Scan barcode
katykelly's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
"It had begin with companies moving their call centres towards the rising sun, so what was wrong with outsourcing babies there too...?"
Shyama is fast approaching middle age, but is defying her London Asia community with her happy and successful relationship with a slightly-younger Toby. Already mother to a college student from her former husband, the broody couple have been trying for a baby, but are told that is simply isn't going to happen. The idea of a surrogate, from Shyama's native country is mooted, and then moves quickly towards becoming a reality.
Mala's story intertwines with theirs as her own unhappy and childless marriage in a poor Indian village changes as her husband decides he wants her to offer her womb for surrogacy in exchange for a life-changing reward. Quite happy to change her life, Mala meets Shyama and Toby at a surrogacy clinic.
Meanwhile, Shyama's daughter back home in England is going through life-changing times of her own, and Shyama's parents are struggling through a long-winded legal battle to retrieve possession of their retirement property in India.
While I found the legal story quite interesting (how money greases the wheels, as always), and teenage Tara's own coming-of-age story familiar enough from experience to read, it was Mala and Shyama I wanted. Mala took over my sympathy more and more as her defiant but intelligent position shows the British couple what it means to be courageous. I felt for Shyama as an older woman desperate for a few family, while trying not to jeopardise her relationship with Tara. Toby gets a few key scenes but the story is definitely a story about women, about fertility and motherhood, aging and beauty.
I saw the ending coming and had actually hoped for it for most of the book, and liked how every storyline was tied up, some plots less happily than others.
A lovely journey into a quite emotive story. I felt myself unable to determine how I felt about some issues - paying poor women to bear children, paying money to officials for justice to occur. It was at times quite deep and with dark moments, but with an ending that leaves hope and love for the future.
Review of a Netgalley advance copy.
"It had begin with companies moving their call centres towards the rising sun, so what was wrong with outsourcing babies there too...?"
Shyama is fast approaching middle age, but is defying her London Asia community with her happy and successful relationship with a slightly-younger Toby. Already mother to a college student from her former husband, the broody couple have been trying for a baby, but are told that is simply isn't going to happen. The idea of a surrogate, from Shyama's native country is mooted, and then moves quickly towards becoming a reality.
Mala's story intertwines with theirs as her own unhappy and childless marriage in a poor Indian village changes as her husband decides he wants her to offer her womb for surrogacy in exchange for a life-changing reward. Quite happy to change her life, Mala meets Shyama and Toby at a surrogacy clinic.
Meanwhile, Shyama's daughter back home in England is going through life-changing times of her own, and Shyama's parents are struggling through a long-winded legal battle to retrieve possession of their retirement property in India.
While I found the legal story quite interesting (how money greases the wheels, as always), and teenage Tara's own coming-of-age story familiar enough from experience to read, it was Mala and Shyama I wanted. Mala took over my sympathy more and more as her defiant but intelligent position shows the British couple what it means to be courageous. I felt for Shyama as an older woman desperate for a few family, while trying not to jeopardise her relationship with Tara. Toby gets a few key scenes but the story is definitely a story about women, about fertility and motherhood, aging and beauty.
I saw the ending coming and had actually hoped for it for most of the book, and liked how every storyline was tied up, some plots less happily than others.
A lovely journey into a quite emotive story. I felt myself unable to determine how I felt about some issues - paying poor women to bear children, paying money to officials for justice to occur. It was at times quite deep and with dark moments, but with an ending that leaves hope and love for the future.
Review of a Netgalley advance copy.
wishknots's review against another edition
4.0
Oh, the writing! What a joy. Meera Syal puts onto the page exactly what I am thinking and feeling and she does it beautifully. The experience of being a woman, the way our lives are segmented by time and the how we are judged and valued by our usefulness to others. The thousands of compartments society stuffs women into, depending on their age, their race, their wealth, their family and geography. The freedom to be ourselves and valuable in our own right is hard fought. Yet, this isn’t a heavy, depressing book in the slightest. It doesn’t bash you over the head with righteous indignation. It’s subtle and human and accepting. Shyama’s parents are wonderful and should get their own book.
There are parts of this book that made me cry, plenty that made me laugh and it left me with a feeling of hope. Life doesn’t often go how we want it to but that’s ok too.
