September Book Reviews
Heart Lamp, I Who Have Never Known Men, Dream Count and Tender Is The Flesh
Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq
Short stories, domestic fiction, Indian class and caste
I’m not one to often read a book’s synopsis. I prefer starting with a completely blank mental-canvas especially if it’s been recommended to me by a friend— if you enjoyed it then I’m reading it. And that’s exactly what I did with Heart Lamp. The one and only downside this created was my wasted effort of trying to link the characters in each story (insert forehead smack here).
Heart Lamp is a compilation of 12 fierce short stories inspired by real south Indian women and girls. These stories dive into the realities of cast, injustice and religious oppression. Mushtaq really hits the nail on the head in her interpretation of storytelling. As a friend of mine put it, “Reading this book is like sitting at the feet of a wise old aunty as she shares the many stories she’s encountered through her lifetime.”
The intentional and assured use of some romanised words from the Kannada language pushes the reader into the very heart of the cultural backdrop which is vital to truly understanding and empathising with the characters. This book is witty, complex, encouraging, heartbreaking, infuriating and wonderful.
No wonder it’s the recipient of the International Booker Prize 2025.
I Who have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
Dystopian science fiction, feminist fiction, post-apocalyptic fiction, womanhood, absurdism
To me this book screams existential crisis. It raises several questions and poses no answers… and I guess, that was entirely the point.
I Who Have Never Known Men is a post-apocalyptic story centred around one girl among a group of forty women who were captured, imprisoned and suddenly freed. It grapples with many philosophical thoughts such as the definition of freedom, the desire for purpose, the importance of dignity and the inexplicable human drive toward possibility.
Part of me is still trying to figure out if I actually enjoyed reading this book or not. But, enjoyment aside, this story sticks with you. I found myself contemplating the motivation behind the actions of the women and delving deeper into what freedom truly entails.
I’d say this isn’t a particularly compelling story nor an entirely entertaining book but its one that evokes thought.
Dream Count By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi
Contemporary political fiction, friendship, romance, grief, motherhood, immigrant experience
As my introduction to the many writings of Adichi I’d say I chose a pretty good first read! It’s instantly obvious why her work is so widely acclaimed. Her words read effortlessly yet pack a ton of power.
Dream Count tells the stories of 4 very different, very closely linked women; Chiamaka the romantic, sweet and gentle Nigerian travel writer, Zikora the smart, confident and strong Nigerian lawyer, Kadiatou the modest, ambitious and humble Guinean hotel housekeeper and Omelogor the opinionated, unapologetic and generous Nigerian woman in finance. At one point or another each of these four ladies find themselves trying to make a life in the USA.
Being an immigrant is a hardship in and of itself. But being an immigrant with strong African roots during the times of the COVID-19 pandemic is an entirely new struggle to overcome. We watch as each women moves— be it timidly or boldly— toward a dream and a longing that tugs at their hearts.
Tender Is The Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
Gruesome, horror, dystopian, science fiction, psychological fiction
This book will have your skin crawling, stomach bilious, and your understanding of humanity bluntly questioned. It’s an incredibly easy and thoroughly riveting read. The only reason I didn’t opt for a five start rating was because I wanted more!
Tender Is The Flesh tells the story of a world much like ours with one crucial difference; legal human meat consumption. Because of a viral outbreak that rendered all animal meant toxic law makers have legalised the rearing, processing and distribution of human meat (referred to as ‘special meat’). The wildest part of it all is how un-wild it sounds when reading Bazterrica’s words. In fact, it’s all quite justified.
We read a first had account from Marcos who works in a human slaughterhouse while he grapples with the moral and personal implications of his job. He explains the need behind human meat, the ‘pretty’ words used to dress-up the marketing of something so horrific and the reality of how easily society can be manipulated and exploited into believing something is for the greater good of humanity when in fact capitalism is the driving force behind it all.
This is another one of those stories that sticks with you, lingering on your mind, making you question our society as a whole. Are we really that easily deceived? Are we too trusting of the people in power?
Can we be manipulated into losing our humanity under the guise of sustaining it?
