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The House of Hidden Mothers
- Narrated by: Meera Syal
- Length: 14 hrs and 15 mins
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The House of Hidden Mothers
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Summary
Little India, East London: Shyama, aged forty-four, has fallen for a younger man. They want a child together.
Meanwhile, in a rural village in India, young Mala, trapped in an oppressive marriage, dreams of escape.
When Shyama and Mala meet, they help each other realise their dreams. But will fate guarantee them both happiness?
Brimming with warmth, wit and indignation, Meera Syal immerses us in a devastating story of friendship, family and the lengths a woman will go to have a child.
The House of Hidden Mothers is her long-awaited third novel and shows Meera Syal at the height of her literary powers. Meera Syal, CBE, is one of our most acclaimed actors and writers of stage and screen. She starred in the hit series The Kumars at No. 42 and recently in the BBC film of David Walliams' The Boy in the Dress. She is currently in David Hare's play Behind the Beautiful Forevers at the National Theatre and in the latest series of Broadchurch.
Meera Syal is also highly regarded for her funny, sharp and provocative fiction. Her earlier novels are Anita and Me and Life Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee (now available as a reissue). The House of Hidden Mothers is her long-awaited new novel.
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Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 10-06-23
Beautiful and touching
I would recommend this book to a friend as I really enjoyed the depth and detail in this book.
Brilliantly written and narrated.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- mrs j f
- 07-06-17
A story that gave me a glimpse into another culture
Loved this book, engaging at times, definitely thought provoking, also difficult subjects tackled in a sensitive unsensational way. I felt like I had been on a journey with the characters in this book. Loved the narration also
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Noodle
- 28-08-17
Good.
I've liked all of Meera Syal's books and although this is not the best one I did enjoy it.
I found it to be a little predictable at times; but enjoyed the way she weaved in the lives of different women. There's an honesty to her writing that I've always appreciated. And being a half Asian woman myself there are always elements that I can relate too which is what I most enjoy about her books.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- bernadette meade
- 24-10-17
Great book
I really enjoyed this journey with all the beautifully written and complex family. Very insightful and moving
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- AJReader
- 29-04-24
Rushed and confusing ending
Still in the dark as to why the couple separated and did not fight to raise the baby together felt like a whole chapter was missing in a rush to finish writing the book
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Proud HT
- 06-09-19
A favourite 🧡
Thanks Meera Syal for hours of pleasure in a riveting read. An astute , witty observation of 2 cultures & 3 generations.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Alice Jennings
- 27-08-17
A nice read but not as funny as I had hoped for
A pleasant enough read but I was expecting it to be funny because of the authors background. My mistake but it took the edge off it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Rox
- 25-01-23
Wonderful and so close to home !
Enjoyed this lovely book thoroughly. Could relate to the incidents,the story and the characters. Touched my heart .
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rajinder Kaur Atwal
- 05-12-15
a fantastic novel. the characters feel real
I loved this audio book. I have read both of Meera Syal's previous books and have found her to be perceptive, witty and real. She does not shy away from addressing difficult subjects. Yet, she manages to do it without sounding preachy or judgemental. The characters are so well written that you can imagine them as real life people. I was blown away by the quality of her writing.
The narration is brilliant and engaging. She brings the characters to life. Listening to it on audio for people who are unfamiliar with Punjabi or Hindi, is probably useful as it helps to hear the pronunciations.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- MS REBECCA WARREN
- 12-07-15
Do not narrate your own book
Good book, being Married to a man 16 years my junior, having a child of my own and never wanting another, it was an insight into what might of happened if I (or he) had craved another. The book is good, I had no idea that India was the capital of surrogacy. I loved it but did not enjoy Meera's Narration. I have read all Meera's books rather than listened and will read this book now as I know I will get more from it without narration.
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3 people found this helpful