A Beautiful Lie

Set in India during the summer of 1947, A Beautiful Lie follows the tumultuous events of the Partition of India through the eyes of Bilal who is looking after his ill father.

India is being torn apart by this divide which is carried out along religious lines, breeding hostility and suspician between Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs with increasing violence.

Bilal’s father is dying and Bilal will go to any lengths to hide the ugly truth of what is happening to his beloved India. He first involves his friends and eventually most of the town colludes in this tremendous lie.

The burden of carrying out this deception to the person he loves most whilst battling the religious divide that his brother is heavily involved in, is beautifully portrayed.

Irfan Master’s moving debut novel sensitively examines the impact of Partition on families and friends in this timely tale about the creation of Pakistan which was chosen for the shortlist of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2011.