Ice-Candy-Man by Bapsi Sidhwa

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“Ice-Candy-Man” by Bapsi Sidhwa is a powerful and poignant novel set against the backdrop of the Partition of India in 1947. Narrated through the innocent eyes of Lenny, an eight-year-old Parsi girl living in Lahore, the story explores the brutal realities of communal violence, political upheaval, and the loss of innocence.

Lenny suffers from polio and is cared for by her beloved Ayah, a beautiful Hindu woman who attracts the attention of various men, including the enigmatic Ice-Candy-Man. Through Lenny’s childlike but observant perspective, the novel captures the everyday life of diverse communities—Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, and Parsis—before the tensions of Partition begin to tear them apart.

As chaos and violence engulf the city, friendships dissolve, loyalties shift, and the people around Lenny are forced to confront the horrors of hate and betrayal. The Ice-Candy-Man, once a harmless street vendor, transforms into a symbol of the darker side of humanity.

Sidhwa blends personal and political narratives with rich detail, humor, and heartbreak, offering a deeply human account of one of the most traumatic events in South Asian history. The novel is not just about Partition—it is also about childhood, identity, and the devastating impact of communalism.