"Breaking Ties" is a poignant narrative about the price of freedom. It is a guide for anyone struggling with family expectations, validating the pain of having to choose between family loyalty and personal happiness. The story ultimately champions the belief that true happiness comes from living authentically, even if it means breaking the ties that were meant to hold you together but instead held you back.
Note: Sara Abubakar is known for her contemporary romance and women's fiction, often exploring themes of family obligation, cultural expectations, and personal identity, particularly within Nigerian and diaspora contexts. Breaking Ties fits squarely within this mold.
Understanding the summary requires a clear picture of the key players:
At its core, Breaking Ties is the story of Liam and Emma, a couple whose seemingly perfect marriage hides a foundation of secrets, manipulation, and emotional neglect. The title itself is a double entendre: it refers both to the severing of familial bonds and the dissolution of a marital contract.
The novel opens in medias res—not with a wedding, but with the quiet, suffocating disintegration of a home. Emma, the protagonist, is introduced as a woman who has given up her career, her dreams, and her individual identity to become the perfect wife for Liam, a successful but emotionally absent husband. Liam is portrayed not as a villain in the traditional sense, but as a man trapped by his own upbringing—a man who confuses control for love. breaking ties by sara abubakar summary
The "breaking ties" begins when Emma discovers a hidden ledger in Liam’s study. It is not a ledger of finances, but a journal of "obligations"—a detailed list of everything Liam believes Emma owes him: from social appearances to specific behaviors in private. This chilling discovery marks the point of no return.
The story revolves around Gulfam, a young man who has lived in England for several years. He returns to Pakistan for a vacation to visit his family. While his return is physical, the story reveals that his emotional and cultural ties to his homeland have been severed by his life abroad.
The Visit Home Gulfam arrives at his family home, where he is greeted with warmth and excitement. However, he immediately feels a sense of alienation. The house, the smells, and the atmosphere feel unfamiliar and somewhat repulsive to him. He struggles to relate to his parents' simple lifestyle and their traditional values. He views his surroundings with a critical, almost superior, Western gaze, finding the local customs and the heat unbearable.
The Visit to the Village A significant portion of the story takes place when Gulfam’s father takes him to their ancestral village to meet his grandmother. Gulfam is reluctant to go, preferring the modern comforts of the city (and by extension, England), but he complies to please his father. "Breaking Ties" is a poignant narrative about the
Upon arriving in the village, Gulfam is disgusted by the lack of sanitation and the presence of animals. He refuses to eat the food prepared by his grandmother, fearing it might be unhygienic. His grandmother is overjoyed to see him and tries to offer him the best she has—simple, home-cooked food and her love—but Gulfam rejects her gestures. He maintains a distance, refusing to touch the food or embrace the connection she offers.
The Climax The central conflict of the story is internal. Gulfam realizes that he no longer belongs in Pakistan. He feels like a stranger in his own home. The "ties" that bind him to his family—love, shared culture, and history—are being "broken" by his assimilation into Western culture. He feels suffocated by the expectations of his family and the backwardness he perceives in the village.
The Resolution The story concludes with Gulfam making a silent but firm decision. He realizes that he cannot wait to return to England. In a poignant moment, he looks at the people and the land, acknowledging that he has outgrown them. He chooses to return to England, realizing that his true "home" is now the foreign land where he has chosen to build his future, even if it means severing his roots.
The final section of the story deals with the consequences of her choice. Her family is horrified. Her father threatens to disown her for bringing "shame" to the family name. Her mother weeps, not out of anger, but out of fear for Zainab’s soul and safety. The community ostracizes her. At its core, Breaking Ties is the story
However, the story does not end in tragedy. Sara Abubakar provides a realistic yet hopeful resolution. Zainab moves to a new apartment in Lagos. She takes the job with her professor, initially living in a modest room. She experiences loneliness, anxiety, and moments of doubt. But she also experiences something new: peace. She begins therapy (a bold inclusion in this cultural context) and slowly rebuilds her identity.
The final lines of the book show Zainab looking out her apartment window at the chaotic Lagos skyline, smiling not because she has found a new man or become rich, but because she is finally, irrevocably free. She has broken the ties, and the scars remain, but she is now whole.
The novel does not end with a romantic reunion or a new love interest. Instead, the epilogue shows Emma one year later. She is in a small but bright apartment of her own, working as a freelance illustrator. She has limited contact with her mother but has built a chosen family with Ivy and other survivors she met in a support group.
The final image is powerful: Emma is looking at an old wedding photo. She does not burn it or destroy it. She simply turns it face down on her desk and walks out to meet a friend for coffee. She has broken the ties, but she has not let bitterness tie her down.