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Amla Mater
In the stillness of autumn, I feel I can almost hear someone hum 'Lokame tharavadu (the world is my home)...'
In her tiny flat in East London, as Mili waits for her baby to arrive, little things remind her of her life in India—the scent of jasmine flowers, a heavy downpour, a late-night cup of coffee, an amla or gooseberry—and she is overcome with a deep desire to recreate the flavors of her childhood. Can a jar of amla pickle help her travel back to that safe haven she once called home?
In this sweetly nostalgic graphic novel, the narrator recounts her meandering journey from her ancestral village in South India to the United Kingdom, capturing the deep feeling of longing for home that shapes the lives of emigrants everywhere.
In her tiny flat in East London, as Mili waits for her baby to arrive, little things remind her of her life in India—the scent of jasmine flowers, a heavy downpour, a late-night cup of coffee, an amla or gooseberry—and she is overcome with a deep desire to recreate the flavors of her childhood. Can a jar of amla pickle help her travel back to that safe haven she once called home?
In this sweetly nostalgic graphic novel, the narrator recounts her meandering journey from her ancestral village in South India to the United Kingdom, capturing the deep feeling of longing for home that shapes the lives of emigrants everywhere.
144 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 11, 2018
36 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 1, 2025
When I finished reading Amla Mater, it took me a few minutes to shake myself, and come out of the lyrical, sepia-toned world that this beautiful book creates. It begins with Mili, the central character in this novelette, encountering a few gooseberries that takes her back to her childhood. From there, the book moves on gently weaving in and out of the past and the present.
Mili’s story is rooted in the present where she is pregnant and is eagerly awaiting her baby’s arrival. On one of her days off she decides to make a jar of gooseberry pickle, the process of which inspires more nostalgia. Through Mili’s narrative we get a glimpse of her life from her childhood, through her teenaged years, to when she works as an intern, and later meets her future husband in London.
The memories that Devi Menon describes in Amla Mater are bittersweet just like the gooseberries. There is a certain soft glow that surrounds the narration, which feels just like wiggling into your favourite armchair and feeling its familiar warmth, especially the very provincial flavour, which is achieved by the interspersing of folklore, tales told by grandmothers, and little anecdotes.
Menon’s sketches are beautiful monochrome frames with many of them having intricate border work that add to the dialogues or the narration. But the ones that really stood out for me were the ones, which didn’t have either, and yet conveyed volumes. In many ways, Amla Mater reminded me of Craig Thompson’s Blankets with its deft and gorgeous artwork that is so rich in expression and imagination.
Amla Mater’s boon and its bane, unfortunately, is the fact that it’s so deeply Indian in its background. For example, Mili’s stay with Paatti who is described as, “the quintessential Tamil Brahmin matriarch, down to her diamond nose ring” or the frames where Menon shows us Mili’s love for Chennai by sketching filter coffee being poured or a kolam being drawn are accessible and understandable only to Indians. I immediately related to these very telling cultural icons of Tamil Nadu. But for that you need to get under the skin of a culture, know it inside out. For someone who is not an Indian and never even visited India these illustrations are muted. The book stops speaking to them at some level, and this can make for a disjointed reading experience.
Menon could also have fleshed out the story a little more, perhaps, by adding a few more layers to the character of the Baker, Mili's mother, and maybe her other significant friends like Nandini. But then Amla Mater would not serve the purpose that it does right now – take you on a nostalgia-drenched trip, and not just that of Mili but your own as well. It’s not an easy task to accomplish within the folds of a mere 146 pages, which is what Menon has accomplished so skilfully.
“Sometimes a little thing is all it takes for the mind to wander into long forgotten corners, even to the most wilfully neglected ones.” I will remember this little book for a long time to come.
Mili’s story is rooted in the present where she is pregnant and is eagerly awaiting her baby’s arrival. On one of her days off she decides to make a jar of gooseberry pickle, the process of which inspires more nostalgia. Through Mili’s narrative we get a glimpse of her life from her childhood, through her teenaged years, to when she works as an intern, and later meets her future husband in London.
The memories that Devi Menon describes in Amla Mater are bittersweet just like the gooseberries. There is a certain soft glow that surrounds the narration, which feels just like wiggling into your favourite armchair and feeling its familiar warmth, especially the very provincial flavour, which is achieved by the interspersing of folklore, tales told by grandmothers, and little anecdotes.
Menon’s sketches are beautiful monochrome frames with many of them having intricate border work that add to the dialogues or the narration. But the ones that really stood out for me were the ones, which didn’t have either, and yet conveyed volumes. In many ways, Amla Mater reminded me of Craig Thompson’s Blankets with its deft and gorgeous artwork that is so rich in expression and imagination.
