"On the outskirts of Lahore, violence shatters Lalloo’s family when his brother is murdered outside their home. Narrator Jassa Ahluwalia brings empathetic intensity to this novel as Lalloo leaves his family in order to earn enough to free his parents and sisters from generations of debt bondage forcing them to work as brickmakers. Giving space to both memories and present struggles, Ahluwalia helps listeners track Lalloo’s story as it shifts between the past and present. As Ahluwalia speaks in a calm, grounded tone, his pacing underscores the slow grind of kiln labor and the pressures of poverty. Quieter moments reflect Lalloo’s reckoning with fear and obligation. Ahluwali’s narration amplifies this novel’s focus on survival, moral resolve, and the cost of choosing a different future."

– Kirkus