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38 Bahadurabad
A blend of autobiography and fiction, this is the story of a young girl's experiences growing up in Pakistan in the late 1960's, as the narrator recalls the motley group of eccentrics who fashioned her upbringing, and the father who, following his death in 1972, was apotheosized to near sainthood.
132 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 2, 2020
38 Bahadurabad is another one on the list of "strange and weird (in a good way)" books I've read. It had this deep sense of pain hidden in the narrative and somehow at times it managed to turn comical and make you laugh. It's part biography and part fiction. Zeeba Sadiq narrates the stories of people in her life (mostly restricted to her memory of upto 10 years and some instances from later stage of her life) and there is a chapter dedicated to one character's story or a topic (in the life)of a repeated character at a time. You can almost call it a compilation of short stories that make into a big one. I love how the chapters ended, in a heartbreaking or a hysterical note. The story revolves around the time of post Partition (1969...) & I failed to understand some characters feelings towards India (them residing in Pakistan) despite the fact that they spent a majority of time here in Hind(India). Maybe it was the experience that led them to dislike it but it just made me very uncomfortable. Any book dealing with hatred towards any other community just don't settle down good with me. So this really started with me thinking I finally found my next 5 star read but unfortunately it ended up with 3.7🌟
November 16, 2021
38 Bahadurabad is a delightful story about Zeeba, a precocious young child and is set in 60’s Karachi. Part auto-biographical, part-fiction the author writes about growing up with her doting grandmother Mrs Shirazi, mother Mrs Sadiq, father Dr Sadiq, servants and a strangely named pet dog.
Zeeba writes mostly about domestic life, and complex family relationships albeit in a simplified way. Some chapters are devoted to individuals, their lives become stories within a story. Zeba spins a rich tapestry of tales. Her Persian grandmother describes her Shirazi upbringing and marriage to a businessman from Baghdad and the tragedy that occurs at Sea. Her mother laments her loves and losses as a married woman focusing unconditional love and attention on her children. Laxmi the maidservant adds tragedy to the mix whilst the Pekingese pet dog provides humour.
Of note, the female characters relate their lives as a direct consequence of the success of their marriages. Both grandmother and mother’s stories are told from the circumstances of married life. Zeeba listens eagerly to Laxmi a poor maid servant’s experience as a child bride to a sadistic mob of a family. When Laxmi escapes back to her parents her powerless father chides her.
"The only time a Hindu girl leaves her husband’s home, is in her funeral cloth."
The chapter devoted to Laxmi certainly gives a voice to the voiceless within the bubble of privilege to which Zeeba belongs and which Laxmi eventually joins as a loyal maid servant of the household.
Throughout the book there is much humour, Zeeba Sadiq even manages to combine comedy with tragedy as she narrates the life stories of each of the characters. She writes beautifully and vividly describes characters and settings.
‘Out of the sight of my grandmother he would give me little samples, and at nine when she called me in, he would bid me salaam and I would watch as he disappeared into the darkness of the street, the lamp suspended in the air. And the one night that lamp faded into the distance never to return. Beautiful Karachi nights with Nani, Laxmi, the old man, and the donkey.’
Negatives, I think Zeeba Sadiq could have written more about life beyond the domestic space, i.e. school, friend’s homes.. Also, more could also have been written about women's lives beyond the domestic sphere. Women in Pakistan were liberated lives in terms of education and work in the 60s.
Positives, Zeeba came across as a likeable character, a curious but mischievous child and bathed in love by all around her. In the book, the author shed light on the very unique upbring that children do enjoy in Asia and the Arab world which may seem peculiar to readers raised within the Western nuclear families.
Zeeba writes beautifully and in lucid prose, she has a skill for storytelling and in conveying the stories of three generations of family history in an entertaining way. This novel certainly will appeal to anyone who has lived in an extended family in Pakistan. What is particularly delightful about this book is the love little Zeeba receives from her family. While there are tragedies, 38 Bahadurabad is essentially an enduring tale of love.
Zeeba writes mostly about domestic life, and complex family relationships albeit in a simplified way. Some chapters are devoted to individuals, their lives become stories within a story. Zeba spins a rich tapestry of tales. Her Persian grandmother describes her Shirazi upbringing and marriage to a businessman from Baghdad and the tragedy that occurs at Sea. Her mother laments her loves and losses as a married woman focusing unconditional love and attention on her children. Laxmi the maidservant adds tragedy to the mix whilst the Pekingese pet dog provides humour.