Amla Mater’s boon and its bane, unfortunately, is the fact that it’s so deeply Indian in its background. For example, Mili’s stay with Paatti who is described as, “the quintessential Tamil Brahmin matriarch, down to her diamond nose ring” or the frames where Menon shows us Mili’s love for Chennai by sketching filter coffee being poured or a kolam being drawn are accessible and understandable only to Indians. I immediately related to these very telling cultural icons of Tamil Nadu. But for that you need to get under the skin of a culture, know it inside out. For someone who is not an Indian and never even visited India these illustrations are muted. The book stops speaking to them at some level, and this can make for a disjointed reading experience.
Menon could also have fleshed out the story a little more, perhaps, by adding a few more layers to the character of the Baker, Mili's mother, and maybe her other significant friends like Nandini. But then Amla Mater would not serve the purpose that it does right now – take you on a nostalgia-drenched trip, and not just that of Mili but your own as well. It’s not an easy task to accomplish within the folds of a mere 146 pages, which is what Menon has accomplished so skilfully.
“Sometimes a little thing is all it takes for the mind to wander into long forgotten corners, even to the most wilfully neglected ones.” I will remember this little book for a long time to come.
April 13, 2018
One of my friends recommended 'Amla Mater' by Devi Menon sometime back, and today, I finally got a chance to read it. 'Amla Mater' is a graphic novel. In the first page we encounter Mili, who tells us that small things take us back to the past, to a different time and place. Before we know, a small piece of amla takes Mili and us back to the past, when she was a young girl in Kerala and was best friends with Maya. We read about the charming life that these two live in Kerala as children. On the way, we also get to know that Mili is pregnant now and is going to become a mother soon. As her pregnancy proceeds, Mili remembers more and more things about her past and we get to know what happened to her friendship with Maya, how she moved to a bigger city to go to work, the people she encountered there, the new friends she made, the new experiences she had, how she fell in love and what happened after that. At some point the past and the present intertwine and the story glides into the future.
I loved 'Amla Mater'. The story is charming and heartwarming, and the illustrations are done in a minimalistic style. Reading the book made me nostalgic, as it made me relive the similar kind of experiences I went through. I don't know whether the book is based on the author's own experiences, but it looked very real and memoir-ish, and it reminded me a lot of Marjane Satrapi's 'Persepolis' and Lucy Knisley's 'Relish'. There was a surprise in the end which brought tears to my eyes - happy tears, of course. I also loved the way the book meditates on time and memory and the homage it pays to Marcel Proust and that famous madeleine scene.
If you like realistic graphic novels on contemporary themes, you can try this.
Have you read 'Amla Mater' by Devi Menon? What do you think about it? Do you like graphic novels? Which are your favourites?
I loved 'Amla Mater'. The story is charming and heartwarming, and the illustrations are done in a minimalistic style. Reading the book made me nostalgic, as it made me relive the similar kind of experiences I went through. I don't know whether the book is based on the author's own experiences, but it looked very real and memoir-ish, and it reminded me a lot of Marjane Satrapi's 'Persepolis' and Lucy Knisley's 'Relish'. There was a surprise in the end which brought tears to my eyes - happy tears, of course. I also loved the way the book meditates on time and memory and the homage it pays to Marcel Proust and that famous madeleine scene.
If you like realistic graphic novels on contemporary themes, you can try this.
Have you read 'Amla Mater' by Devi Menon? What do you think about it? Do you like graphic novels? Which are your favourites?
February 14, 2018
I always love stories that have a fabric of nostalgia woven in their premise. I have grown up reading stories like these. That's how we come to Like Premchand, Mahadevi Verma, among others. They bring the India of a certain past alive to us.
This story did the same, although it doesn't concern itself with the distant past. It brings the nostalgia of not-so-long-ago: the times we were growing up. By we, I refer to the coterie of educated people, who grew up in the middle-class neighbourhoods, making memories out of pickles and flavours and tastes and smells. All of the senses that we take with ourselves wherever we go. And that means, even abroad.
Reading such a tale in the form of a graphic novel was a first for me, and the author did complete justice!
This story did the same, although it doesn't concern itself with the distant past. It brings the nostalgia of not-so-long-ago: the times we were growing up. By we, I refer to the coterie of educated people, who grew up in the middle-class neighbourhoods, making memories out of pickles and flavours and tastes and smells. All of the senses that we take with ourselves wherever we go. And that means, even abroad.
