I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Three very different women use their voices to improve the society they find themselves in, hoping to change things for the better for their granddaughters in author Shaheen Chishti’s “The Granddaughter Project”.
The Synopsis
A deeply emotional and raw story, “The Granddaughter Project” is the shared experience of three, very different women, who collectively use their voices, wanting to improve societal attitudes for their granddaughters. The men around these women put them into desperate situations: young and alone, they fought to overcome their experiences.
Helga is a holocaust survivor, who grew up as the cherub of her family until the Anschluss of Austria. Separated from her family in Auschwitz, she survived the
horrors alone and tried to begin a new life in Israel. In complete contrast, Kamla was born as a poor peasant girl and grew up during the Bengali Famine. With an alcoholic father, who abuses her mother, the family find themselves homeless and hungry. She survives and finds work in a women’s shelter, eventually marrying Rajeev, who abandons her and their young daughter. Lynette leaves the Caribbean shores with her mother Pam, arriving in 1950s London. Living in appalling conditions, the pair struggle to make ends meet and contend with constant discrimination. When her mother dies,
Lynette is left alone and at the mercy of the people around her. During the Notting Hill riots, she is beaten and left for dead but she still survives.
These warrior women tell their stories for the first time to their granddaughters, hoping that they can succeed where they failed and that they feel empowered, inspired and supported to do what is best for themselves.
The Review
Such a lovely and heartfelt story of strong women overcoming great obstacles to give their children a better life, this is the perfect balance of women’s fiction and family drama. The characters were the perfect balance of strength and vulnerability, highlighting the individual struggles they overcame and showing the incredible spirit of these women that perfectly captures the feminine driven narrative.
What really helped showcase this women’s fiction novel was the back and forth between character growth and culture that was incorporated into the narrative. From the very first page the author blends modern day protagonist Maya into the life of her late grandmother, from life struggling to survive in her village to her connection to the goddess Durga, and as the story progresses the narrative seems to take on aspects of the historical fiction and mythology genres as well, making the story feel well rounded.
The Verdict
Majestic, emotional, and heartfelt in its delivery, author Shaheen Chishti’s “The Granddaughter Project” is a must read novel. Full of heart and powerful family storytelling, the author showcases an overall theme of love and strength that encompasses the strong female characters that drive this narrative forward. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
About the Author
Shaheen Chishti is an Indian-British author, world peace advocate and thought leader. Shaheen is a member of the London Literary Society and Muslim-Jewish Forum in London. He is also the founder of the Jewish Islamic International Peace Society. Shaheen’s writings – fiction and non-fiction – primarily focus on the upliftment of women and the emancipation of Muslim women in particular. He believes that the “empowerment of women is at the root of Muslin teaching”. An ardent believer in the Sufi philosophy of “Love towards all, malice towards none”, Shaheen endeavours to promote the message of peace and solidarity of the Chishti Order of Sufism. Shaheen was born into the Syed Chishti family in India which traces its ancestry directly to Hazrat Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of the Holy Prophet.
https://www.amazon.com/Granddaughter-Project-Shaheen-Chishti/dp/1608882381
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