The Miraculous True History of Nomi Ali

Uzma Aslam Khan

Uzma Aslam Khan’s historical novel is set in the Andaman islands in the mid-twentieth century, when it functioned as penal colony for prisoners of the British empire. It follows two siblings, whose father is sent to the islands as a convict, and chronicles the upheaval in their lives when Japanese forces occupy the island. The novel, which is partly based on real stories that Khan excavated, also explores the lives of women prisoners on the island.

Context, 380 pages, Rs 699