THE BEGUM AND THE DASTAN BY TARANA HUSAIN KHAN

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BOOK NAME: THE BEGUM AND THE DASTAN

AUTHOR NAME: TARANA HUSAIN KHAN

GENRE: HISTORICAL FICTION 

PUBLISHER: HACHETTE INDIA

BOOK BUY LINK: https://www.amazon.in/BEGUM-DASTAN-Tarana-Husain-Khan/dp/9393701628




Some books tell you stories, and then there are some books that actually speak to you and take you to the time zone and place it's based on. Throughout this book, I travelled to many places, starting from Tilism-e-Azam (a fictional land) to Sherpur in the 1800s to the present. Not only that, but in instances, I also became a part of the women in the story, including Feroza, Ameera, Lalarukh, and others held captive in Tilism-e-Azam.


Ameera listens to her grandmother narrate her stories of her great-grandmother, Feroza Begum and the tales of women who lived with her. Ameera, who struggles to continue schooling because her parents are busy concentrating on maintaining their royal lineage and son's education, feels she resembles Feroza Begum in multiple ways.


This book magically transforms from the current period to the 1800s, narrating Feroza Begum's story with pristine clarity. Feroza Begum was known for her rebellious and headstrong nature, and she went against her father's orders to attend the Sawani at Nawab Shams Ali Khan's palace. The Nawab, infamous for forcibly abducting women he desired and either married them or made them his concubine, forcing the Sunni women to convert to Shia, did not leave a pregnant Feroza Begum alone too. Her abduction caused chaos in her parents and her husband's place, and she was cursed for disobeying her father in attending the Sawani in the first place, who pledges never to see her again. Feroza is now left to become Nawab's wife after her husband gives her talak without any chance to explain herself.


Kallan Mirza, the storyteller of bazaar chowk, weaves an imaginary tale based on Feroza Begum about the land of Tilism-e-Azam and its ruler Tareek Jaan. He gives the women held captive in Tilism-e-Azam, including Lalarukh, their much-needed ending, hoping the same would happen to Feroza, which indeed is a story to find out. 


For me, this book is one of the top historical fiction that is women-centric, exploring the prejudices against women since time immemorial. Irrespective of what each woman suffered in her fate, they all ensured to put up a fight, and I loved that about the book. The writing is absolutely magnificent and enthralling. Coming from a debut author, the kind of research that has been put in for this book is highly commendable.


I would recommend this book for its absolutely magical storytelling, powerful writing and characters. There wasn't anything I disliked about it though I felt pained at moments.




MY REVIEW: 5/5

#penbooksandscalpel

I am participating in Blogchatter’s #TBRChallenge for the prompt: Write about a favourite author/ book from your collection.

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