Cracking India Summary

Cracking India Overview

This novel, written by Bapsi Sidwa, tells the story of India’s independence from the British and the creation of Pakistan during the 1940’s. The story is told from the perspective of Lenny, a young girl growing up in Lahore and recovering from polio. Although Lenny is from an upper class Parsee household, the family’s neighbors, friends, and household help are Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians. As the Indian Partition occurs, Lenny must make sense of her new world, in which Lahore is now Pakistan and both Muslims and Hindus face acts of incredible violence. This novel tackles themes of religious intolerance, childhood, violence, nationalism, sexuality and sexual exploitation.