Born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in 1975, Anam was raised in Paris, New York City and Bangkok. She studied at Mount Holyoke College and Harvard University, where she received a Ph.D. in social anthropology in 2005. Her writing has been published in New Statesman, Guardian and Independent, and she has been a contributing writer for International New York Times since 2013. She is currently on the jury of the Man Booker International Prize. She lives in London.
Rehana Haque awakes one March morning feeling happy. She is throwing a party for her son and daughter. In the garden of the house she has built, her roses are blooming; her children are almost grown up; and beyond their doorstep, the city is buzzing with excitement after the recent elections.
Change is in the air.
But none of the guests at Rehana's party can foresee what will happen in the days and months that follow. For this is East Pakistan, 1971, a country on the brink of war. And Rehana's life is about to change forever.
Set against the backdrop of the Bangladesh War of Independence, A Golden Age is a story of passion and revolution, of hope, faith, and unexpected heroism. In the chaos of this era, everyone-from student protesters to the country's leaders, from rickshaw-wallahs to the army's soldiers-must make choices. And as she struggles to keep her family safe, Rehana will find herself faced with a heartbreaking dilemma.
