The Silent and the Lost

The author imaginatively populates the largely unknown Bengalese Liberation War and portrays the mass killings that transpired. One timeline traces the revolution from March 1971 through the December victory of the liberation forces — aided by Indian forces — that established Bangladesh. Zubair focuses at the family level: the fates of a young married couple studying at Dacca University, their families, friends, and professors. Vivid characterizations and searing descriptions of wartime violence arouse sympathy for the freedom fighters, as do the hardships inflicted upon them by the eventually defeated Pakistani (West Pakistan) national forces. This suffering includes countless acts of rape resulting in large numbers of war babies.

The second timeline, launched in 1997, tells of Alex, a rescued and adopted war baby, now a successful Los Angeles professional in his mid-twenties. His wife’s decision to marry him has cut her off from her parents, who cannot accept him because of his shameful origins. Alex visits Bangladesh to understand his personal history and its larger context.

This sprawling and compelling romantic epic dramatizes the price paid for freedom while weaving a remarkable lesson in later twentieth century history.