Ancestral Affair by Keki N Daruwala

It is 1947 and Saam Bharucha, a Parsee, is in Junagadh as legal adviser to the nawab to help steer the state through the tricky path of accession to either India or Pakistan. As he struggles with the morality of eating the nawab's salt while opposing his wishes to join Pakistan, his life changes dramatically. Away from his wife Zarine, he has an affair with Claire, a British lady, which ends his marriage and creates a rift with his son, Rohinton. Growing up in newly independent India, Rohinton, too, has his share of drama. Expelled from medical school, sued for libel and given a hard time by the beautiful Feroza, his life plays out as a tragicomic counterpart to his father's. Drawing on real-life characters and events, Ancestral Affairs is a family saga with a grand sweep - from the opium wars to the freedom struggle to the Partition of the subcontinent. Seldom have the events of 1947, and their fallout, been described in such humane detail and with such droll humour in Indian fiction.

I picked up this beaut from @kitabkhanabooks (an unparelleled legend of a bookstore) - I’ll be honest, I judged this one by its cover (it’s a hardbound brown inked with silver!). I’ve always been a fan of history, especially of royal families and this has both! It’s based in pre-Independence India. Hindustan is on the verge of freedom and the royal families are torn in the partition. There are 2 main characters - a father and a son, and the narrative switches between their timelines. Saam Bharucha is a lawyer who is sent to Junagadh to convince the Nawab to accede his state to India, it being a Muslim majority kingdom in the middle of a Hindu majority state. As Saam navigates the opulent Nawab and his lifestyle, we get a glimpse of the unique perspective that existed with our country being free - many royal families/ monarchs would rather give up freedom of the country rather than give up their perks. Saam, while residing in Junagadh, falls for an English widow and divorces his wife, alienating himself from his son Rohinton. Rohinton, in turn, grows up to attend medical college where he falls for a young Parsee woman. But all falls through, when he is expelled from college after his negligence, which results in his best friend’s death. The book navigates the Bharucha’s family history, spilling secrets and creating a beautiful picture of an imperfect but loving family.

But my favourite part of the book is the brilliant use of Gujarati. Not only is it weaved into the language flawlessly, but is used to comedic effect PERFECTLY. As a Gujarati, I laughed throughout many hilarious rants in Gujarati that never seemed out of place in a majorly English novel.

All in all, definitely recommended, especially if you love genealogy, history and royalty!