Of note, the female characters relate their lives as a direct consequence of the success of their marriages. Both grandmother and mother’s stories are told from the circumstances of married life. Zeeba listens eagerly to Laxmi a poor maid servant’s experience as a child bride to a sadistic mob of a family. When Laxmi escapes back to her parents her powerless father chides her.
"The only time a Hindu girl leaves her husband’s home, is in her funeral cloth."
The chapter devoted to Laxmi certainly gives a voice to the voiceless within the bubble of privilege to which Zeeba belongs and which Laxmi eventually joins as a loyal maid servant of the household.
Throughout the book there is much humour, Zeeba Sadiq even manages to combine comedy with tragedy as she narrates the life stories of each of the characters. She writes beautifully and vividly describes characters and settings.
‘Out of the sight of my grandmother he would give me little samples, and at nine when she called me in, he would bid me salaam and I would watch as he disappeared into the darkness of the street, the lamp suspended in the air. And the one night that lamp faded into the distance never to return. Beautiful Karachi nights with Nani, Laxmi, the old man, and the donkey.’
Negatives, I think Zeeba Sadiq could have written more about life beyond the domestic space, i.e. school, friend’s homes.. Also, more could also have been written about women's lives beyond the domestic sphere. Women in Pakistan were liberated lives in terms of education and work in the 60s.
Positives, Zeeba came across as a likeable character, a curious but mischievous child and bathed in love by all around her. In the book, the author shed light on the very unique upbring that children do enjoy in Asia and the Arab world which may seem peculiar to readers raised within the Western nuclear families.
Zeeba writes beautifully and in lucid prose, she has a skill for storytelling and in conveying the stories of three generations of family history in an entertaining way. This novel certainly will appeal to anyone who has lived in an extended family in Pakistan. What is particularly delightful about this book is the love little Zeeba receives from her family. While there are tragedies, 38 Bahadurabad is essentially an enduring tale of love.
March 30, 2023
picked this book out of my mother’s bookshelf and read it in one sitting. the book comprises of vignettes of life in bahadurabad and these endearing character sketches through the eyes of a child. it’s also evocative of a karachi (and a pakistan) that belongs to the past, populated with a diverse array of characters and little outside family dilemmas to upend the protagonist’s life.
the tonal shifts are abrupt but seamless, and it really feels like a glimpse into the rich inner lives of the people and influences zeeba grew up around. she’s such a gripping protagonist herself, a child whose capacity for love and mischief intermingles to create some very humorous moments.
i will say though some parts are potentially triggering, but they speak to the tragedies that accompany being a woman, especially in a turbulent time like during/post-partition.
definitely glad i read this
the tonal shifts are abrupt but seamless, and it really feels like a glimpse into the rich inner lives of the people and influences zeeba grew up around. she’s such a gripping protagonist herself, a child whose capacity for love and mischief intermingles to create some very humorous moments.
i will say though some parts are potentially triggering, but they speak to the tragedies that accompany being a woman, especially in a turbulent time like during/post-partition.
definitely glad i read this
July 2, 2017
A lovely read.
November 2, 2018
Funny, good for a light read. A collection of short stories, a glimpse into the life of Zeeba, her life in Pakistan.
Good for a one time read.
Good for a one time read.
February 19, 2024
3.5 actually, i love me an eccentric family teetering on being slightly crazy
January 5, 2022
Such nicely written character sketches. Small chapters describing the people and events from 38 Bahadurabad!
It's like looking through a small window into the lives of the people of this household some days of the week!
It's like looking through a small window into the lives of the people of this household some days of the week!
August 30, 2017
Well, what do I say! In a an awfully funny and equally ridiculous instance in my life, I decided to pick up this book. Hear me out.
One day, not so long ago, I was going through the archive list on my blog and realised that a number of letters towards the end had no books listed below them. It felt unjustified and I immediately decided that I need to start filling these up.
I decided to pick up my next reads by the first name of the authors starting from Z going backwards. Completely disinterested in reading from my Kindle, I picked up this tiny book from my shelf. The author, Zeeba Sadiq, now finds a place in my archives under ‘Z’. As for the book itself, I am not very pleased.
