This was a fascinating account of empire and partition in India blending together the personal with the (inter)national. I particularly enjoyed the sections which described the life and love stories of Husain’s grandparents but also found the sections about Indian and Pakistani history very informative without being dry. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in the history of these two nations or who is looking for a captivating family memoir.

Broken Threads by Mishal Husain is a poignant and deeply engaging exploration of identity, resilience, and the complexity of human experience. With her sharp journalistic insight, Husain weaves personal stories with broader socio-political themes, touching on subjects like heritage, migration, and belonging. Her writing is both eloquent and accessible, making the book a thoughtful reflection on the intersections of culture and self.

What stands out most is Husain’s ability to connect individual experiences to global narratives, offering readers a rich perspective on what it means to navigate multiple identities in today's world. _Broken Threads_ is a powerful and inspirational read, full of heart and wisdom.

My parents came from India to Britain in the seventies. They had my sister in the mid-eighties and myself in mid-nineties. We all love this country and my sister and I are so grateful that my parents chose to make the UK our home. I was born in Milton Keynes, I live in London, and I have never wanted to leave.

Partition wasn't something we spoke about at all growing up. If you'd asked me about it in my childhood or even teens, probably the only thing I could associate with it was Gandhi. I was into my twenties by the time I grew interested in my family's history and dove deep into the incredibly bloody history of Partition.

Mishal Hussain has done something wonderful - not only has she told the deeply personal history of her family, but she has told the history of a sub-continent. It reminds me greatly of Anita Anand's 'The Patient Assassin' and its incredible breakdown of the The Jallianwala Bagh massacre, also known as the Amritsar massacre.

These are not easy parts of history to read about but they are also essential. People have many different reasons as to why it's important to teach children about history at all. In my opinion, history is important because it helps us to understand how the world is today, and it is important that we can acknowledge its darkest moments, even when they are difficult.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and and 4th Estate for the ARC!

Broken Threads is a deeply personal and evocative account of a family's journey through the tumultuous period of India's partition, as told by Mishal Hussain. Drawing from rich family archives, Hussain weaves together the stories of her paternal grandparents, Mumtaz and Mary, and her maternal grandparents, Shahid and Tahirah. Set against the backdrop of the British Raj and the subsequent creation of Pakistan, the narrative explores how these events shaped and transformed their lives.

While the book touches on the historical, political, and societal contexts of the time, it remains primarily a heartfelt family story. Hussain offers a vivid portrayal of daily life, traditions, and the emotional landscapes her ancestors navigated as they were directly impacted by the monumental changes occurring around them. Broken Threads is not merely a historical account; it’s an intimate reflection on heritage, identity, and the enduring ties that bind families through generations.

This is a touching and very personal account of the events surrounding the partition of India in 1947, exploring the years before and after that cataclysmic movement involving an estimated 10 million people crossing bloodied borders as the nations of modern-day India and Pakistan were created.

Through the stories of her two sets of grandparents - featuring interfaith marriages and shotgun weddings - Mishal Husain offers her empathetic and insightful observations, giving us a unique perspective on an otherwise well- documented period in history.

This one is well worth a read even if you are already familiar with stories of Partition - and it's a great start if you aren't. An easy 3.5 stars!

Broken Threads is a heartbeat within a book. Mishal Hussain has delved into the history of her family, against the narrative of partition of India. Referencing invaluable family archives, Mishal Hussain tells the story of her paternal grandparents, Mumtaz and Mary and maternal grandparents, Shahid and Tahirah and how they were brought up during the reign of the British Raj, and how the family grew and prospered, how talks of the partition started and developed, how closely her grandparents were both impacted and also involved with the key players connected with discussions at the time, and ultimately how life changed for them all with independence and the creation of Pakistan. Although the timeline does touch upon the historical, political and societal climates of the time, this is not an academic read but a family account, real and telling in the day to day of how the author's family routine, practices, sensibilities and lifestyles during this era.

