The Dark Side of the Moon is an epic historical fiction novel following multiple generations of the Chaddha family as they are impacted by historical and social events such as the partition of India and the assassination of India’s prime minister, as well as race riots, misogyny, and injustice. Anju Kanwar’s prose is beautiful as she draws readers along in a journey that crosses generations and key moments in history. The novel has a strong sense of place and New Delhi, the nerve center and capital of the country, comes alive with its sights, sounds, smells. As a reader having grown up in this city, it was especially meaningful to see Delhi come alive through the powerful recreation of the city and the role it plays in the politics of India at critical moments of history. Through the voices of her characters and their stories, Kanwar creates unique and memorable characters. Her evocation of childhood is beautifully done. “Hearing” the children talk as children do makes it easy to visualize them playing their games, engaging in sibling rivalry, and being scared by the ghosts that reflect the power of childhood imagination.
Kanwar describes complex behaviors and emotions and through her characters, we’re faced with satirical as well as earnest examinations of national political issues, what it means to be human, how we define ourselves, and what it means to be in love. Though set in a certain period of history and place, the issues faced are in fact especially timely for us today around the world: social upheaval and strife, the impact of events on our mental health and sense of self, and the injustice and corruption that have to be navigated to sometimes get resolution and move forward. Through Amrita, as well as the other characters, we see the strength of human resilience, what it means to overcome, and the strength as well as compassion we need to not live life with a “hard hat around our heart.”
I highly recommend this novel to not just those interested in South Asia or India, but to anyone interested in exploring timeless questions regarding the human experience told through characters that are highly relatable and beautifully rendered.
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