The Line They Drew Through Us Book Review -A Powerful Story of Friendship & Partition

What is The Line They Drew Through us by Hiba Noor Khan About?

The Line they Drew Through Us by Hiba Noor Khan is a powerful and emotional story set during the Partition of India. It’s a story of three friends from different religions whose bond is tested by violence, partition, and history.

Discover our Review and Summary of The Line They Drew Through us by Hiba Noor Khan

When victory quickly unravels into violence and riots, Lakshmi, Jahan, and Ravi must fight for their friendship.

In a faraway magical place, unknown to many, lies a small village in pre-independence India. Right in the centre of the village stands a massive banyan tree that holds all its inhabitants’ names on its leaves.

Three children of different religions are born on the same day, after a difficult and long labour – Lakshmi (an affectionate nickname given by the village to her), Ravi and Jahan. Born under British rule, they grew up to be best friends. All three of them are passionate about education, adventure and sports.

Fun, games, treats, and spices fill their growing-up years. As time passes, the trio are almost twelve. Around the same time, rumours begin to spread of the British leaving India. Their lives are about to change forever as Independence is announced.

Celebration after celebration takes place as the summer break is filled with joy and happiness. However, school will soon start again, and the children begin packing with excitement. They can’t wait to see their uncles and aunties again.

 Once back to school in Lahore, Jahan finds that his bully, Manraj, has not backed down, but instead escalated from name-calling and ridicule to violence. When things start to get even more extreme at school, the three decide to investigate. What they discover is shocking -they are mixed up with a criminal gang of Muslim haters. Can the three friends find out what the gang is planning before it’s too late and keep their friendship together through the partition?

My favourite character is Dada because he loves all religions, as he sees a divine power in them, and he reads from The Holy Quran every day. Apart from religion, he also enjoys spending time with his family and friends.

My favourite part of the book is when there is a pre-wedding festival in the village for Lakshmi’s cousin. The author beautifully describes all the different spices, smells, and tastes. The descriptions made my mouth water!

Is The Line They Drew Through us Worth Reading?

I loved reading this book as it educated me not only about the partition of India, but also how it affected families and friendships. When I first started reading this book, I thought the language wasn’t very advanced, but as I continued, I found myself noticing great vocabulary and descriptions.

The Line They Drew Between Us is a brilliant book that portrays friendship with an everlasting bond and shows what it feels like to be torn apart. I rate this book a 5 out of 5 and recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, friendship, and adventure.

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