Book Review: ‘The Lucky Ones’ by Zara Chowdhary

Book Title: The Lucky Ones: A Memoir
Author: Zara Chowdhary
Publisher: Context
Number of Pages: 324
ISBN: 978-9360455262
Date Published: Sept. 16, 2024
Price: INR 433

Book Review

“The Lucky Ones” by Zara Chowdhary is a poignant and powerful memoir that recounts her personal experience surviving the 2002 anti-Muslim violence in Gujarat, India. With a delicate blend of family history and political commentary, Chowdhary’s story sheds light on the horrors faced by India’s Muslim community while honoring the resilience of women who hold their families together in the face of both external and internal struggles. This is a story of survival, loss, and hope, offering readers a glimpse into India’s complex and often painful social landscape.

The book’s plot is about the author Zara Chowdhary’s life in Ahmedabad, where she grew up before her world was shattered by the 2002 pogrom. Instead of attending school exams, she found herself in lockdown with her family, living in fear as religious violence raged around them. Chowdhary’s intimate portrayal of the violence juxtaposes these horrifying events with the daily oppression faced within her patriarchal household, adding layers of personal struggle to the broader socio-political turmoil.

Her memoir doesn’t just focus on the violence itself but also highlights moments of unity and shared culture, like dancing during Navratri and learning Sanskrit, which briefly allowed her to feel a sense of belonging. However, this fleeting sense of integration is overshadowed by a growing sense of exclusion, as the very city she calls home turns into a battleground against her community. The tension between these experiences makes the memoir both heartbreaking and thought-provoking.

The book is as much a tribute to the women in Zara Chowdhary’s family as it is a chronicle of survival. Her mother and sister emerge as pillars of strength, their bond becoming a source of grace in an otherwise hostile world. This heartfelt depiction of familial love, especially the resilience of women in times of crisis, makes “The Lucky Ones” not only a story of survival but also a testament to the enduring power of love and hope amidst the chaos.

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With lyrical prose and unflinching honesty, “The Lucky Ones” is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the challenges faced by India’s Muslim community in recent history. It’s a story of survival, a protest against the erasure of India’s Muslim population, and a love letter to the women who carry their families through the darkest times. Readers will find themselves deeply moved by the author’s courage and the haunting beauty of her words.

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