Mishal Husain’s book is as much a story about her family as it is about two countries
Mishal Husain, the Pakistani-British journalist, brings her meticulous storytelling to Broken Threads, a moving exploration of her family’s journey through the partition of India. Combining the calm, assured presence she’s known for on air with the intimate details of her grandparents’ lives, Husain gives you a richly textured narrative that’s both personal and historically illuminating.
Husain masterfully interlaces the lives of her grandparents — Shahid, Tahira, Mumtaz, and Mary — with the sweeping changes of the 20th century. Her investigation was sparked by a piece of a sari from their 1940 wedding, a tangible link to the past that ignited a deep dive into family memoirs and historical records. The result is a narrative that spans from the British Empire to the dawn of modern Pakistan, seen through the lens of individual experiences.
Husain’s narrative shines brightest in the small, close moments: the detailed love letters between Mumtaz and Mary, the resilience of family connections amidst upheaval, and the poignant memories of a world irrevocably changed.
The book, among many other things, is a reminder of exactly what Harper Lee said, “I think that there is just one kind of folks. Folks.”