Reading such a tale in the form of a graphic novel was a first for me, and the author did complete justice!
May 4, 2018
Read my full review on my Blog WOCreads:
https://wocreads.wordpress.com/2018/0...
Amla Mater emphasizes the importance of food culture in the migration experience. Food and not just its consumption, but its preparation as well are heavily tied to identity and Menon takes us on Mili’s journey – not just geographically from India to London- but also her coming of age from being a young Indian girl to an immigrant in London. I think readers from South India will find a lot of cultural references and nods to enjoy. I probably missed many, but really enjoyed Mili’s story and now I’m hungry for amla pickle!
https://wocreads.wordpress.com/2018/0...
Amla Mater emphasizes the importance of food culture in the migration experience. Food and not just its consumption, but its preparation as well are heavily tied to identity and Menon takes us on Mili’s journey – not just geographically from India to London- but also her coming of age from being a young Indian girl to an immigrant in London. I think readers from South India will find a lot of cultural references and nods to enjoy. I probably missed many, but really enjoyed Mili’s story and now I’m hungry for amla pickle!
July 24, 2018
This review first appeared on MediaDiversified.org 2/26/2018:
This stream-of-consciousness personal journal as memoir uses minimalist sketches and a few more elaborate drawings reminiscent of wood block prints to guide readers through Mili’s wistfully nostalgic swings of memory from past and present, from India to England. There is a subtle playfulness to the author-illustrator’s tone that begins with the title. Flipping the letters l and m in alma to amla in the phrase alma mater transforms the meaning from bounteous mother or place where someone was educated, to gooseberry fruit mother. As in Mother Goose? And since anticipation along with the British tradition of telling kids that babies come from “under a gooseberry bush” are common associations, it’s a clever interweaving of ideas about fertility—imagination, human procreation, nature’s growing cycle—with impatient longing and trepidation about the future.
Mother figures abound in Mili’s review of her life that doubles as entries in a pregnancy journal beginning at week 19. As she explores new frontiers from Kerala, India to Mylapore and Bangalore (officially Bengaluru) to East London, England, Mili’s childhood experiences and friendship with Maya overlay her present expectations and perceptions with a willingness to recognize shared fundamental traits in humans and societies regardless of appearance and geographic location.
Mili’s openness and respect for each character as distinct and specifically named individuals make the designation of her boyfriend to husband, the only Anglo character, The Baker stand out. Other than remaining unnamed he’s rendered and described as a full-fledged human who is thoughtful, considerate, loving, and successful. He’s not portrayed as dangerous like “Man” in Bambi or marginalized like the second wife in du Maurier’s Rebecca. Is this a nod to the infancy of comics and graphic novels when female and non-Anglo characters were routinely unnamed (if they were included at all)? Maybe it’s just used as an innocuous reminder that Amla Mater exclusively focuses on Mili and her journey from girlhood to womanhood to career professional to motherhood through her interactions with other girls and women. Not sure, but it’s interesting to consider the author-illustrator’s intention.
This deceptively easy, breezy G-rated graphic novel tugs on thematic threads of inheritance, social hierarchy, entrenched hetero-normative gender expectations, career apathy and burnout, globalization, and pop culture touchstones in entertainment media. Instead of a bath bomb, Amla Mater is an idea bomb where thoughts about moving through life in a hetero female embodiment keep fizzing in the brain long after reading the last page. It would make a thoughtful addition to a gift basket for an expectant mother.
There’s a glossary for the non-English words, but the story context makes their meanings easy to understand.
For a variety of reasons graphic novels aren’t my reading jam, but my enjoyment of Amla Mater led me to the Comics Plus: Library Edition database of graphic novels, and to The Comic Book History of Comics by Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey. Their amusing, informative survey of Comix* from ancient times to the early 2000s, predominantly U.S. focused with an acknowledgement of international artistic synergy and derivations, totally hooked me into adding more graphic novels to my TBR list.
*An alternate spelling of comics that deliberately differentiates mainstream comics from ones written for adults or underground or alternative audiences. www.ipl.org/div/graphicnovels/gnsHist...
https://mediadiversified.org/2018/02/...
This stream-of-consciousness personal journal as memoir uses minimalist sketches and a few more elaborate drawings reminiscent of wood block prints to guide readers through Mili’s wistfully nostalgic swings of memory from past and present, from India to England. There is a subtle playfulness to the author-illustrator’s tone that begins with the title. Flipping the letters l and m in alma to amla in the phrase alma mater transforms the meaning from bounteous mother or place where someone was educated, to gooseberry fruit mother. As in Mother Goose? And since anticipation along with the British tradition of telling kids that babies come from “under a gooseberry bush” are common associations, it’s a clever interweaving of ideas about fertility—imagination, human procreation, nature’s growing cycle—with impatient longing and trepidation about the future.
