Their Language of Love

In Their Language of Love, Bapsi Sidhwa turns to the short-story form to explore the experiences of people negotiating different cultures, languages, generations and identities. The collection includes stories set against events such as the 1965 Indo-Pak war as well as the experiences of migrants and expatriates.

The stories combine Sidhwa's characteristic humour and sharp social observation with themes of marriage, displacement, cultural misunderstanding and the lingering effects of Partition and political upheaval. The collection includes 'A Gentlemanly War', 'Breaking It Up', 'Ruth and the Hijackers', 'Ruth and the Afghan', 'The Trouble-Easers', 'Their Language of Love', 'Sehra-bai' and 'Defend Yourself Against Me'.

The collection opens with stories rooted in the political and social history of the subcontinent. In 'A Gentlemanly War', Sidhwa recalls the atmosphere surrounding the 1965 India-Pakistan war and her encounters with the political world of Pakistan. Other stories examine family relationships, romantic entanglements, migration and cultural displacement.

Across the collection, Sidhwa's characters inhabit spaces between cultures and generations. Their experiences reveal how language, religion, class, nationality and memory can shape intimate relationships. With wit, compassion and irony, Their Language of Love portrays the complexities of belonging in a changing South Asian world.