SUBJECT: 4.5/5
WRITING STYLE: 4/5
RELEVANCE: 4/5
CANDIDNESS: 4/5
ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 4.5/5
The book possesses all the qualities of a good memoir. It has strong content, an honest voice, simple & unpretentious language and a deep social message.
My Musings
As it turned out, last month was the month that I read a great deal of nonfiction. I picked up a lot of them and it was a pleasure reading most of them.
One particular book that stood out for its unique voice was Being Reshma by Reshma Qureshi and Tania Singh.
This book, which was sent to me by Pan Macmillan India, was not just brutally honest (even bordering on mild horror because of the gruesome torture that Reshma went through) but also a heart-warming account of a woman who managed to shine despite all odds.
Read on to know more about my thoughts on this book.
What to expect?
Reshma Qureshi was just a seventeen-year-old girl when she was attacked by acid.
A small-town middle-class girl who was on her way to writing her examination, she was picked because the culprits thought that the best way to avenge a certain embarrassment by a family was to attack its youngest and most beautiful member.
Being Reshma takes us on a roller coaster ride of Reshma’s journey in life. In this gut-wrenching chronicle, she is humble, candid, engaging and despite all the atrocities that humanity has committed against her, she is still positively hopeful and desirous of change.
This book is her memoir which gives us a very straight forward account of the life of this acid attack victim.
Let’s talk about the physical copy
The physical copy of the book is a treat to the eye. The hardbound edition is gorgeous and the cover image on the jacket sends a powerful message.
Comfortable font size and an appealing font style make for a delightful read.
Why this memoir?
This memoir is important because it teaches us a lot.
To those looking for inspiration while surrounded by a sea of troubles, this book will be a beacon of light. Reshma’s story is nothing if not inspiring.
To start with, she is a village girl coming from an economically backward family with very little education to boast of, is very young, doesn’t have any experience in matters of the world and to top it all is an acid attack victim.
Her face is scarcely looked upon, children often run away from the sight of her, and no employer wants to employ her in customer-facing roles.
To think that such a girl made it to the New York fashion week and walked the ramp in a one-of-a-kind is something that most people can only dream about.
What about the authors’ writing style?
The author makes use of simple language which can be easily understood by a beginner level reader.
Her narration is honest and candid and she presents her truth in the most unassuming manner.
Being Reshma has the power to bring about a change and if nothing, it will go a great deal in spreading awareness about acid attacks and what can be done to prevent them and help the existing survivors.
It all boils down to the entertainment quotient
I have read a couple of biographies this year, and I truly believe that it is Reshma’s story that deserves to be made into a movie or a tv series, not because it is a measure of the success of a book but because hers is a voice that needs to be heard.
Hers is a story that needs to be seen by the masses.
The book possesses all the qualities of a good memoir. It has strong content, an honest voice, simple & unpretentious language and a deep social message.
Pick up the book
- If you like reading biography and memoirs.
- If you are looking for an inspiring read.
- If you want to read the story of an acid attack survivor.
Skip the book
- Only if you don’t enjoy non-fiction, particularly biography and memoirs.
Can’t wait to read it? Buy a copy of Being Reshma using the link below.