Mother figures abound in Mili’s review of her life that doubles as entries in a pregnancy journal beginning at week 19. As she explores new frontiers from Kerala, India to Mylapore and Bangalore (officially Bengaluru) to East London, England, Mili’s childhood experiences and friendship with Maya overlay her present expectations and perceptions with a willingness to recognize shared fundamental traits in humans and societies regardless of appearance and geographic location.
Mili’s openness and respect for each character as distinct and specifically named individuals make the designation of her boyfriend to husband, the only Anglo character, The Baker stand out. Other than remaining unnamed he’s rendered and described as a full-fledged human who is thoughtful, considerate, loving, and successful. He’s not portrayed as dangerous like “Man” in Bambi or marginalized like the second wife in du Maurier’s Rebecca. Is this a nod to the infancy of comics and graphic novels when female and non-Anglo characters were routinely unnamed (if they were included at all)? Maybe it’s just used as an innocuous reminder that Amla Mater exclusively focuses on Mili and her journey from girlhood to womanhood to career professional to motherhood through her interactions with other girls and women. Not sure, but it’s interesting to consider the author-illustrator’s intention.
This deceptively easy, breezy G-rated graphic novel tugs on thematic threads of inheritance, social hierarchy, entrenched hetero-normative gender expectations, career apathy and burnout, globalization, and pop culture touchstones in entertainment media. Instead of a bath bomb, Amla Mater is an idea bomb where thoughts about moving through life in a hetero female embodiment keep fizzing in the brain long after reading the last page. It would make a thoughtful addition to a gift basket for an expectant mother.
There’s a glossary for the non-English words, but the story context makes their meanings easy to understand.
For a variety of reasons graphic novels aren’t my reading jam, but my enjoyment of Amla Mater led me to the Comics Plus: Library Edition database of graphic novels, and to The Comic Book History of Comics by Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey. Their amusing, informative survey of Comix* from ancient times to the early 2000s, predominantly U.S. focused with an acknowledgement of international artistic synergy and derivations, totally hooked me into adding more graphic novels to my TBR list.
*An alternate spelling of comics that deliberately differentiates mainstream comics from ones written for adults or underground or alternative audiences. www.ipl.org/div/graphicnovels/gnsHist...
https://mediadiversified.org/2018/02/...
April 21, 2018
Back in November 2016, I visited London ostensibly for a trade fair, but more to reconnect with my friend. We hadn’t spoken during a horrible period of estrangement, and when we met, we were still awkward around each other, trying to work our way back into the friendship. I ended up staying in London at my friend’s sister-in-law’s apartment. That sister-in-law who showered me with hospitality is the author of this book. I remember stupidly asking her in my nervousness the one question I hate: So, what do you do? To which, the author replied, “Oh well, I do some IT work during the day. And I am working on sketches for a graphic novel.” The last was thrown in so casually that it didn’t really register. I didn’t ask more, and just sipped my cup of tea in silence.
Now, so many months later, when I was given an ARC of ‘Alma Mater,’ I remembered that conversation. I was struck by the illustrations in this book, which are vivid even without color.
Devi Menon took us on a childhood romp, through memories of the past, and all the while weaving in the present. Through this, she also traced the friendship between her and Mala. There is no obvious linear progression, and that might be disconcerting to some readers. It didn’t put me off, though. I enjoyed the journey through the past, and when it comes to memories, I am a sucker for those. This is a sweet little gem - a bit like ice-cream candy on a warm London evening.
Now, so many months later, when I was given an ARC of ‘Alma Mater,’ I remembered that conversation. I was struck by the illustrations in this book, which are vivid even without color.
Devi Menon took us on a childhood romp, through memories of the past, and all the while weaving in the present. Through this, she also traced the friendship between her and Mala. There is no obvious linear progression, and that might be disconcerting to some readers. It didn’t put me off, though. I enjoyed the journey through the past, and when it comes to memories, I am a sucker for those. This is a sweet little gem - a bit like ice-cream candy on a warm London evening.
July 9, 2018
Actual Rating 3.5
I hadn’t heard of Amla Mater but when I was approached to review it, I was immediately on board. The graphic novel memoir is rich in nostalgia and the memories of the motherland. Amla Mater is told from the perspective of a pregnant immigrant. It starts with a craving. A craving for something from home and from the Mili’s childhood. Something that can transport her across time and space.
