On the Shelf: Bone & Bread

BONE & BREAD | SALEEMA NAWAZ | HOUSE OF ANANSI PRESS | APRIL 2013

Beena and Sadhana are sisters who share a bond that could only have been shaped by the most unusual of childhoods -- and by shared tragedy. Orphaned as teenagers, they have grown up under the exasperated watch of their Sikh uncle, who runs a bagel shop in Montreal's Hasidic community of Mile End. Together, they try to make sense of the rich, confusing brew of values, rituals, and beliefs that form their inheritance. Yet as they grow towards adulthood, their paths begin to diverge. Beena catches the attention of one of the "bagel boys" and finds herself pregnant at sixteen, while Sadhana drives herself to perfectionism and anorexia.

I picked up a copy of Bone & Bread because I knew that Saleema Nawaz would be attending the Ottawa Writers Festival and I wanted to be familiar with her work before the night of her panel. This story was a pleasant surprise and it somehow made the connection inherent to sisterhood a topic close to my heart - even though I'm an only child.

Bone & Bread tells the story of Beena and Sadhana - how they cope with life-altering situations, how they grow apart, and how they remain inevitably connected through it all. The "present day" narrative allowed me to connect with Beena, whereas the flashbacks had my heart breaking for Sadhana. It's a complex, literary novel that explores the intricate relationship involved in "family."

I was drawn to the characters more than the story (not that the story disappointed in any way). The two sisters were so realistic that it wasn't like reading a novel at all. You really get to know and understand them. The panel that Saleema Nawaz was a part of at the Ottawa Writers Festival was based on the discussion of family. Nawaz mentioned then - and there is a particularly strong line in the book as well - that perhaps it is being too close with someone that separates us from one another? This happens to the two main characters. It's almost as though they love each other too much for things to go smoothly. But isn't that the case for every family?

The novel is sensitive and honest, bringing to light the harsh realities that go along with two teenage afflictions: pregnancy and anorexia. Bone & Bread is a beautiful debut novel from Saleema Nawaz and I can't wait to read another.