A Book Review: Ma Is Scared by Anjali Kajal - NO SPOILERS

Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Would I recommend: Abs0lutely yes. The themes are very similar in all the short stories but I still think it was beautiful and reaffirmed the book's message.

Ma Is Scared is a collection of wonderful short stories, centralising the experiences of Indian women. Each of the stories have similar themes but are all different in their execution and completely unique. I enjoyed reading every single one and would highly recommend the collection.

Whilst I was reading, I went through a roller coaster of emotions with some stories hitting especially hard and others seeming more hopeful.

Kajal wrote each story with so much thought and with a clear intention, evident through her writing. The translation by Bhanot seems just as purposeful and reads incredibly well. Sometimes though, the translation could be quite literal or simple, which is why it's not a full 5 stars.

I only wish I could've been able to read the collection in its mother tongue and truly appreciate the beauty, especially with the poetry that was included in To Be Recognised.

The stories themselves are such eye-openers, and they hit especially hard. Coming from a South Asian background, I could see myself and the women in my family in some of the stories, and it hit incredibly hard for me.

There are things that I feel as though we take for granted living in the West, the freedom of choosing to work or to stay at home, and the right to an education regardless of class or background. Sure, we have our problems, and I don't want to invalidate that. But we truly are so lucky. I have parents who support my education and family members who are nothing but good to me. This collection made me realise how lucky I am and made me even more grateful to my immigrant parents.

It was an eye-opener, and I couldn't recommend it enough.

Thank you all for reading and be sure to check the collection out !!

Peace and love,

Aziza <33