One day, her significant other brings home some gooseberries, some amla. She decided to try to pickle the amla the way her childhood best friend’s grandmother would. While she is waiting for the amla pickle to mature and be ready to consume, she reflects on her life until the moment.
We are taken on a journey that begins with Mili and her childhood friend are playing around in their village to when Mili’s family moves, her college years, her working, her moving to a new country, her falling in love, all the milestones in her life.
While I do wish there was a more substantial storyline outside of just the milestones the main character hits over the course of her life, there is something so powerful about the nostalgia embedded in the pages and how that peaks towards the end of the novel.
Amla Mater is a pretty wholesome graphic novel that tells the moving story of one immigrant and is probably something many other immigrants will be able to relate to. Of course, one experience doesn’t encompass all but that doesn’t mean it cannot be moving. I highly recommend reading this graphic novel because it deserves a lot more attention then it is currently getting.
***Note that I received an advanced copy of this book for review
I hadn’t heard of Amla Mater but when I was approached to review it, I was immediately on board. The graphic novel memoir is rich in nostalgia and the memories of the motherland. Amla Mater is told from the perspective of a pregnant immigrant. It starts with a craving. A craving for something from home and from the Mili’s childhood. Something that can transport her across time and space.
One day, her significant other brings home some gooseberries, some amla. She decided to try to pickle the amla the way her childhood best friend’s grandmother would. While she is waiting for the amla pickle to mature and be ready to consume, she reflects on her life until the moment.
We are taken on a journey that begins with Mili and her childhood friend are playing around in their village to when Mili’s family moves, her college years, her working, her moving to a new country, her falling in love, all the milestones in her life.
While I do wish there was a more substantial storyline outside of just the milestones the main character hits over the course of her life, there is something so powerful about the nostalgia embedded in the pages and how that peaks towards the end of the novel.
Amla Mater is a pretty wholesome graphic novel that tells the moving story of one immigrant and is probably something many other immigrants will be able to relate to. Of course, one experience doesn’t encompass all but that doesn’t mean it cannot be moving. I highly recommend reading this graphic novel because it deserves a lot more attention then it is currently getting.
***Note that I received an advanced copy of this book for review
March 19, 2018
Disclaimer: I received an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for a review.
Nostalgia comes in many forms, and in this case it's the memory of amla (gooseberry) pickles that takes the reader on a journey to the author's childhood in India. The main character reminisces about her childhood, family, and friends while awaiting her first child thousands of miles away from India. The use of the pickles is not only a recurring thread in the protagonist's memories but lightly drives the plot for the contemporary storyline. There isn't a lot of plot but that isn't what this book is about.
While I enjoyed the story, I can't say that the drawing style did much for me. That's as much a matter of personal taste as anything, so other readers may enjoy the artist's style more than I did. I would seek out more of this author's written work but probably wouldn't go out of my way for her illustrations.
Now I want to try some Indian amla pickles!
Nostalgia comes in many forms, and in this case it's the memory of amla (gooseberry) pickles that takes the reader on a journey to the author's childhood in India. The main character reminisces about her childhood, family, and friends while awaiting her first child thousands of miles away from India. The use of the pickles is not only a recurring thread in the protagonist's memories but lightly drives the plot for the contemporary storyline. There isn't a lot of plot but that isn't what this book is about.
While I enjoyed the story, I can't say that the drawing style did much for me. That's as much a matter of personal taste as anything, so other readers may enjoy the artist's style more than I did. I would seek out more of this author's written work but probably wouldn't go out of my way for her illustrations.
Now I want to try some Indian amla pickles!
February 20, 2018
Amla Mater is a very short graphic novel in which the narrator recounts her childhood memories. The act of making gooseberry pickle reminds her of the times she had spent in Kerala with her childhood friend, Maya.
I was very intrigued by the title of the book and also the fact that it's a graphic novel. However, I found it to be an okay read. For starters, the sketches weren't all that captivating and in my opinion, didn't add to the story. There was some kind of a formatting issue which disrupted my reading experience. There'd be text missing or aligned haphazardly. Moreover, this book was too short for me to actually connect with the story. On the other hand, reading this book reminded me of my grandmother because she too, like Maya's grandmother, makes delicious gooseberry pickle. So that's the one thing I liked - I could relate to the essential theme of being grounded to your roots. I wish this book had been written a bit more elaborately to allow us readers some more insight into the life of the narrator. That way the author's intent would have been delivered with much more clarity.
