Advance Praise for Hymns in Blood

‘Nanak Singh has long held a prominent place in the history of the Punjabi novel; the ink in his pen is propelled by Punjabiyat—that extraordinary shared identity, defying religion and binding this side to that, refusing to be severed by the border that now runs through Punjab. Hymns in Blood may be a work of fiction, but it is also a record of Singh’s memory, his eyewitness account, a story inspired by people he knows and loves, a traumatic history that he has survived. And though it is a novel about the partitioning of land, it is equally about the significance of friendship and community, love and sacrifice. Sensitive and rich, it embodies the spirit of undivided Punjab, and seventy-five years on, serves not only as historical narrative, but also as a timely reminder of the consequences of manmade divisions. Navdeep Suri’s translation of his grandfather’s oeuvre celebrates the particular parlance and intentional cadence of the age that Nanak Singh wrote in and of.’

—Aanchal Malhotra, author of Remnants of a Separation: A History of the Partition through Material Memory

‘Suri’s translation of Singh’s stunning classic is a breath of fresh air. In an era of great political upheaval, where violence, love, and steadfast loyalty co-exist, Singh captures the unbreakable bonds of an interfaith chosen family, and the power and grace of humanity. The world has never needed this luminous novel more.’

—Anjali Enjeti, author of The Parted Earth

‘Heartbreaking and poignant, Nanak Singh’s deeply felt novel, written in the immediate aftermath of the Partition of 1947 carries the raw stamp of an intensely felt and lived tragedy which broke apart not only two countries but also hearts, relationships, friendships, homes and trust. In these difficult times it serves as a stark reminder not only of what we have lost, but also what we lived through and what gave us hope.’

—Urvashi Butalia, author of The Other Side of Silence: Voices from the Partition of India