India, Aug. 9 -- At first glance, Allah Miyan's Workshop seems to be about 14-year-old Gibran, whose only interest lies in flying kites, running away from the burden of studying at the madrasa, giving the animals around him monikers that fit their personality, and generally causing mischief like any other teenage boy. But beneath the veil of his childlike enthusiasm lies the honey-coated knife of the human condition, piercing through the wonder with a harshness that is both heartbreakingly ruthless yet flamboyantly unattached. Originally written in Urdu by Mohsin Khan and translated into English by Maaz Bin Bilal, the novel is set in Awadh, where Gibran lives with his sister Nusrat and deeply religious parents, who want him to join the Islamic community to spread the word of the prophet. But their world is undone when Gibran's father is arrested on suspicion of being a terrorist. Gibran's lens of innocence examines how politics and religion can subvert the very spirit of childhood rather than protecting it. The young protagonist accepts the sheltering by overprotective adults. The translator is careful to maintain the lyricism of the original Urdu. Gibran's questions for Allah Miyan touch topics that are far harsher than what a child should be accosted with. But it is this same honey-coated blade that leads to the answers that jaded adult readers may have sought. Had the story been narrated through the voice of adults, it would have been a far darker tale. But the narrative decentres the conflict by tracing it through Gibran, and its message stays rooted in the human condition of resilience and hope. This innocence does not make the world around Gibran less cruel; it makes that cruelty more visible. Title: Allah Miyan's Workshop Author: Mohsin Khan Translator: Maaz Bin Bilal Publisher: HarperCollins Price: Rs.499...