Ratings - 2.5 out of 5 stars
What do you get out of it? A quick read that's filled with cultural emblems and transports the reader to their own childhood.
Thank you Yali Books for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was very intrigued by the title of the book and also the fact that it's a graphic novel. However, I found it to be an okay read. For starters, the sketches weren't all that captivating and in my opinion, didn't add to the story. There was some kind of a formatting issue which disrupted my reading experience. There'd be text missing or aligned haphazardly. Moreover, this book was too short for me to actually connect with the story. On the other hand, reading this book reminded me of my grandmother because she too, like Maya's grandmother, makes delicious gooseberry pickle. So that's the one thing I liked - I could relate to the essential theme of being grounded to your roots. I wish this book had been written a bit more elaborately to allow us readers some more insight into the life of the narrator. That way the author's intent would have been delivered with much more clarity.
Ratings - 2.5 out of 5 stars
What do you get out of it? A quick read that's filled with cultural emblems and transports the reader to their own childhood.
Thank you Yali Books for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 22, 2018
When 42 face muscles spontaneously get together, widen the mouth, crinkle the eyes, and stay in place through the 142 pages of reading a graphic book, just a big, bright Smiley would have been the perfect graphic review for a wonderful graphic novel!! In the absence of that option I am using words to express what I think of the book.
Amla mater is the story narrated by a girl-woman (I am guessing she is thirty plus-minus): born, brought up and blossomed in South India; migrated to UK; married and made the foreign country her home. She is expecting her first baby and that legitimizes her craving for tangy pickles and frequent forays into the comfort zones of the past. The graphic book is the screen which captures some of her thoughts as they jump from the present to the past to the present. They do that in seamless progression, without the reader feeling even a trace of a jerk. And that is one of the thumbs-up points about the book.
Who can relate to the novel? Someone who has walked an identical path of course. And possibly most, first generation migrants too. But then, considering that almost all people have left behind the growing up spaces and moved on, we are all migrants in one sense. So anyone who has memory of bringing down the old ‘shoe box’ from the attic (on an occasional rainy day), looking through the old photos, and spending the day awash with old memories, can relate to this book.
So I recommend this beautiful book as something you can gift to someone, anyone, without wondering if the person is the book reading type or what genre of book he or she may like.
Because Amla Mater is more than a graphic book. It is a photo Album.
Four members in my family aged between 15 and 65 have enjoyed the book and returned it with a smile! ! That is five people whose brains received a liberal dose of endorphins and serotonin for the day! As a lay reader who picks up a book to stimulate the brain, I have got my money’s worth!
Amla mater is the story narrated by a girl-woman (I am guessing she is thirty plus-minus): born, brought up and blossomed in South India; migrated to UK; married and made the foreign country her home. She is expecting her first baby and that legitimizes her craving for tangy pickles and frequent forays into the comfort zones of the past. The graphic book is the screen which captures some of her thoughts as they jump from the present to the past to the present. They do that in seamless progression, without the reader feeling even a trace of a jerk. And that is one of the thumbs-up points about the book.
Who can relate to the novel? Someone who has walked an identical path of course. And possibly most, first generation migrants too. But then, considering that almost all people have left behind the growing up spaces and moved on, we are all migrants in one sense. So anyone who has memory of bringing down the old ‘shoe box’ from the attic (on an occasional rainy day), looking through the old photos, and spending the day awash with old memories, can relate to this book.
So I recommend this beautiful book as something you can gift to someone, anyone, without wondering if the person is the book reading type or what genre of book he or she may like.
Because Amla Mater is more than a graphic book. It is a photo Album.
Four members in my family aged between 15 and 65 have enjoyed the book and returned it with a smile! ! That is five people whose brains received a liberal dose of endorphins and serotonin for the day! As a lay reader who picks up a book to stimulate the brain, I have got my money’s worth!
June 24, 2018
Devi Menon's Amla Mater is the sort of book that goes perfectly with a cosy armchair and a hot cup of tea. Sweetly nostalgic and infused with gentle humour, this 142- page graphic novel begins and ends with a jar of gooseberry (amla) pickle that gives the book its name. The protagonist Mili, who lives in London, starts craving for the pickle from her childhood when she gets pregnant. That paves the way for her reminisces about her childhood in Kerala and later years in Chennai, Bangalore and London. The book is rich in evocative imagery, from a monsoon downpour to the scent of jasmine. The clean, simple lines with which the characters are drawn is often nicely complemented by the more intricate backdrops. The terrifying tale told by a friend's grandmother, with shape - shifting demons and three- legged beasts, is vividly rendered. For those looking for a strong plot -driven book, this is not it. Mili's reminisces are only loosely bound by the progressing pregnancy that forms the chronology of the book. Instead, its chief charm lies in the way it weaves anecdotes, folklore and imagery to depict the longing we feel for every place, every friend we leave behind as we make our way in an ever-changing world.
