This book was incredible. It takes a really special writer to be able to cover almost 100 years, 9 perspectives, and 4 countries, and make it feel cohesive and flowing — but that’s what Janika Oza has done here, and in her DEBUT novel, no less!

It follows Pirbhai, an Indian boy taken from his home to build railroads in Africa for British settlers, and the family he builds. Four generations of the family face down poverty, persecution, and genocide — and time and time again, they rebuild.

It did take me a couple chapters to sink into this story — there are years-long gaps between each character’s sections, which was a little jarring right at the start. But when you catch the rhythm of it, the style is really powerful. I loved how it felt like both one long narrative across decades, but also a series of vignettes, snapshots into this family’s relationships and realities.

In the end, it’s all about the choices we make and how they set the direction of our family’s future — and how those future generations have choices of their own, to either mirror their parents’ priorities and dreams, or fly in the face of tradition and chart a different course. It’s an absolutely gorgeous story about a family protecting, abandoning, loving, directing, understanding (and misunderstanding), and most of all, forgiving one another. Cannot recommend it enough!

Thanks to Janika Oza, Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review. A History of Burning is available May 2!

A generational saga that starts when a poor, hungry Indian boy unknowingly agrees to be an indentured servant in Uganda and spans through Uganda's freedom from colonialism and its expulsion of its Asian population.

"A History of Burning" by Janika Oza is an absolutely brilliant debut! Indeed, it is so well-crafted I have difficulty believing that is is a debut. Spanning multiple generations, four continents, and almost 100 years, this beautiful but heartbreaking novel follows an Indian family yearning for a place to belong in a world that doesn't seem to want them, against a backdrop of historical events about which most Americans know little. I became invested in the characters from the very first page. This book is an achingly intimate portrayal of the hardship real people endured under British colonial rule, the Partition and independence of India, the dictatorship of Idi Amin in Uganda, and resettlement in western nations with antiimmigrant sentiment. This is not a feel-good read; the author does not sugarcoat or shy away from painful topics. This novel does not whitewash history and plainly shows the ugliness, pain, and destruction caused by colonialism and its aftermath. This is not a novel I will soon forget and it is both entertaining and educational. It is not a book that can be read quickly or superficially-there is a lot to unpack and savor in this incredible book. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy thought-provoking reads with substance, historical fiction, and generational sagas.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and author Janika Oza for the privilege of reading an advanced copy of this enthralling book, in exchange for my honest review.

This was one of my favorite books to come out this year. A family saga shaped by abuses of power, economic status, and a socio-political history of colonial and post-colonial Uganda, this novel soars above other recent family sagas in its full realization of characters in each generation.

Oza's way of providing historical context through the lives and experiences of Pirbhai and his descendants was graceful and emotionally resonant. From before the novel's very first burning, the way an imposed separation turns into rigid social stratification becomes painfully clear. Through the characters' experiences, readers are able to see how there are no heroes or villains amongst people struggling to live and grow in a society that was designed on the backs of others. The social criticism interlaced throughout the story was brilliant.

But it is the characters' fullness that truly stands out. Watching each generation grow up, respond to their contemporary reality, and begin again in a new place, readers are able to see how one person is actually so many people over the course of a lifetime.

Though I was comparatively underwhelmed by the ending, wishing for clearer denouement as so many pieces of the story came to a head, I cannot recommend this book enough!

The book was boring to me and it was too long. I usually like books based in Asia/Africa, but this one didn't have much exciting events to keep reading on

Thanks very much to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC. This was a fantastic, engrossing historical epic that drew me in, especially with the beautiful, effective prose, from the first paragraph. I'll definitely look forward to future novels by this author.

4.5/5: I'm a huge fan of historical fiction and multi-generational family stories and South Asian representation in any form so it's probably no surprise to anyone that I was really intrigued by this book. We follow the story of Pirbhai, a young Indian boy, who gets scammed into traveling to Africa to work on the East African Railway in hopes of securing work to help out his ailing family. Pirbhai struggles to navigate being separated from his family and his culture, being in a foreign country and trying his hardest to survive.

