Shabnam Minwalla's new novel | Zens and sensibility

Shabnam Minwalla’s new novel | Zens and sensibility

Zen, the latest work of fiction by Shabnam Minwalla, is named for its main protagonist, a young girl living in modern-day Mumbai. Minwalla, who has written several titles in the young adult genre, is pitch perfect while portraying the issues characteristic of this demographic. But Zen may appeal to a larger age bracket given its broader sweep across history. It connects the very different worlds of Bombay and Mumbai, Zainab Essaji and Zainab (Zen) Currimji, all inextricably linked, even as it traces a trajectory between the past and the present.

The affluent Dawoodi Bohras make up a sizeable population of South Mumbai, and yet not enough contemporary writing reflects their unique culture. Through Zen, you get a glimpse into the life of a 1930s Bohri family and present-day Mumbai from two women’s perspectives.

Expect a narrative you can sink your teeth into, sweetened with family bonds, seasoned with sibling rivalry, tentative first romance and a hint of horror, garnished with an awareness of the outside world and ways of engaging with it. Both Zainabs are strong in their own way, finding meaning in what they do even as they struggle to fit into their surroundings.

Several well-etched characters make an appearance, there’s humour, realistic relationships, and plenty of political points too. There’s a mystery as well that you unravel, but one thread at a time. Minwalla uses the Bohri penchant for colour in an interesting plot device that keeps you riveted.

Minwalla’s writing reminds one of the likes of Chinese-American author Amy Tan or Turkish Orhan Pamuk, whose books create a complex tapestry that give a glimpse into the country’s culture via a seemingly humdrum everydayness.

The only quibble I have with Zen is with the typography of the sections that are meant to be pages from the diary of Zainab Essaji in 1935. The small font and italics make it difficult to read, especially as it is not one or two paras, but several pages. It’s worth the effort though, as that part of the story is what makes Zen fascinating, especially since Minwalla has based it on an actual family diary and years of research on the 1930s pre-independence Bombay in all its glory.