Mafia Queens of Mumbai by S. Hussain Zaidi

After series of non-fictional dose, I decided to read something different and took a shot at criminal stories. After much digging, I landed on couple of books but could not really enjoy reading them. Finally, with half mind about reading crime non-fiction, I started reading a book called "Mafia Queens of Mumbai" by S. Hussain Zaidi and to my surprise, I could not stop myself from finishing it in a day.

"Women are never stronger than when they arm themselves with their weakness." Marie de Vichy-Chamrond from Letters to Voltaire, this quote rightly explains the strength a woman can have when she decides to face her worst fear.

This book brings together a such a set of stories about interesting and powerful female leaders of the Mumbai underworld and their conquest to face their fears.

The Mumbai underworld, or the Mumbai Mafia has seen many legends like Haji Mastan, Dawood Ibrahim, Varadarajan Mudaliar, and Karim Lala, to name a few. But, there were women who ruled the roost there too, women who remained in the background but pulled the strings, women who acted as mentors and advisers to the famous dons, women who were wives of the dons and then took over when their husbands were killed, women who assumed leadership to try and bring down rival leaders who had harmed their family.

Their stories are the intriguing, untold tales of these women who, in cold blood, were able to make tier way up in what was certainly a man's world. A highly recommended book that reveals a side of Mumbai's Underworld that has never been seen before.

Quotes from the book:

"She has seen the good, the bad and the ugly, and yet her dreams still seem far from being realized."

"Then the old man said something that set the ground for the change that would occur in Ashraf s life: ‘Don’t you want to take revenge?"

Goodreads rating for the book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10735428-mafia-queens-of-mumbai

Comments

Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom

There is a quote in Srimad Bhagavad-Gita in Sanskrit which says “Jatasya Maranam Dhruvam”. It literally means that the star called Dhruv which rise in night has to set but the implied meaning of the saying is “That which is born shall die”. We know that our life is not eternal and there is an end for our life too, but we don’t want to think about our end or even the journey called life. We keep ourselves too busy in our goals and fight so hard to reach those goals that we forget to give time to the most important things in life. Here is a story by Mitch Albom where he shares the lessons of life he learnt from his long-lost professor. In his last days, Professor Morrie, or what he would like to be called ‘Coach’, would act as a mentor for the writer and answer the questions which were bothering writer from long time. The questions which our generation doesn’t want to think about, may be because we are too scared to know the answer. The writer and his professor takes us ...

Those Pricey Thakur Girls by Anuja Chauhan

So here is the plot. A beautiful, elegant girl with a little hold-back attitude, placed right in the heart of the Sophisticated (!) Delhi. A girl whose parents believe that someday she will come out of her shell and take on the world; who has four sisters and each with a different quirk; who lives with a cheating uncle, a dramatic aunt & a not-so-smart but caring cousin. Along comes a turn of events that shakes her life. Witouht knowing, she becomes a part of politically influenced content on mass media communication that influenced so many life. Placed at the time when newly independent India was slowly waking up from the long nap of british raj and getting a grip of the opportunities and hardships came along with the Independence. A 400 page book (failry long, but justified with the content) for that purely romantic side of you. Grab this book and get ready to go back in the 80s to spend some time around a sprawling bungalow on New Delhi's posh Hailey Road with...

Summer Lies by Bernhard Schlink

Thought provoking seven Short stories from best-selling author of "The Reader" exhibit the most humane aspects of our inner inhibitions, our desires and the willingness to go distance to satisfy our deep down insecurities. Psychologically, the cold winter months cause people to have Seasonal affective disorder with less positive mood but the Spring/Summer months bring the exposure to bright light which in turn increases the Brain hormone Serotonin which elevates our mood. The aptly named book contemplates the human tendencies transforming from dark, grey emotional downside into bright revelation which is not necessarily happy. But the revelation is definitely more clear and open to all kinds of possibilities. All the stories start with an emotional turmoil that journeys through the difficult decisions and are all left open ended for readers imagination for the possible closure of the story. This 240 pages book is a collection of 7 short stories are unrelated ...

Crisp Reviews of Books On My Nightstand

Search This Blog