donastcolumb's review
4.0
Riveting, engaging and accessible, this is story of Indian female indentured labour in Guyana. The story was sparked by the writer's family history and is an incredible read for anyone interested in the history of migration, history of women or just an incredible story of women who would otherwise be forgotten. Arguably it raises more questions than it could have possibly hoped to answer - but that, in my opinion is the point of history - to start and continue the conversation.
varsha1010's review
4.0
As a Trini-Canadian with Indian roots, I really enjoyed reading this book. Such detail about the loves of indentured women that the family stories just gloss over.
arafat's review
5.0
A superb work, merging autobiography, family history and careful archival research into the bowels of empire. The book is a perfect, powerful illustration of what it means to think historically—about gender, about culture, and about our strange world of migrant diasporas.
imiji's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
4.5
fascinating, nuanced, heavy-hitting scholarship about indo-caribbean women who were brought to guyana as indentured laborers. this was written with such comprehensive care for the record and such layered sociological and historical insight.
atsundarsingh's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I don't know how to evaluate this book except to say that in many ways, it makes my work possible. This is the kind of story that makes family members open up about their experiences and reflections, and that makes "common" people, regular people remember their story matters. Importantly also, Bahadur writes with an eye to what is impossible to know.
I cried reading this. It is important to my work, and my heart. It will never not be on my shelf.
I cried reading this. It is important to my work, and my heart. It will never not be on my shelf.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Trafficking
Moderate: Addiction and Death
kayjay34's review
5.0
Words can't describe this heartbreaking and powerful account of Badahur's journey to shed light on her indentured ancestors. The story of these incredibly strong and brave women need to be told and Badahur does so expertly. Very tough to get through in places given the subject matter, but an absolute must read for anyone interested in Caribbean and Indian history.
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