- Paperback: 368 pages
- Publisher: Penguin (7 Jun 2007)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0141025816
- ISBN-13: 978-0141025810
- Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 2.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 798,256 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The End of Innocence
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More About the Author
Product Description
From the Back Cover
`Mohsin uses words like a palette to paint a vivid picture of
the country she grew up in...this is a beautifully written work which
promises to be a real success.' Big Issue
the country she grew up in...this is a beautifully written work which
promises to be a real success.' Big Issue
`An enjoyable polyphony of characters ... an assured, emotionally engaging
novel' Literary Review
`Eager, warm-hearted and bright ... moving and compulsively readable' Irish
Examiner
`Accomplished and moving ... deals not only with the aftermath of a
dangerous love, but with its effects on an entire community' Independent
`Mohsin cleverly dissects the complex anatomy of this gossipy, tightknit
community' Guardian
About the Author
Moni Mohsin was born and raised in Pakistan. She lives in London with her husband and two children
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
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First Sentence
Perched on the edge of a car seat, Rani and Laila hurtled towards a love story. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Perched on the edge of a car seat, Rani and Laila hurtled towards a love story. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The End of Innocence is a captivating coming-of-age tale set in 1970s Pakistan, where worlds collide and things fall apart.
The story unfolds with Rani, a young and beautiful servant, who innocently seeks romance and adventure in a culture bound by honour and tradition. But tension mounts as the complexities of real life overtake Rani and her eager and privileged sidekick Laila, both floundering in unfamiliar territory.
Peopled by characters so sharply drawn that you recoil from Sister Clementine's breath, feel the crispness of Tariq's starched shirt and sink into the pillowy folds of Sardar Begum's belly, this book is delightfully rich and funny.
But at the same time, and with elegant ease, Moni Mohsin shows how the darker side of social conformity, politics and religion challenge even the powerful and liberal, with long term fallout.
A wonderful debut.
The story unfolds with Rani, a young and beautiful servant, who innocently seeks romance and adventure in a culture bound by honour and tradition. But tension mounts as the complexities of real life overtake Rani and her eager and privileged sidekick Laila, both floundering in unfamiliar territory.
Peopled by characters so sharply drawn that you recoil from Sister Clementine's breath, feel the crispness of Tariq's starched shirt and sink into the pillowy folds of Sardar Begum's belly, this book is delightfully rich and funny.
But at the same time, and with elegant ease, Moni Mohsin shows how the darker side of social conformity, politics and religion challenge even the powerful and liberal, with long term fallout.
A wonderful debut.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Both beautifully written and suspenseful, this touching first novel had me hooked from page one. Although easily read in one sitting, the story stayed with me for days afterwards, haunting me with its beauty, eloquence, and tragic sadness. Mohsin has a real talent for creating memorable characters that burst to life through the pages, from the severe, demanding grandmother to the honourable father to the bubbly, romantic best friend who, as the granddaughter of a family servant, also provides us with a snapshot of the prevailing class issues of Pakistan at the time of the civil war. But it is through Laila, the main character of the novel, that one truly experiences the drama and excitement. Mohsin expertly draws the reader into the mind of a nine year-old child, which is no small feat--Laila's innocence and naivite are wholly believable, and one feels instantly attached to her and invested in her troubles. When I finished the book, tears in my eyes, I could not stop thinking about Laila in the midst of that privileged life in Pakistan, yearning to feel loved and involved and important, a desire so great that it inadvertently lead her to unleash a disaster. Moni Mohsin truly has a magical touch--I can't wait for her next novel!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Pakistan is not somewhere I have thought about much before, but Ms Mohsin's book is very provocative - a coming of age novel novel which enlightens about the 'civil' war which ended the strange existence of an West and East Pakistan, divided by thousands of miles of India (courtesy of the British partition), highlights the anipathy between India and Pakistan and also puts the tension between the traditional pakistan and the modernisers into context. The main character is a young girl, persuasively drawn by the author, who is sucked into a secret and ends up playing a role in a tragic event. The adults and the children are all fleshed out, with each given realistic flesh and feelings. The book is very enjoyable, and as Ms Mohsin is a new author this bodes well for other books from the same source. Some of the scenes are wonderful - such as the first visit to the cinema of the grandmother, and the care which is lavished on her and her party. She has written a well-crafted and interesting book which will be of interest to all types, including book clubs.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Powerful Story
Moni Mohsin's "The End of Innocence" is a beautiful story of friendship between a young 9 year old "Laila" and the family servants granddaughter "Rani" set against the backdrop of... Read more
Published on 21 Dec 2008 by AD
an easy read
This book was ok but took a while to get into. The story and characters lacked depth. It was an easy read.
Published on 7 Dec 2008 by Ms. A. Hamid
Wonderful
I thought the book was very interesting especially for me coming from the sub continent but on the other side of the fence to speak - it gave you a wonderful insight of life in... Read more
Published on 6 Dec 2006 by Mrs. G. K. Lloyd
Not the best...
This book is seen through the eyes of a nine year old who is spending her holiday in a sleepy Pakistani village whilst civil war is rife miles and miles away in East Pakistan. Read more
Published on 23 July 2006 by Clear Smith
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