Ice-Candy-Man [Hardcover]

Bapsi Sidhwa (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1988

The story of the upheaval of the 1974 partition of India seen through the eyes of a Parsee girl growing up in Lahore. Through her relationships with her Hindu Ayah, the Muslim cook, the Sikh zoo attendant and the ice candy man, she shows how ordinary citizens reacted to the horrific turmoil.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: William Heinemann Ltd (February 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0434702307
• ISBN-13: 978-0434702305
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,260,709 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bapsi Sidhwa's "Cracking India", November 29, 1999

By 

Ahalya Wise (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ice Candy Man (Paperback)

A wonderful book: an eye-opener for me. Having grown up in neighborhood teeming with Parsis, in an apartment building behind a Fire Temple, I could identify with the protagonist and her friends. The book is peopled by characters like Ayah, Ice-Candy Man and others who are so realistic. Godmother and Slavesister could have been some of my neighbors during my childhood.

The cozy feeling induced by the cast and the anecdotes is a cushion for the shock that one feels as the author describes in gory detail scenes from that awful event in the history of the Indian subcontinent, the Partition. Growing up in the 60s, I heard whispers about the horrors but had never come face to face with them until I read Sidhwa's novel. The book really shook me up.

Reading the book was an enriching experience; it is certainly one of the best books I have read recently.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ice Candy Man as sweet as it sounds., October 26, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Ice-Candy-Man (Hardcover)

Bapsi Sidhwa’s novel, Ice Candy Man, ... was a thoroughly enjoyable and excitable read.
The award-winning authoress was born in Lahore during the days reflected upon as undivided India. Her early childhood was spent seeing her country and countrymen divided right before her eyes and this is easily deciphered through her character’s narration in the novel. She has done an exceptional job of transporting her reader to that bloody era and forcing them to experience the betrayal, terror and separatism faced by a country of a billion plus citizens. The reason I decided to even pick up this book was all owing to the writer’s name because I had previously enjoyed her other novels; this recent read being no exception to my delight. Her previous existing novels, Crow Eaters, An American Brat, and The Bride all reflect Ms. Sidhwa’s strong sense of her Parsee culture and also consistent with this author’s style Ice Candy Man is filled with humorous anecdotes and lovable characters.

The story is set during the tumultuous period when India gained her independence
from the loathsome British Raj. The release of the subcontinent country from European rule
is overshadowed by the notorious year, 1947. The year names were replaced by religion.
The year friends became enemies. The year 11 million people lost their homes. The year
millions were raped, tortured, killed. The year known as Partition.

Bapsi Sidhwa tells the novel, somewhat autobiographical, through the thoughts of a
precocious and very mature Lenny Sethi. “Baby Lenny” begins her story living in an idyllic
bubble as a naïve four year old and concludes four years later completely stripped of her
childhood illusions and her bubble sufficiently deflated....

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love it, October 11, 1999

By 

alya b (naperville,il,usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ice Candy Man (Paperback)

Ireally loved this book, being from that part of the world myself, I really "get" all of the hilarious phrases. unfortunately they tend to lose just a slight edge when translated in to english. None the less it is one of the most entertaining books I have ever read. The movie "earth " is based on this book, not on "The Bride" which is what is written in the review for "The Bride". I really recommend this book, no matter what part of the world you are from. Best reading is the three books in this series in order. I beleive the first is "The Croweaters" Love it. Thanks