At first, I was surprised by how bluntly the chapters end and how quickly we were jumping through time because in "Pachinko" (a personal favorite book of mine and an apt comparison in my opinion), the audience spent more time progressing along with the family and were able to experience day-to-day life with them. But I soon realized that the main strength of this book was Oza's ability to skillfully control how much she shared of the family's life in each chapter (which is separated by years and locations) and still have the audience understand all the nuances and be able to read between the lines and fully comprehend the depth and complexity of all the characters and their emotions. Instead of learning the daily workings of the family at that stage, you get a snapshot of their current situation - their emotions, the political climate, the family dynamic and such - and I think it makes this book more palatable to people who are easily bored by historical fiction.

Most importantly, this book was such a great introduction to the history of Indo-Ugandans, British colonialism in East Africa, and the political prosecution of Asians under Ugandan President Amin's rule. I was pretty ignorant to it and not only was I moved emotionally by the story itself, but I found myself doing research about the current state of affairs after finishing the book - that's the makings of great novel. I highly recommend picking this up if anything mentioned in this review speaks to you.

Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who enthusiastically devours multigenerational-spanning historical fiction whenever I get my hands on it, “A History of Burning” instantly proved to be right up my alley. I loved getting to know the family over the years as they navigated and endured an array of shifts and traumas. I also enjoyed the themes of resilience and starting over in a new land far from home that were deeply woven into the story’s fabric (and also admittedly found said themes to be quite heartbreaking at times as well).

Though I’ll be honest, I think what was truly my favorite part was the opportunity that “A History of Burning” gave me to learn a little about the experience of Indian immigrants in East Africa through the book’s cast. It’s a group whose story I had a very weak prior familiarity with, to put it kindly, and am now quite interested in - especially how they appear to have been impacted by the footprints of the British Empire on multiple complex levels not only across several generations, but numerous continents too.

I see this as a must-read for fans of books like Yaa Gyasi’s “Homegoing” or Min Jin Lee’s “Pachinko.” And I’ll be more than happy to do my part for said readers to try and get this title on display in the Popular Reads reads section of the academic library that I work at.

Janika Oza grabbed me from the start of this excellent novel about immigration and its effect on families for generations into the future. Pirbhai, a young boy from Gujarat, was tricked into boarding a ship headed for slave-like conditions working on a railroad in Uganda.

Pirbhai, his wife, and his children create a story that is a compelling read. My heart stayed with the family and the grandchildren as history unfolded and struck at their existence. I loved reading each character's inner thoughts and feelings as the story developed. JO clarified that the ordeal Pirbhai experienced impacted all his family members many years into the future. This family's story informs many of us descended from immigrants who fled poverty or prosecution. I can't recommend this exceptional novel enough. It is a must-read book for 2023.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

A staggering debut about family and home that spans decades and continents. A young man experiences an unexpected cleaving from his family, leading to more separations and, eventually, some reunions. Along the way, I learned much about what was happening in Asia and Africa in the 19th and 20th centuries. Unfortunately, the United States curriculum fails to discuss these things in any meaningful way or any way at all mostly.

Beginning in 1898 with a young boy, Pirbhai, being tricked into traveling from India to Africa to help build the East African Railway, this sweeping saga traces the story of four generations told in snapshots through the years. This family is representative of Asians settling in Uganda during British Colonial Rule and, following the country’s independence and ascendence of Idi Amin, their expulsion in 1972 and worldwide resettlement.

I wasn’t sure about this book. It did take me a few chapters to settle in, but once I did, I couldn’t put it down; I was totally captivated by it. Beautifully written, I learned a lot of history of which I was only vaguely aware. There is so much here, but it is not overwhelming. Well written, there is warmth, love, benevolence, brutality, resilience.

