A Beautiful Lie

( 1 )

Overview


"Everybody lies. We all do it. Many years ago I told one lie that has taken on a life of its own." In India in 1947 the country is coming apart--and so is thirteen-year-old Bilal's life. He is determined to protect his dying father from the news of Partition, news that he knows will break his father's heart. With spirit and determination, and with the help of his good friends, Bilal builds an elaborate deception, even printing false pages of the local newspaper to hide the signs of national unrest. All Bilal ...
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A Beautiful Lie

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Overview


"Everybody lies. We all do it. Many years ago I told one lie that has taken on a life of its own." In India in 1947 the country is coming apart--and so is thirteen-year-old Bilal's life. He is determined to protect his dying father from the news of Partition, news that he knows will break his father's heart. With spirit and determination, and with the help of his good friends, Bilal builds an elaborate deception, even printing false pages of the local newspaper to hide the signs of national unrest. All Bilal wants is for his father to die in peace. But that means Bilal has a very complicated relationship with the truth. This extraordinarily rich debut novel brings to life a key moment in history and touches on the importance of tolerance, love and family.
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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
In this highly charged and poignant debut novel set in 1947, first published in the U.K., 13-year-old narrator Bilal works hard to conceal the impending partition of India, which resulted in the creation of Pakistan, to protect his dying father and give him peace. Set in a market town in northern India, the narrative leads up to the August 14 division of India along religious lines, separating Muslims, like Bilal's family, from the predominantly Hindu population. Bilal knows this divide will upset his father, a staunch supporter of a united India, and he conspires with his friends to hide the truth from him. Master raises the question of when a lie is warranted, even honorable, and Bilal's decision is further complicated as key members of the town become involved in the deception, and tension and danger mount. The author does not shy from the violence of the period, but balances it with the exceptional kindness shown by Bilal and others. Master's standout novel about loss and love illuminates an intense, fascinating chapter of history, one with bearings on the present. Ages 13–up. (Sept.)
VOYA - Alicia Abdul
Master artfully details the battles brewing at the height of Partition as Bilal experiences multiple tragedies with more on the horizon in 1947 India. During this time of political unrest, India has won its freedom from British rule and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan will divide the country primarily based on religious discord. So, to protect his gravely ill father, his Bapuji, from upheaval and worry, resilient Bilal constructs an elaborate system of lies to avoid visitors and share only positive news for fear of an untimely death. Bilal's friends, Manjeet, Chota, and Saleem, are all part of the conspiracy that leads to some wonderfully lighthearted moments in a serious story that focuses on revolution amidst bloodshed. Save for Bilal's teacher's wife, there are no females in the story to provide emotional support for the cutthroat politics of religion and freedom, making Bilal's struggle compelling and realistic. As revolution rages, even Bilal's friends must abandon their homes leading to a heart-wrenching moment when Manjeet states, "We're friends but we can't be friends" before abandoning Bilal. The book is a great addition to a historical fiction collection that represents world authors and historical perspective that hinges on the strength of a young boy. And, Bilal certainly is a fighter from whom that anyone can draw strength. Reviewer: Alicia Abdul
Children's Literature - Uma Krishnaswami
It is 1947 and the Indian subcontinent is on the brink of catastrophic change. Partition looms large in the nation's news—the drawing of borders to carve out two independent countries, India and Pakistan. Thirteen-year-old Bilal's father is desperately against this ripping apart of the country he loves. The problem is, Bilal's bapuji is also dying of cancer. In a gesture both quixotic and youthful, Bilal decides to hide the chaos of Partition from his father, so that he can die in peace. He tells a lie that starts to build upon itself, as lies will. Soon he has to fend off not only well-intentioned visitors, but his political activist brother, even as the chaos all around them becomes harder and harder to conceal. There is much about this novel that is compelling and moving—the historical context, for instance, the choice of a Muslim family at the center, and the eccentric, lovingly drawn characters who make up Bilal's community. Master distills large political events through a young teen's perspective without diminishing either. If there is a flaw it lies in a slightly episodic progression of story, so that at times the novel does not create and sustain dramatic tension. At other times it is the prose that either slows the momentum or simply fails to establish urgency. Even so, A Beautiful Lie is a much-needed postcolonial take on an important time and place in world history.
School Library Journal
Gr 5–9—It is the summer of 1947 and India is to be partitioned. Tensions are mounting between religious factions and violence is reaching even the smallest villages. Thirteen-year-old Bilal's beloved father is dying, and since he is convinced the news would kill him even more quickly, Bilal decides to lie about the political situation. With the help of his three closest friends, he keeps well-wishers, family friends, even his radical brother at bay, all to "save" his father the grief of knowing the truth. Master's writing is lovely and descriptive. He expertly conveys the poverty of Bilal's village. Readers can smell the mangos in the marketplace, as well as the filth, and taste the dust in their throats. But the tale is not all dark; the author captures the joy of being with friends and family, playing tricks on people, and laughing-all things that people of any socioeconomic status can enjoy and relate to. Since the story is told through Bilal's eyes, readers begin as he does, not completely understanding the reasons for the partition and violence surrounding it. As the tale progresses and readers share his experiences, the situation becomes a bit clearer, though it is never crystalline. The book's pace is slow, perhaps reflecting the pace of life in a poor village. With its unusual historical point of view, this novel is great for thoughtful readers who will give it the consideration it deserves.—Geri Diorio, Ridgefield Library, CT
Kirkus Reviews
It's a done deal--partition will soon divide India into two countries mainly along religious lines, India for Hindus and Sikhs, Pakistan for Muslims--but Bilal's dying father remains serenely confident that his beloved India will take another path and Bilal, 13, can't bear for him to die disillusioned. With three loyal friends--Chota, Saleem and Manjeet--Bilal hatches a plan to convince his widowed father that India will remain whole. Bilal's father is highly respected in their Gujarati town, and his friends refuse to be left out of the loop: doctor, schoolmaster, printer and more; but Rafeeq, Bilal's Muslim-activist older brother, opposes the endeavor. Rising tensions among groups that have mingled peacefully for centuries spill over, shaping the futures of adults and children. Bilal and his friends can't avert the coming violence and losses; their path has been set. More historical and cultural context would have been helpful, but the vivid setting, appealing characters, humor and pathos largely offset this debut's weaknesses. Master declines to shape his tale to fit the triumphalist hero's journey template; his heroes--stubbornly holding onto their ideals and high aspirations, even after they've been superseded by a shabbier reality--are on a different journey, every bit as riveting. A provocative exploration of a historical moment that resonates today. (historical note, maps) (Historical fiction. 11 & up)
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780807505977
  • Publisher: Whitman, Albert & Company
  • Publication date: 9/1/2012
  • Edition description: Reprint
  • Pages: 304
  • Sales rank: 685,719
  • Age range: 13 - 17 Years
  • Lexile: 790L (what's this?)
  • Product dimensions: 5.00 (w) x 7.80 (h) x 1.30 (d)

Meet the Author


Irfan Master is project manager of Reading the Game at the National Literacy Trust. His family is from Gujarat, India, where his debut novel is set. He lives in England.
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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 9, 2013

    Great book

    This is a great book. You should read this book. I recomend this book to people who like adventure.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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