As Rehana Haque awakes one March morning, she might be forgiven for feeling happy. Today she will throw a party for her son and daughter. In the garden of the house she has built, her roses are blooming; her children are almost grown-up; and beyond their doorstep, the city is buzzing with excitement after recent elections.

Change is in the air. But none of the guests at Rehana's party can foresee what will happen in the days and months that follow. For this is East Pakistan in 1971, a country on the brink of war. And this family's life is about to change for ever.

In the chaos of this era, everyone - from student protesters to the country's leaders, from rickshawwallahs to the army's soldiers - must make choices. And as she struggles to keep her family safe, Rehana will find herself faced with a heartbreaking dilemma.

Check out an extract from A Golden Age taken from newbooks issue 44.