From the darkest days of the British Raj to the aftermath of the First World War, Belonging tells the interwoven story of three generations and their struggles to understand and free themselves from a troubled history steeped in colonial violence. This is a novel of secrets that unwind through Lila Langdon’s story of exile to England, through her grandmother Cecily’s letters home from India, and through the diaries kept by her father, Henry, as he puzzles over the enigma of his birth and his stormy marriage to the mysterious Rebecca.
SHORTLISTED – THE AUTHOR’S CLUB BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD
SHORTLISTED – THE WAVERTON GOOD READS AWARD 2017
LONGLISTED – THE HISTORICAL WRITERS’ ASSOCIATION GOLDSBORO DEBUT CROWN AWARD
LONGLISTED – THE TATA LIVELIT! BEST BOOK AWARD
Publisher: Myriad Editions ISBN: 978-1-908434-74-6
BELONGING is available from all major booksellers or post-free online from Hive.co.uk, which is run by independent booksellers. It has over a thousand 4 and 5 star ratings on Amazon.co.uk.
BELONGING has been published in Portuguese and Polish and in an Indian edition by Speaking Tiger.

Reviews of Belonging

“My heartfelt congratulations on Belonging. It is, to put it simply, magnificent. Please accept huge kudos from a fellow author for a wonderful, wonderful book. Ben Kane – author of “Clash of Empires”, “Legions of Rome”,“Spartacus” and “Hannibal” series.
“I was hugely impressed, this is an immensely powerful novel and it’s hard to believe it’s a debut.” Kushti Guardian Books Blog (March 2016)
“Unforgettable, emotional, compelling. Belonging is a story I won’t be able to forget.” Jera’s Jamboree blog
“If all the books I read this year are as wonderful as this first one then 2016 is going to be a great year for us book lovers!!”
T.F. White on amazon.co.uk

“Probably one of the most undiscovered and underrated books from the past year. This is a book worth reading again. Beautiful and elegant.” ​Reviewed by Bigsna on Goodreads

“We are living now through an unprecedented migration of displaced peoples and the reaction of belligerent nationalism and terrorism as people struggle to establish a sense of belonging, making ‘Belonging’ by Umi Sinha, its questions and understanding thoroughly relevant to the central problem of today.” Reviewed by “ear” on Amazon.co.uk

“Umi Sinha’s Belonging unfurls a dynastic saga through three generations of one troubled family, stretching from the Indian Rebellion to the aftermath of the Great War. The back-and-forth narrative is built on a sturdy armature of deep research, finely wrought prose and expert characterisation. Its focus on the search for love and connection in a chaotic, divided society is hugely
affecting.” Review from Anthony Quinn, judge of The Author’s Club Best First Novel Award
“What ‘Belonging’ also succeeds in showing us is that our personal histories are deeply intertwined not only with the era in which we live and the events we experience, but also those experiences our families have endured and survived in the past. We are shaped as much by their history as our own. History, it seems is a collective as well as an individual experience.”
Jen Harvey Click on her name for the full review: a masterly analysis of the themes of the book which even I found illuminating
“One of my favourite books of the year.” Pamreader – My Top Ten Novels of 2015
“The author remarkably paints the societal system where sahibs and their bibis, paedophily, incest, cheating wives and friends are juxtaposed with loyalty, honour, valour, sensitivity and true love.“ You can read the whole review on The Tribune website
And  here is a review from Tripfiction, followed by a question and answer session with the author.