Under the Tamarind Tree

By: Nigar Alam

Narrated by: Sneha Mathan

A compellingly heartbreaking debut novel about the echoes of Partition and four friends whose dark secrets lead to a life-changing night that comes back to haunt them decades later.

One night. Four friends. Countless secrets.

1964. Karachi, Pakistan. Rozeena is running out of time. She'll lose her home—her parents' safe haven since fleeing India and the terrors of Partition—if her medical career doesn't take off soon. But success may come with an unexpected price. Meanwhile the interwoven lives of her childhood best friends—Haaris, Aalya, and Zohair—seem to be unraveling with each passing day. The once small and inconsequential differences between their families' social standing now threaten to divide them. Then one fateful night someone ends up dead and the life they once took for granted shatters.

2019. Rozeena receives a call from a voice she never thought she’d hear again. What begins as an ask to look after a friend’s teenaged granddaughter struggling with her own demons grows into an unconventional friendship—one that unearths buried secrets and just might ruin everything Rozeena has worked so hard to protect.

Captivating and atmospheric, Under the Tamarind Tree shows us the high-stakes ripple effects of generational trauma, and the lengths people will go to protect the ones they love.

Critic reviews

Longlisted for the Center for Fiction 2023 First Novel Prize

“A lush compelling drama….A reminder of how both sweeping historic events and personal secrets can shape lives and continue to reap consequences across the generations.”—Charmaine Wilkerson, author of Black Cake

“[A] sensitive tale of reconstructed lives and reexamined choices….Alam’s vivid descriptions of Karachi, nuanced characters, and deft ability to delve into big ideas while keeping the story moving make this an emotionally engaging read.”—Booklist

“Alam’s debut spans decades and generations in an epic mystery emanating out of one fateful night in Karachi in 1964, following the reverberations altering so many lives. Alam handles the sprawling, ambitious material with enviable dexterity, and brings out a story that’s full of texture and humanity.” – Crime Reads

“A suspenseful story of friendship, loyalty, and resilience….Alam deftly explores lives ruptured and reshaped by Partition, how historical and personal traumas shape us for generations…A compelling and immersive debut."—Marjan Kamali, author of The Stationary Shop

“Tender and beautifully written….Alam explores class, family and passion in rich cultural detail. A captivating read.”—Jean Kwok, author of Girl in Translation and Searching for Sylvie Lee

“You can practically smell the courtyard’s sweet bougainvillea and feel the Arabian Sea’s misty breeze…Under the Tamarind Tree is historical fiction at its best, a story rich in fascinating historical details and deeply moving as well—a tale of friendship, family, and the power that new, unexpected relationships can have, even late in life, to heal old wounds.” —Adele Myers, author of The Tobacco Wives

“Evocative and rich in detail, Alam's graceful prose transports you to a rarely seen world and time and leaves you reeling as she reveals its heartbreaking secrets. A beautiful, unforgettable novel.” —Aamina Ahmad, author of The Return of Faraz Ali

“A gorgeous and poignant novel in which Alam explores the fine lines between choice and chance, between the personal and the political.”—Kathleen West, author of Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes

Recommended in WTMJ-NBC’s “Books to Binge” segment

an ambitious first novel

This is a nuanced story about the dual lives women lead. About how women, more than men, have to make continual life-altering sacrifices in order to survive, often including sacrifices regarding their bodies. About how the rules throughout women's lives hold constraints that most men will never experience. I found the chapter-by-chapter changes in decades at times contrived and unnecessarily obtuse. The story became more engaging approximately 2/3 into the novel. The main character Rozeena is a compelling tribute to women's strength and endurance. She makes the book a worthwhile experience. The narrator is fantastic.

Fantastic Story

I enjoyed this often heartbreaking story. It was extremely well written.
However, the narrator was what made this story, the lives of these characters, come to life. Several times I went back to check and make sure it was only one person doing the narration, she was that good.
When you have a book that is this wonderful and pair it with a narrator with this much talent, you are in for a beautiful experience.
All the stars!

interesting historical fiction topic

this was an interesting story about the partition of India and its lifetime effects on a Muslim woman, her family, and friends. it prompted my curiosity and I did some additional reading on the partition of India.

Lots of twists and turns.

I’m a fan of historical fiction. Maybe it’s because it inspires me to read up on the place/town/country and its history. I do this so I can understand the context on which a story sits. The author described and wove the history very skillfully into her narrative. She showed the unspoken under reported consequences of upheavals, the price people pay for their freedoms and their identities. What I have trouble wrapping my mind around are the inane customs and petty preening and hubris that pervades a society’s upper class and the monied. The author has depicted the “high society” in that world to be composed of a feral petty lot who badly need to find meaningful reasons to get up in the morning than to spew malice and venom.

Enjoyed it.

Loved the book. The characters are well developed and I was not expecting the twist at the end. The narrator did a fantastic job.