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  • The Book of Everlasting Things

  • A Novel
  • Written by: Aanchal Malhotra
  • Narrated by: Deepti Gupta
  • Length: 17 hrs and 22 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (4 ratings)

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The Book of Everlasting Things

Written by: Aanchal Malhotra
Narrated by: Deepti Gupta
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Publisher's Summary

FOR FANS OF ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE, A LUSH, SWEEPING LOVE STORY ABOUT A HINDU PERFUMER AND A MUSLIM CALLIGRAPHER, SET AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF PARTITION

"Narrator Deepti Gupta captures the deep emotional connection between the two young people, making listeners feel hopeful that, in some way, Samir and Firdaus will find a way to be together. As listeners follow the pair through the decades and see the long-term effects of the partition, Gupta's performance complements this sweeping story, dazzling with every new chapter and plot twist." - AudioFile Magazine (Earphones Award Winner)

"The excellent audio production uses Indian music to open and close the epic, and narrator Deepti Gupta speaks with a lovely Indian accent that listeners will acclimate to easily." -
Library Journal

On a January morning in 1938, Samir Vij first locks eyes with Firdaus Khan through the rows of perfume bottles in his family’s ittar shop in Lahore. Over the years that follow, the perfumer’s apprentice and calligrapher’s apprentice fall in love with their ancient crafts and with each other, dreaming of the life they will one day share. But as the struggle for Indian independence gathers force, their beloved city is ravaged by Partition. Suddenly, they find themselves on opposite sides: Samir, a Hindu, becomes Indian and Firdaus, a Muslim, becomes Pakistani, their love now forbidden. Severed from one another, Samir and Firdaus make a series of fateful decisions that will change the course of their lives forever. As their paths spiral away from each other, they must each decide how much of the past they are willing to let go, and what it will cost them.

Lush, sensuous, and deeply romantic, The Book of Everlasting Things is the story of two lovers and two nations, split apart by forces beyond their control, yet bound by love and memory. Filled with exquisite descriptions of perfume and calligraphy, spanning continents and generations, Aanchal Malhotra’s debut novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books.

©2022 Aanchal Malhotra (P)2022 Macmillan Audio

What the critics say

“Mesmerizing…At the heart of Malhotra’s sweeping debut novel is an indelible love story…A transcendent study of the blurring of personal and political, as ordinary people deal with catastrophic historical events.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A long and luxurious tale of love, loss, memory, and place, told against a backdrop of tumultuous historical events…It will be difficult indeed to forget this exquisite story.” Library Journal (starred review)

"At once sweeping and intimate. With gorgeous prose and careful research, Malhotra brings to life a world rich with Indian perfumery, Urdu calligraphy, and a romance that defies time and space. A stunning book that reminds you of what it is to fall in love." —Jenny Tinghui Zhang, author of Four Treasures of the Sky

What listeners say about The Book of Everlasting Things

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So much revealed without visuals and calling upon your imagination and nose!!!!!

This deeply visceral connected story was a delight to the senses as it moves through generations, continents and passage of time. It effortlessly wove a tale of joy, pain and love that brakes generational and racial boundaries without cliche.

The narration was both ethnically and contemporarily seamless w/ strong a believable character traits. I loved her voice and use of native tongue when called for.

Appropriate for all ages and a fantastic historical account of being personal and human without the pomp and glorification of the past.

A delight to the senses!!!

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