‘When We Are Strangers’ Book Review: Graphic Novel on Partition & Shared Memory

Book Title: When We Are Strangers
Author(s): Vazira Zamindar and Sarnath Banerjee
Publisher: Penguin India
Number of Pages: 168
ISBN: 9377306779
Date Published: Aug. 26, 2026

Book Review

“When We Are Strangers” by Vazira Zamindar and Sarnath Banerjee is a thoughtful graphic novel about history, friendship, memory, and belonging. Set during important years of India’s freedom struggle and Partition, it brings together the stories of Gandhi and Bacha Khan with those of Mahmud, a young photographer, and Sita, a history student. Their friendship grows despite differences in religion, language, and background. The idea of trying to bring back a stolen Gandhara Buddha gives the story an interesting and unusual direction.

The book’s biggest strength is the way it makes history feel personal. Instead of only talking about famous events and leaders, it shows how ordinary people were affected by violence, fear, and political change. The stories of the Khudai Khidmatgars, the Qissa Khwani Bazaar massacre, and Gandhi and Bacha Khan’s efforts for peace are brought into the lives of the characters. The illustrations add a lot to the story, making the places, people, and emotions easier to imagine. The mix of real history and fiction keeps the book interesting without making it feel like a history lesson.

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In the end, the book is about remembering the connections that history has often pushed aside. It looks at questions of identity, shared heritage, and what it means to belong. Mahmud and Sita’s journey shows how friendship and understanding can cross boundaries that politics and violence create. The book does not offer an easy answer to the problems of the past, but it leaves readers thinking about them differently.

With its simple storytelling, strong visuals, and rich historical background, “When We Are Strangers” is an engaging read for anyone interested in history, people, and the ties that bring communities together.

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About the Author(s)

Vazira Fazila-Yacoobali Zamindar is a historian of the twentieth century at Brown University, widely recognised for her book The Long Partition and the Making of Modern South Asia. The idea for this collaborative graphic novel emerged during long walks she took with Sarnath Banerjee during the pandemic. Drawing on research gathered for her forthcoming book, Anticolonial Practice and the Image Archive, Zamindar developed the stories as part of her ongoing exploration of repair through historical research, images and creative practice.

Sarnath Banerjee is an acclaimed comic book writer and artist who co-founded the publishing house Phantomville. He made his mark with Corridor, a pioneering work in Indian graphic literature that he both wrote and illustrated. His other books include The Harappa Files, All Quiet in Vikaspuri and Absolute Jafar. Through his books and artistic projects, including The Liquid History of Vasco da Gama, Banerjee has explored historical archives as spaces for imagination, humour and reinterpretation. His work often uncovers overlooked details and fragments of the past, transforming them into unexpected narratives that blur the boundaries between history, speculation and artistic invention.