The Dreams of a Mappila Girl: A Memoir

I was very nostalgic while reading the memoir, The Dreams of a Mappila Girl. It follows the childhood and adolescence of B.M. Suhara, a girl born into a traditional Muslim family in Northern Kerala. The book captivates the reader's attention from the first page and holds it until the last line. The narrative is powerful and engaging, and I started feeling connected to Suhara and her extended family from the very beginning. The memoir paints a picture of the life and aspirations of a girl in post-independent India. It talks about patriarchy and how Suhara constantly feared that she would be 'married off' while she wanted to fly free and achieve great things. The book was originally written in Malayalam, and the translator, Fehmida Zakeer, has done a great job capturing the essence of the Malayalam narrative.

I was hooked from the second chapter! You will never get bored and the book transports you to another era. I will be definitely checking out her other books

I enjoyed this book so much .It kept me hooked right from the time I started reading it The writer and the translator has weaved a riveting tale of life back in the 50s.,that I was craving for more.Iits a memoir of the authors early life in a village in malabar region of Kerala ,where after the exit of the British ,the upper class like the landlords were dealing with the changes that it brought in their lives.The Author belonged to such family and she narrates to us about dynamics of the family life and their daily life and small adventures like walking to school and the next village to meet relatives .For me it’s fascinating to see the importance given to studies and even encouraging creativity like arts back then.I am eagerly going to look forward to reading more of her books !

B.M Zuhara’s The Dreams of a Mapilla Girl, translated by Fehmida Zakeer, is a book of facts. There are no embellishments, no accusations, and no explanations. It is up to the readers to decipher the clues and codes the writer leaves along the way. Childhood takes the centre stage in this memoir. We see the world the young girl inhabits through her raw and innocent narration of the key memories and reminisces. The narration is quite straightforward, often punctuated by moments of familial bonding and feuds and laced with incidents both whimsical and melancholic.Fehmida Zakeer undertakes the difficult task of trying to communicate to the readers the essence of B.M Zuhara’s memoir; the relationships, the characters, the incidents, the Mapilla culture, and traditions. She carefully traverses this maze, producing a very faithful rendition of the original work.

The politics and intimacy of women's lives come alive in this very acutely observed memoir, which has been translated with as much attention to detail.The translation also documents the lifestyle of the Mappila community which hasn't been documented much in the past. A very rewarding read.