Cracking India (1991, U.S., 1992, India; originally published as Ice Candy Man, 1988, England) is a novel by author Bapsi Sidhwa. Setting: Lahore Time: 1943 - 1948 This novel is generally referred to as a story about the Partition of India – hence the title – but its original title was "Ice-Candy-Man," which allows for a broader interpretation of the story. The plot involves Lenny, a 4-year-old Parsee girl who recounts her childhood memories after she is struck by polio in her infancy. She spends most of her time with her ayah Shanta, an 18-year-old Hindu girl from Amritsar. Their relationship is the main narrative because Lenny spends a lot of time with her ayah and she learns a lot about adult relationships from being with the voluptuous nanny and her very diverse group of admirers.
Adaptations (1)
Cracking India was adapted into a 1998 film.
Earth1998 · film · 110 min · dir. Deepa Mehta · IMDb ↗In 1947, the borderlines between India and Pakistan are being drawn. A young girl bears witnesses to tragedy as her ayah is caught between the love of two men and the rising tide of political and religious violence.
