Release date: February 15th 2019
Published by: Readomania
Page numbers: 288
REVIEW:
I always enjoy reading author Sadiqa Peerbhoy's books. There's something very intriguing about her exquisite writing and her poignant storytelling. Very ethnic and spellbinding, her stories take me to a place in my home country but in a faraway time and place which is always exciting to visit. Her Marry Go Round was a fun and interesting story about arranged marriages set in Hyderabad, while my favourite of hers, House of Discord, was a story about family, politics and religion set in Mumbai.
Mayurkhund, Sadiqa Peerbhoy's latest, is the devastatingly beautiful story of Zeenat who aspires to become a playback singer. Just when she thinks she's close to achieving her dreams, live starts throwing curve balls at her which makes her reconsider everything she had thought of for herself. By a series of events which are interesting to get to know but sad to understand, she finds herself in the Mayurkhund palace. Zeenat's daughter, Amari, grew up in Mayurkhund but eventually left the place due to her own fascinating series of events. She is haunted by the peacocks that Mayurkhund is famous for and when she visits Rajasthan for a work trip, she gets a call from the Queen to visit her childhood home.
There is so much more to talk about the story but I would rather the reader discover how wonderfully it has been put down on his/ her own. The story alternates from Zeenat's life in the 1960s to Amari's in the late 1990s. The incidents that take place in both their lives are connected in some way or the other and add to the depth and beauty of the book. Sadiqa Peerbhoy's writing is, as always, incredibly easy to follow and yet so amazingly worded that even though it was confusing for me at first as who is who, it all fell into place quite soon and I found myself immersed in the story.
The ending of the book left me with mixed feelings. I didn't laugh or smile and I didn't feel sad either. I just found myself relieved and at peace with the way everything turned out. That, for me, was a first. I don't quite remember feeling this way about any ending before, and that is one of the main reason I will remember this book for a long time. I would highly recommend this glorious read that is packed with rich history, tradition, family and the ethereal relation between parents and children.
*Note: A copy of this book was provided by Readomania in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.
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