Mottled Dawn; Fifty Sketches and Stories of Partition by Saadat Hasan Manto
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Manto's heart wrenching tales of the gory partition era make one shudder at the kind of cruelty humankind is capable of. At the same time, it gives a glimpse of some touching characters - Mozail who sacrificed her life to save her ex-lover's girlfriend or Sehai- the pimp who cared for his girls like his own daughters - who bring one's faith back to humanity. However much we may argue on who or what was responsible for the partition and the events that followed, the fact remains that it changed the human race in the subcontinent like nothing else.
Although some of the sketches towards the end are too subtle and sometimes difficult to interpret in their complete sense,it is a book which depicts the trials and tribulations of partition very realistically.
This being a translation, I can imagine to some extent how much of emotion and sentiments the original would have carried. It is sad to know that an author as great as Manto died in oblivion shattered by the turmoil of partition. It is perhaps the deep pain he carried in his heart that gave such feeling to each tale that pierces the reader's heart.

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