Difficult Daughters

Set during the tumult of the 1947 Partition, Manju Kapur's debut novel follows Virmati, a young woman from Amritsar, as she navigates love, family, and personal identity amidst societal upheaval. Narrated by Virmati and her daughter Ida, the story explores themes of motherhood, desire, and self-discovery within a changing India. Awarded the 1999 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for best first book, the novel offers a compelling and nuanced portrait of personal and national transformation.