Whenever I read books that tell stories like this one, I am left aghast about how helpless the world is when confronting dictators, the inhumanity of mankind in how it often treats others and how unwilling some are to assist refugees. This book will stay in my head for a while.

This is an incredible work from a debut author.

A History of Burning is a beautiful story of family and hope, but the switching points of view became confusing throughout the 4 generations of family members featured and, while the wisdom shared was profound, it was an incredibly slow read.

This is quite the saga. The beginning could be a little slow to some but once you get into it and know the characters, it is easy to read. The characters will switch a lot in the beginning but it is not hard to keep them straight once you know them. I think this story is the true definition of a saga because it takes place over a long period of time but with one family and how they are affected.

A multi-generational epic, A History of Burning follows an Indian family from their arrival in Uganda in the early 1900s to their exile during Idi Amin’s regime and beyond. Shifting eras and perspectives with ease, it weaves a compelling tale of perseverance, family and the search for home.

I found it difficult to connect through the first third of the story simply because the time frame and characters were shifting so rapidly, it was hard to connect to any one person or storyline. As the story progressed and focused, I connected more, but I wish the pacing of the beginning would have been tighter so I could enjoy it more.

A History of Burning by Janina Oza was a poignant, family novel spanning several generations. It showcases the turmoil faced when a country’s people are forced to migrate around the world to find better lives and to escape poverty. In doing so, families are defined and re-defined as presented in this intense story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

Oza's "A History of Burning" offers an up-close glimpse of a history that has largely been buried. Her saga takes the reader from Colonial India to Colonial East Africa (specifically Uganda). The characters are perhaps slightly underdeveloped, but it's clear that Oza's goal is more about telling the story of a people, of a part of the world, of colonialism, more than it is about any single individual. It was, at times, a painful book to read, but I think the effort is worth it.

A History of Burning is a powerful, beautifully written multi-generational family saga. I would recommend it to anyone looking for this kind of story. While I appreciated the skilled writing and storytelling here, I found the pacing a bit off - there is so much story to tell over the course of a century and I did not feel much of a connection to the characters.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the free ebook copy of A History of Burning!

I want to start by saying that my expectations going into this debut were extremely high; unfairly so. I kept seeing A History of Burning being compared to Pachinko, Homegoing, and There, There. And, to me, those books all belong on the highest pedestal (esp Pachinko - that book changed my life 🥹).

This was a multigenerational, historical fic book that followed the history of Indian immigrants. It covered multiple continents and a full century, weaving together themes of family, sacrifice, racism, colonialism, immigration, and identity. The imagery throughout was rich and the food mentioned made my mouth water so much!

That said, the first half felt extremely so slow to me. I didn't want to pick up the book because as soon as I was interested in a storyline or character, it moved on. It felt like there were missing pieces. The last quarter kept me much more intrigued!

Ultimately, if you're a fan of food talk and multigenerational stories that touch on themes of family, sacrifice, racism, colonialism, immigration, loss, and/or identity - then you'll enjoy this book!

A History of Burning by Janika Oza

There is an epic feel to this family saga. Young Pirbhai is taken off the streets of India without a goodbye. He finds himself on the British colonial railway to East Africa, and working in a brutal workforce. His eventual escape from this impossible predicament requires him to commit an act that haunts him but propels him forward. I savored the storytelling of each circumstance and every decision that built the tale of his family's complicated story. Many impossible and sometimes isolating events propel the story forward to new homelands and a third generation. How can the grandchildren have any concept of the circumstances and decisions that made their family who they are today?

Oza shares a raw stream of consciousness for each family member. I felt as though I was immersed in their true feelings of trauma… But Oza's characters always hold an underlying heroic stance. In spite of their bravery and sacrifice, they refuse to expect any recognition for what they have given up for their family members. And, as each generation comes to an age of understanding that unspoken truth of who they are, without exception they refuse to accept any more or any less from each other. The authentic rendering of this family's epic tale is five star and highly recommended.

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC to be published May 2, 2023