Terrific tale about a mother’s aching heart!
- Book: The Separation
- Location: Malaysia (Malaya)
- Author: Dinah Jefferies
Malayan Emergency, the year is 1955, which is when the Malayan guerrilla war was being fought for an Anti-British government in Malaya. The period of Insurgency has occurred just after the Japanese troops left the country followed by Malayan economic disruption. The war is at its full form, and the red-headed Europeans were treated with disrespect.
A woman named Lydia Cartwright who found herself searching for her two young daughters amidst of deadly war and terrorism, murder, lies, and deceit. A wild goose chase for a ray of hope in the Malayan jungles, Lydia’s life had never had been so terrorizing and so on the edge. A mother’s painful journey of searching her daughters among pain and bloodshed and uncovering so many hidden puzzle pieces , mysteries and secrets, in the way letting her guard down for more than one time.
The Separation by Dinah Jefferies is an enriching and soul-touching story that is bound to be etched on to your hearts for a very long time.
I loved every bit of it and every piece of it. On the opening scene of the book, we see that Emma is playing with her younger sister, Fleur on their Malayan country home and then all of a sudden, their dad, Alec is asking them to pack off all their belongings hastily and all the while, Emma was asking what about their mother, Lydia, will she come with them, how will she know that they have left the house, worrying badly about her. When Lydia returns to the empty house, she meets Maznan, a young half-Chinese boy, who has to be rescued to be taken back into the jungle to his mother. And thus Lydia embarks upon a journey to save another mother’s child and of her own daughters. From terrorist attacks to ambush to getting lost in a deep dark jungle which leads to uncertainty, how much pain can a mother take for the sake of her own daughters?
The Separation is a gorgeously-written and suspenseful tale about the pull between a mother and a daughter’s love and individual freedom, Lydia finding hers among Jack and Adil and Emma finding hers with a boy named Billy and among her fictional stories.
The author has a deep psychological grip on her characters, which are portrayed as versatile, flawed and sympathetic human beings, all achingly vulnerable, all wracked by fear, need and guilt.
Lydia, a perfect mother, always kept her daughters locket and the lizard earrings of her own mysterious mother as a lucky charm, has been a victim of lies and deceit. From getting torn apart from the world’s most purest form of love to forcing to believe her children’s death, a brave and fearless woman who is an epitome to the all the mothers of the world who teaches us that how to not lose hope and trust.
Emma, the most lovable and favorite character of this book, sweet and innocent, inevitably attached to her mother, from being a victim of sexual harassment to lies and torment of her own soul, a little girl, who believed in her heart that she will one day find her mother.
The characters are bound to draw a mark upon your mind. The emotions run deep and rich with pain and love and hope, and with every feeling of Lydia and Emma, you might find yourself, rooting for these two characters. Tears welled in my eyes in the climax scene and beautiful words and feelings of Emma, make it look all more delectable and emotional.
Honestly, I never wanted this book to finish, but after their separation, I so wanted Lydia to find Emma, to hold her, caress her and love and protect her from those vile, evil men. And I’m sure, like me, you too might lose yourself in this enthralling and heart-warming tale of a mother and daughter’s inevitable bond.
P.S. You will get a mesmerizing and something serene feeling when you look at that beautiful cover. And I wish, I could have given more than 5 stars to this book.
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