There was so much education offered by this book, and it is truly fascinating; very reminiscent of an older generation sharing stories of their own childhoods with younger members of the family and passing the knowledge down the generations through the art of storytelling, the trials of work, with Mumtaz establishing himself within the military, Shahid attends medical school to become a doctor and how that looked back in the day. Some aspects made you realise how societal taboos have withstood the passage of time, for example, using Mumtaz's diaries and Mary's recorded tapes, Mishal Hussain is able to share how Mumtaz's family were unable to accept his marriage for many years. Later, Mary shares her own view on the Partition, how the government at the time had failed to deal with it with the sensibility and gravity that a colonial power should have, letting personal opinions and other impractical factors weigh heavy - when the impact was deeply felt by generations and has burdened history with statistics that still inflict pain today. There have been many texts to cover Partition but none present the account that Broken Thread has offered. I had no idea that many people had thought the move to either India/Pakistan and vice versa was to be temporary which is shocking given the level of displacement. Also, the fact that some families continued to visit each other across borders post partition, how that looked, before visas were introduced to formalise the process (and make it more bureaucratic).

A truly insightful, deeply moving book which needs to be read by everyone. I feel Mishal Hussain has offered a piece of her heart with this one. Thank you Fourth Estate Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest unedited review.

I like Mishal Husain's empathic manner when reading the news and interviewing so I was intrigued to learn more about her personal history. This is a beautifully written book about one of the largest population movements in recorded human history with an estimated 10m people moving borders after the Partition of India and the creation of Pakistan. It is against this backdrop that Husain's family history comes to life. It is deeply empathic and interesting story of the impact of Partition on her family across generations. I recommend it to anyone.

I have never read or understood about the history of India or the events of partition. This book has been a revelation as to what happened at the time. Mishal has written a very captivating book, and conducted incredible research.

A fascinating account of the partition of India told through the story of the author's family.
The book graphically illustrates the issues involved during Indian independence and how people's lives were radically changed by the creation of Pakistan as a separate state.
The prose was a little disjointed in places, but it was still and enjoyable read.

'Broken Threads' is a remarkable family saga woven through the tumultuous fabric of India’s bloody partition and Pakistan’s birth. An incredible chronicle, where a mixed marriage and a shotgun wedding defy the constraints of their era, all meticulously researched and compellingly narrated. This literary tapestry, spun by Mishal Husain, invites readers into a world both familiar and fantastical—a wonderful read indeed. Special thank you to 4th Estate and William Collins and NetGalley for a no obligation advance digital review copy.

Family biography opening out into wider contexts

I thought this would be an interesting and informative read because Mishal Husain, one of the regular presenters of Radio 4’s Today, is an interesting, clear and incisive interviewer, who doesn’t let obfuscating politicians get away with their meaningless blah blah, and does this in a way which is not full of aggressive interviewing blah blah, either.

And I was right. Her examination of her own family history , where grandparents and previous generations were Indian, of course encompasses the history of empire. Husain does not shy away from the things that empire builders would prefer to brush under the carpet, nor does she damn all those who administered empire. There were administrators who were respectful of other cultures, as well as those who clearly were not.

This account, also of course covers Partition, something which was handled badly, rushed through, and created many of the conflicts and unhealed wounds of our current history. Partition, handled in the way it was inevitably led to bloodshed and displacement as peoples who had lived for generations in one part or the other of the Indian sub-continent were forced to flee, or were wisest to make the decision to move, to either become residents of India or of Pakistan, depending on their religion.

I appreciated Mishal Husains dispassionate observations, whilst recounting horrific history, callous and incompetent decisions which lacked imagination, without demonising one group of people with their own agendas over another group of people with theirs. Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs were all served badly. Colonialism and the building of Empire still leaves its unpleasant taste.

Broken Threads.

This is a story of more than the Indian partition and the heartbreak all around. I'd say the author is one of the fortunate ones who was able to make this journey, this retracing the footsteps of her grandparents who were part of a time which led to this epic chapter of our history.

