Bones of Glory

Author's name: Tahmima Anam

On the eve of her departure to search for the bones of a walking whale—a fossil that represents the missing link in human evolution—Zubaida Haq falls in love with Elijah Strong, a man she met in a dimly lit concert hall in Boston. A passionate connection develops between them, despite their differences: Elijah comes from a typical American family, and Zubaida is the adopted daughter of a wealthy Bangladeshi family in Dhaka. When the twists of fate bring her back home, the brutal forces of her community force her to take a very different path, marrying her childhood friend and adjusting to traditional Bangladeshi life.
The family approves of Zubeida's submission, but at the same time, she is irritated by her resentment. Desperate to finally break free from the family's shackles, she moves to Chittagong to work on a documentary about the submerged beaches where the shipbreaking trade is practiced. Anwar, a shipbreaker, appears, and his story holds the key to unlocking dark secrets from Zubeida's past and the possibilities for a new life.
As the ship is dismantled to the last detail, Zubaida is also torn between the social norms of Daren—Bangladesh and America—and forced to lay bare her own life... making a decision she will never take back.