Pippa Virdee must be commended for handling the topic of 1947 partition of Punjab in a very objective and detailed manner. The book touches upon many underlying themes, some that we find elsewhere as well as a few that are not much written about. These include the migrations across both sides of the border, human tragedy as well as the compassion, abductions of women & children, Lyallpur & Ludhiana district and cities etc.
The text is interspersed with quotes & translations of notable Punjabi poets & other writings on 1947 including but not limited to Ustad Daman, Amrita Pretam, Ahmed Rahi, Saadat Hasan Manto and Bapsi Sidhwa.
I found the detailed comparison of Lyallpur & Ludhiana as an interesting aspect as it touched upon a seldom discussed aspect of dual migration. People who had left central Punjab or other areas for Canal Colonies, had to migrate after just 4-6 decades back to their original areas. And this may also explain the pain of leaving behind lands that they or their previous generations had started cultivating through immense hard work.
Addition of personal accounts from a number of people across religious and gender divide helps one understand the topic at a human level. This, couples with extensive references, makes this a very good and authentic work.
All in all, a must read for anyone interested to understand the tragedy Punjabis went through in 1947 in the form of mass migrations and bloodshed. ( )