June 28, 2018
The Graphic Novel Amla Mater written by Devi Menon takes the reader on a walk down their memory lane. A book that brings back most precious memories of once childhood days and the various trails we take on later as individuals searching for our own so called “calling”. It’s a beautifully well-crafted graphic novel with visual elements that does complete justification to the reader’s imagination. Every reader can relate to Mili in one way or the other. A Must Read for all book lovers..A simple straight from the heart feel good warm graphic novel…I loved the way Devi Menon narrates the story. Amla Mater is one of The Best graphic novel books i have read so far....
May 18, 2018
****Thanks to NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.****
I thought this graphic novel was pretty boring for me , I think maybe because I really do not relate to it. I guess that people who have moved away from their country will relate to this story and really enjoy it I really did not like it at all.
I thought this graphic novel was pretty boring for me , I think maybe because I really do not relate to it. I guess that people who have moved away from their country will relate to this story and really enjoy it I really did not like it at all.
May 11, 2018
A charming story of separations and homecomings with gooseberries at the center.
May 5, 2018
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in return for my honest review.
This is really short and lovely graphic novel. Mila is away from home and expecting her first child and misses her hometown. She connected her childhood memories through gooseberries pickles. This graphic novels contains friendship. pregnancy and pickles. I loved how Mila created Maya's grandmother's pickle recipe and remembered her past. I loved Maya and Mila's friendship. But sometimes you lost someone really weird times. People left you but you can reconnect them again. I enjoyed reading this.
This is really short and lovely graphic novel. Mila is away from home and expecting her first child and misses her hometown. She connected her childhood memories through gooseberries pickles. This graphic novels contains friendship. pregnancy and pickles. I loved how Mila created Maya's grandmother's pickle recipe and remembered her past. I loved Maya and Mila's friendship. But sometimes you lost someone really weird times. People left you but you can reconnect them again. I enjoyed reading this.
May 31, 2018
Full review here: http://www.womensweb.in/2018/05/amla-...
July 20, 2018
Amla Mater, the debut graphic novel of author Devi Menon, is a character-driven memoir of a young woman’s early life in India, a life she reminisces on as she prepares to give birth to her first child. Mili now lives in the U.K., far from her childhood home. It is a story of fate, of hope—that what is lost may yet be found again.
What I loved most about Amla Mater was the glimpse it gave me into day-to-day life in India, in all of its diversity. It dispels the idea that the country is one great monoculture.
It also reminded me of the most golden moments of my own childhood—the people, the smells, the tastes, the colors that are still so very vibrant in my own mind. I loved her image of memories as a string of beads, almost like a rosary, that can be touched and held between ones fingers as a tangible connection to our sweetest recollections.
What I wished for was a longer version of the story. I wanted the scenes to be dwelt on even longer, the stories to be given more detail, and for some loose ends to be tied up. There were some storylines that never resolved, and I wish they had.
I also looked for broader strokes in the drawings, pictures with a little more complexity. The simple drawings made the story feel simple, and maybe that was the purpose, but I had hoped for more.
This book did give me a burst of joy at its resolution, despite my desires for more, and I enjoyed the experience.
What I loved most about Amla Mater was the glimpse it gave me into day-to-day life in India, in all of its diversity. It dispels the idea that the country is one great monoculture.
It also reminded me of the most golden moments of my own childhood—the people, the smells, the tastes, the colors that are still so very vibrant in my own mind. I loved her image of memories as a string of beads, almost like a rosary, that can be touched and held between ones fingers as a tangible connection to our sweetest recollections.
What I wished for was a longer version of the story. I wanted the scenes to be dwelt on even longer, the stories to be given more detail, and for some loose ends to be tied up. There were some storylines that never resolved, and I wish they had.
I also looked for broader strokes in the drawings, pictures with a little more complexity. The simple drawings made the story feel simple, and maybe that was the purpose, but I had hoped for more.
This book did give me a burst of joy at its resolution, despite my desires for more, and I enjoyed the experience.
June 18, 2020
'Amla Mater' with words and art by Devi Menon is a graphic novel about a woman who is pregnant, and all the memories that brings with it.