The political events and the lives of the author's grandparents present a fresh perspective of how things progressed from their birth, prior it and till the time they crossed borders to set up their homes first in the newly formed Pakistan and them the UK.

If you are looking to understand how the events came to be, how the people working with the British lived, felt and saw the freedom struggle, pick up this book. I was quite surprised, overwhelmed and enlightened too with the events and POV's presented in this book.

This is a well written and interesting account of Mishal Husain's family and the world they inhabited. She is an excellent journalist and so of course she knows how to keep a narrative interesting, how to make it accessible for people like me who do not come to the book with a lot of background knowledge, and how to keep the pages turning. Because the book is so readable I would recommend it to readers who might not normally be interested in the history of the partition of India. It is a great family saga which I think will introduce the subject to a much wider audience.

A very interesting, informative and personal memoir from the BBC's Mishal Hussain. I was intrigued by this book simply because it was personal. I've read history books and watched many programmes about India and Partition over the years but this is the first time I've read a book about (not quite) ordinary people caught up in history.

Mishal Hussain's family has an illustrious history; various members of her family coming into direct contact with the major players of Partition including Jinnah, Nehru Auchinleck and Mountbatten amongst others. This personal look at her family's history goes back further than even she expected to delve but with all history, you need context.

I found the book absolutely fascinating. I am somewhat clueless about Pakistan's history up to and including how it got its name. With personal accounts of their lives before, during and after Partition, Mishal Hussain's family give an account that is easy to follow. The photographs and letters are fascinating and I'd highly recommend this book.

Thankyou to Netgalley and 4th Estate/William Collins for the advance review copy.

A blockbuster of a book, packed full with historical events and the author’s family background. Historical novels are generally not my choice, but the subject matter of the political situation in India in the 1940s, giving rise to the Partition was a great attraction. I found at times the reading a little heavy-going because of the complexities of the subject (not being an academic), but I certainly got thrust of this period of Indian and Pakistani culture and history. I can only imagine the weeks and months Mischal spent researching and her dedication to this task has paid dividends to bring this important part of history to the table.Perhaps this book also raises a considerable number of questions regarding the part played by British politicians. A second reading is definitely needed.

My thanks to NetGalley and publishers for this ARC . The views expressed in this review are solely mine.

I'm a great admirer of Mishal Husain when she is on the radio or television and this insight in to her family background against the wider history of India pre partition and then India/Pakistan post 1947.
What made this all the more interesting was that this was completely from the Muslim view point and so made a complete narrative rather than flipping from side to side and losing momentum.

Reading this coincided with my doing some work/research into the British Army during the twentieth century so this dovetailed nicely.

The story is shocking at times, all the more so because Husain's family was in a more privileged position than most but regardless the intergenerational pain comes though well, as does the sadness at the way things progressed, especially with the stopping of displaced people from seeing their homes again.

A beautifully written book that pays respect to Husain's family and also to the history of the period covered.

This book is enthralling. I was a little hesitant that it may be over my head, but found it was simply an enjoyable, story - about a family in tumultuous times.
The author's grandparents were both Indian but by the end one had been made Pakistani.
Before the horror of Partition there had been years of peaceful plans and strategies to create a safe homeland for the different religions, although throughout the unrest there had still been compassionate people who lived amicably with neighbours of different faiths.
This seems particularly sad that after so many years of hope Lord Mountbattern was to rush through his unwanted job and leave the country in such a mess. Very much the Prince Andrew of that generation.
Quite apart from world events is the fascinating story of a girl who was part Irish and who fell in love with a muslim man and on the other side, a man who avoided his arranged marriage and kept his word to his very tolerant fiance.
Luckily for the reader these people were at the heart of the momentous events as they happened.
I was shocked to find that racial segregation existed within India. As a newly qualified doctor one of the author's grandfather's is surprised to find he is able to ignore the racist signage for the first time and enter theough a door previously not accessible to him.
It is this mix of family struggle interwoven with international events that makes this book so gripping