💡 In under 100 pages, Kyrgyz author Chingiz Aitmatov’s debut novel Jamilia is more an intimate story relayed in person in the present. It’s unadorned, slow, and unburdened with unnecessary complexities. Published in 1958, it was described by French poet Louis Aragon as “the most beautiful love story in the world,” and while that might be up for debate, it depends on how you, the reader, would define love.

The story follows the perspective of an aging Kyrgyz painter as he gazes upon his most precious work. Hidden from the eyes of many, a young man and a young woman have their backs turned, a step away from being out of frame, on a quiet autumn day in the Central Asian Steppes. From that vantage point, the narrator begins recalling the story that inspired this work — exploring forbidden romances, unrequited love, and the grief of letting go.

The novel takes place during WWII on a farm in Kyrgyzstan. The men have gone to work, leaving Said, the then-15-year-old narrator, to care for two households, which include his sister-in-law Jamilia. Infatuation makes way for a forbidden love, which is soon stopped in its track when Jamilia develops her own separate love interest. From that point onwards, we share our narrator’s hopelessness as he comes into terms with reality.

Jamilia unfolds over one continuous chapter, and is the kind of novel that can fly by in one sitting. Despite the simple prose, it manages to leave quite the impression — a certain melancholia that seeps through the pages in a calm, quiet delivery.

In our opinion, Jamilia might not be the greatest love story of all time in the traditional sense, but it’s certainly a unique one that inspires contemplation and introspection, leaving a palpable sense of loss after the final page had been turned. If you’ve been looking for an off-the-beaten-path classic worth your time, look no further.

WHERE TO FIND IT- You can find the paperback version of Jamilia at Diwan. The ebook is also available on the Internet Archive, as the novel is in the public domain.

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