Here the novel takes an interesting turn when Aman comes  to know that his beloved fiancé Samarra is also a freedom fighter. Will Aman report Samarra's activities too? for having the answer you have to read this beautifully written novel.  Samaara the fiancé of Aman knowing his love's future plans of settling in America becomes detached. She unintentionally becomes attracted to Aman's brother Hayat the freedom fighter and the member of her militery group. 

On other hand here is Sikandar the third  son of Inayat. He is a doctor with a lecturer wife. They lost their six year old son in a deadly Taliban planted bomb blast. Mina the mother of the poor child turns insane. She visits every house of the victims killed in bomb blasts and asks the details of the blast and the deceased. The character of Mina perfectly displays the trauma people fall in, after losing their loved ones in terrorist attacks. 

This mind blowing fact based novel is really interesting captures ones attention with poetic yet hard expression of realities. It depicts the feelings and mentality of those people who do not live in prominent cities of Pakistan but far off in mountains. I would say even Balochs of Balochistan can relate themselves to this rare novel written on "Patriotic Rebels" of Pakistan. Role of the Army is not portrayed really well, picturing them as some foreign oppressor force. Here the book becomes some how, anti Pakistan but it also awakes ones mind and heart to think on just issues of residents of these areas.

Last but not the least I would say that publishing of this book in Pakistan shows that we have fairly free media. Get this book and enjoy. 

My rating 4 out of 5.