Mili is waiting for her baby in London. She sees little reminders of her home in India. Amla, or gooseberry, is something that her grandmother pickled, and Mili tries to recreate it. As she waits for the pickles to be ready, and the baby grows inside her, other memories of friends and places come to her.
It's a sweet and nostalgic story. The art is a bit basic, but since the author drew it, I can appreciate it. The story speaks of longing for home and even things that can never be again, and that resonated with me as a reader.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Yali Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Mili is waiting for her baby in London. She sees little reminders of her home in India. Amla, or gooseberry, is something that her grandmother pickled, and Mili tries to recreate it. As she waits for the pickles to be ready, and the baby grows inside her, other memories of friends and places come to her.
It's a sweet and nostalgic story. The art is a bit basic, but since the author drew it, I can appreciate it. The story speaks of longing for home and even things that can never be again, and that resonated with me as a reader.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Yali Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
January 22, 2020
A young woman reminisces about her childhood in India as her pregnancy progresses, with special emphasis on her best friend and the times they spent under the “amla”, or gooseberry tree. Part of the story involves her making pickles with gooseberries in her new home in London, a nice nod to the title. “Beads of memory” occur to her as she and her husband (“the baker”) get ready for their child. Warm, gentle, poignant humor infuses the story. Simple black and white line art in various panel arrangements complement the back and forth between the present and the past.
Sadly, the drawing has a inexpert, childish quality, missing depth and accuracy. The story would benefit from a more experienced illustrator.
Sadly, the drawing has a inexpert, childish quality, missing depth and accuracy. The story would benefit from a more experienced illustrator.
May 22, 2019
A beautifully written and drawn comic about a pregnant woman and the importance of friendship and pickles made of gooseberries.
Sometimes a little thing is all it takes for the mind to wander into long forgotten corners,
even to the most wilfully neglected ones. Before you realize it, little beads of memory begin to dance, taking centre stage in the present…that’s far removed from the past.
-Devi Menon (Amla Mater p 6-7)
https://nicolewbrown.blogspot.com/201...
Sometimes a little thing is all it takes for the mind to wander into long forgotten corners,
even to the most wilfully neglected ones. Before you realize it, little beads of memory begin to dance, taking centre stage in the present…that’s far removed from the past.
-Devi Menon (Amla Mater p 6-7)
https://nicolewbrown.blogspot.com/201...
February 23, 2024
As Mili awaits the birth of her baby in London she encounters different sensory experiences such as the smell of jasmine, the sight of gooseberries, and the feel of a downpour, she finds that each brings forth a bead of memory. This bead transports her back to her life in India and all that she misses or has missed. However, she will soon find that there is a way to bridge the gap from her past to her present and future.
With stylized drawings, Devi Menon creates a thoughtful, delightful, and heartening memoir.
With stylized drawings, Devi Menon creates a thoughtful, delightful, and heartening memoir.
November 22, 2024
A sweet, short memoir that gives a look at a woman remembering the past, living in the present and knowing the future is there waiting. Following along with her pregnancy, the narrator tells us how all of her pieces can come together, showing how she is who she is meant to be, knowing she has the support of her past, present and future to help her. Simple, but not simplistic, illustrations accompany the text. The overall tone is somber, hopeful and a mix of bitter and sweet, like the gooseberry of her childhood.
September 1, 2018
This lovely graphic novel recounts a childhood in India of a young girl, and her best friend, Maya.
It involves gooseberries, awaiting the birth of her baby girl, and her new life in London.
The illustrations are simple ink drawings but they convey the story perfectly. It is almost like looking into the windows of the narrators past and present.
A really wonderful read.
Enjoy!!
It involves gooseberries, awaiting the birth of her baby girl, and her new life in London.
The illustrations are simple ink drawings but they convey the story perfectly. It is almost like looking into the windows of the narrators past and present.
A really wonderful read.
Enjoy!!
July 20, 2018
Amla Mater is a beautiful graphic novel about a young pregnant woman reminiscing of her childhood.
This is so beautiful. The graphics are stunning. Simple yet so affective. The story was touching and heartfelt. I loved all the memories of her early years and what triggers them.
This is so beautiful. The graphics are stunning. Simple yet so affective. The story was touching and heartfelt. I loved all the memories of her early years and what triggers them.
August 10, 2021
This was such a beautifully written graphic novel about a pregnant woman who is transported by nostalgia back to her childhood in India. One reviewer said it’s a “…lyrical homage to memory”, and I would agree. Five stars. 🤎🌳
Want to read
June 22, 2018Note: I received a digital review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
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