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apoorvasr's review
4.0
The Many that I Am, edited by Anungla Zoe Longkumer
A collection of stories, essays and poems and more.
A rare culmination, as the editor says this representing a new advent of literature of Nagaland.
Bringing together the stalwarts of Naga voices with the new budding writers , this book was a joy to read.
Stories are diverse, some feud for lands, some cherish folk songs..
There is acceptance of the new religions while remnants of the old remains..
For the tattooed, in this case beauty lies in the eyes of the beholden. The Ao-Naga.
Old man’s story being my favorite. Love heals the cracks and anneals. Like pottery of Azao Temsu.
Then comes the tale of the storyteller. Some folks stay ordinary . Some become custodians of culture.
Languages may be lost. But love is suffused during the Japanese occupation.
There has been culture and love.
Then this book gets real.
Civic unrest , underground troops. Disappeared men.
History repeats. Domestic abuse and rape . Who has the last word ?
The power this book holds is in the number of voices who have contributed to it. Feminist at its core , it reimagines how folk songs are patrilineal limiting women to child rearing.
It also envisages a bright and inspirational age of women who have embraced the old world customs with grace.
After all, it remains with the young to adapt and re - twine the adages as before , and keep the Naga fire alive.
Full points to the completeness of the book in terms of crediting authors and providing glossary.
A collection of stories, essays and poems and more.
A rare culmination, as the editor says this representing a new advent of literature of Nagaland.
Bringing together the stalwarts of Naga voices with the new budding writers , this book was a joy to read.
Stories are diverse, some feud for lands, some cherish folk songs..
There is acceptance of the new religions while remnants of the old remains..
For the tattooed, in this case beauty lies in the eyes of the beholden. The Ao-Naga.
Old man’s story being my favorite. Love heals the cracks and anneals. Like pottery of Azao Temsu.
Then comes the tale of the storyteller. Some folks stay ordinary . Some become custodians of culture.
Languages may be lost. But love is suffused during the Japanese occupation.
There has been culture and love.
Then this book gets real.
Civic unrest , underground troops. Disappeared men.
History repeats. Domestic abuse and rape . Who has the last word ?
The power this book holds is in the number of voices who have contributed to it. Feminist at its core , it reimagines how folk songs are patrilineal limiting women to child rearing.
It also envisages a bright and inspirational age of women who have embraced the old world customs with grace.
After all, it remains with the young to adapt and re - twine the adages as before , and keep the Naga fire alive.
Full points to the completeness of the book in terms of crediting authors and providing glossary.
nuts246's review
5.0
I know so little about the North East, so picked the book up on a whim. And I was surprised by how powerful some of the stories were. Like in case of most anthologies, the stories were not all of the same quality. But they capture the essence of the state and each story in its own way hits the right notes. Will recommend to anyone who wants to read a diverse set of masterful stories.
kitabae_'s review
5.0
This is a collection of stories, essays, poems and artworks by various women from #Nagaland and I loved reading every single piece. Each story found it's way into my heart for they were beautifully written and they were so heart-felt that as I finished reading them, it just left me with this warm satisifed feeling you get when you read something good. It's always difficult for me to review an anthology (mostly because of my weak memory but also) because I never know how to critique them as they are all so unique. Similarly, for this book, I don't know how to say it but don't miss this one. All the stories vary with their topics but they are unified by the women and their experiences of being Naga and of being a woman. Thankful to Zubaan Books for publishing this gem ❤️
#bookedreviewbysaiesha
Follow me on instagram for more reviews @kitabae_
#bookedreviewbysaiesha
Follow me on instagram for more reviews @kitabae_
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