There are parts of this book that made me cry, plenty that made me laugh and it left me with a feeling of hope. Life doesn’t often go how we want it to but that’s ok too.
readincolour's review against another edition
3.0
Reading this so soon after Amulya Malladi's [b:A House for Happy Mothers|27429684|A House for Happy Mothers|Amulya Malladi|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1455789997s/27429684.jpg|47481130], it's hard not to compare the two. While I loved the mother in Malladi's book, the mother in this book was insufferable - not the surrogates but the mothers paying the surrogates.
hkihm's review against another edition
5.0
Touches on the complex intersections of race, class, and reproductive choice as a London couple chooses to have a baby via international surrogate.
jmatkinson1's review against another edition
5.0
Shyama is a successful businesswoman, owner of a popular beauty salon and a divorced mother of a student daughter. However Shyama wants another child with her partner Toby, a younger man, and she is told that she will not be able to have one naturally. Mala is an intelligent but impoverished Indian woman, her family died leaving little dowry and Mala's husband thinks that getting Mala to act as a surrogate for a wealthy couple will allow them live a little more comfortably. Inevitably the lives of Shyama and Mala meet as Mala becomes the surrogate for Shyama and Toby's child but as Shyama's aged parents fight to regain their investments in India and Tara, her daughter, suffers in London, Shyama is torn between her family, her culture and her ambition.
Syal is a well-known actress and her previous novels have veered towards the comedic element, this one is different. On the surface this is a story about two women, one with money and one without, but the subplots explore so much more. Tara suffers an assault in the the UK and then travels to India to support women's rights, so changing. Mala travels to the UK and flourishes, Syama's parents have to take legal action against their own family to possess what is theirs by right. The constant theme is one which compares the life and freedoms of women in the UK with those of women in India, either through caste, fertility or sexual rights, and this makes the book far more thoughtful that it initially seems.
Syal is a well-known actress and her previous novels have veered towards the comedic element, this one is different. On the surface this is a story about two women, one with money and one without, but the subplots explore so much more. Tara suffers an assault in the the UK and then travels to India to support women's rights, so changing. Mala travels to the UK and flourishes, Syama's parents have to take legal action against their own family to possess what is theirs by right. The constant theme is one which compares the life and freedoms of women in the UK with those of women in India, either through caste, fertility or sexual rights, and this makes the book far more thoughtful that it initially seems.
lugh101's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
snoakes7001's review against another edition
5.0
The House of Hidden Mothers is about Shyama and her younger partner Toby and their desire for a child which leads them down the surrogacy route.
Using the perspective of three generations of Shyama's family Meera Syal explores the different experiences and attitudes of British Indians both at home and when visiting relatives. It's more than a cosy domestic drama though as barley beneath the surface seethes anger and indignation. More than one subplot involves violence to women, making it a deeper and more interesting read than it seems at first glance.
It's a thoroughly enjoyable and engrossing read - let's hope we don't have to wait as long for the next one.
Using the perspective of three generations of Shyama's family Meera Syal explores the different experiences and attitudes of British Indians both at home and when visiting relatives. It's more than a cosy domestic drama though as barley beneath the surface seethes anger and indignation. More than one subplot involves violence to women, making it a deeper and more interesting read than it seems at first glance.
It's a thoroughly enjoyable and engrossing read - let's hope we don't have to wait as long for the next one.
clairewhitmore's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
mrsruthiewebb's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this book. A lot happens and there are many threads to weave together. It had a slow pace and the writing drifts between people, places and memories. It was hard to follow and I had to focus so it wasn’t a relaxing read.
This final few chapters were good. Some very powerful stories came through but I was still left with disappointment in Shyama. Ultimately she was the person who set off on this journey for a baby. Instead, as nice as it was that she found herself, she facilitated this new life, causing many ripples in the water. It was like she walked away at the end and I had so. many unanswered questions about Toby’s feelings and how life was left for him. I felt Shyama had to take so much more responsibility for her actions.
Overall, not a terrible book. The story itself had interest and emotion (in parts). Chapters were too long for me and reading it felt like a slog. It hasn’t put me off reading some of the authors other books and I’ve heard great things about those.
This final few chapters were good. Some very powerful stories came through but I was still left with disappointment in Shyama. Ultimately she was the person who set off on this journey for a baby. Instead, as nice as it was that she found herself, she facilitated this new life, causing many ripples in the water. It was like she walked away at the end and I had so. many unanswered questions about Toby’s feelings and how life was left for him. I felt Shyama had to take so much more responsibility for her actions.
Overall, not a terrible book. The story itself had interest and emotion (in parts). Chapters were too long for me and reading it felt like a slog. It hasn’t put me off reading some of the authors other books and I’ve heard great things about those.