A Taste of Heaven (from Heart Lamp) by Banu Mushtaq (2025): A Review
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Author: Banu Mushtaq
Publication Year: 2025
Pages: 17
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Domestic Fiction, Biographical Fiction
Source: Ebook @everand_us
Warning: Spoiler Alert
After becoming familiar with Mushtaq’s stories, I've noticed that the translation is somewhat lacking. It often reads too literally, as if the translator translated everything word for word. This makes it harder to grasp the true meanings behind the text.
In "A Taste of Heaven," the characters evoke a mix of anger and pity. Their unreasonable behavior stems from crushed dreams after marriage. While you might want to find fault with Shameem and Bi Dabi, it's difficult to do so because they are trapped in unwanted and imposed circumstances. They embody the struggles of women who must care for both their immediate and extended families without being the matriarch. It feels as if they married into the family only to become maids.
Bi Dabi’s tragic situation is compounded by her youth as a child bride. I had to read the part she is introduced twice to really understand her story of marriage. It’s heartbreaking, yet there’s an odd humor in her delusion that Pepsi is a heavenly drink. The real anger should be directed at the oppressive systems—be it culture, religion, or patriarchy (whatever you want to call it)—that shape and ultimately ruin their lives.
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