Cover
The cover which is otherwise meant as an artwork, just looks like a sloppy design as a whole. It is dull and amateurish. The font does no good to the artwork either. I picked up the book on a whim to which cover had no part to play.
Characters
It is the story of the author. Zeeba has a happy family, her father being the epicentre of it. Dr Sadiq is a well-educated liberal man. ‘He had no stomach for war, especially a war between his adopted country and country of his birth…’. He is married to Zeeba’s mother who is a little silly but made of sterner stuff than Zeeba. The grandmother is the one Zeeba is most attached to. They have a happy small family with its own distant past, dirty laundry and some cosy moments.
Content
The book is about this little girl Zeeba and her life in Pakistan in the 1960s. Zeeba belongs to a reasonably privileged family. This book is her account of the life she led there before her father died. She recollects all the small funny incidences that made her life.
The incidences are funny and cute, but somehow, gets monotonous after three chapters. These are barely funny towards the end. The thrill dies away when the secrets of the family are slowly taken off as peels. There is nothing to look forward to after a certain time, and even when there is something interesting, you do not find yourself caring. Story of Laxmi falls flat completely. As excited as I was to be reading another Pakistani author, this book just disappointed me throughout. I just kept at it waiting for something to turn around but it died midway and refused to resurrect.
Language
The content does not disappoint you as much as the language does. The writing is dull. Laxmi’s story is uninteresting. It lacks the authenticity that should come with the writing about native. Some of the sentences are direct translations from Hindi/Urdu for example ‘Zeeba! My heart, my liver, my child’. The language throughout is monotone. There are no troughs and crests in the book, and that’s made worse by the writing.
Good points
If I had to pick something, I would say the setting. The book is based in an Asian country and I would have loved to know more about it but it did not come through very well.
Bad points
Everything else. The cover is dull. The characters are interesting but somehow do not hold the attention very long. Too many names to remember too. The content is boring. The language is monotonous. It was a waste of time; the entire book.
Overall
I did not like the book at all. It shattered my impression that all the Pakistani origin writers write well. I think I just read a few great ones before; it is not a rule.
Whom do I recommend this to
No one. Absolutely no one.
One day, not so long ago, I was going through the archive list on my blog and realised that a number of letters towards the end had no books listed below them. It felt unjustified and I immediately decided that I need to start filling these up.
I decided to pick up my next reads by the first name of the authors starting from Z going backwards. Completely disinterested in reading from my Kindle, I picked up this tiny book from my shelf. The author, Zeeba Sadiq, now finds a place in my archives under ‘Z’. As for the book itself, I am not very pleased.
Cover
The cover which is otherwise meant as an artwork, just looks like a sloppy design as a whole. It is dull and amateurish. The font does no good to the artwork either. I picked up the book on a whim to which cover had no part to play.
Characters
It is the story of the author. Zeeba has a happy family, her father being the epicentre of it. Dr Sadiq is a well-educated liberal man. ‘He had no stomach for war, especially a war between his adopted country and country of his birth…’. He is married to Zeeba’s mother who is a little silly but made of sterner stuff than Zeeba. The grandmother is the one Zeeba is most attached to. They have a happy small family with its own distant past, dirty laundry and some cosy moments.
Content
The book is about this little girl Zeeba and her life in Pakistan in the 1960s. Zeeba belongs to a reasonably privileged family. This book is her account of the life she led there before her father died. She recollects all the small funny incidences that made her life.
The incidences are funny and cute, but somehow, gets monotonous after three chapters. These are barely funny towards the end. The thrill dies away when the secrets of the family are slowly taken off as peels. There is nothing to look forward to after a certain time, and even when there is something interesting, you do not find yourself caring. Story of Laxmi falls flat completely. As excited as I was to be reading another Pakistani author, this book just disappointed me throughout. I just kept at it waiting for something to turn around but it died midway and refused to resurrect.
Language
The content does not disappoint you as much as the language does. The writing is dull. Laxmi’s story is uninteresting. It lacks the authenticity that should come with the writing about native. Some of the sentences are direct translations from Hindi/Urdu for example ‘Zeeba! My heart, my liver, my child’. The language throughout is monotone. There are no troughs and crests in the book, and that’s made worse by the writing.
Good points
If I had to pick something, I would say the setting. The book is based in an Asian country and I would have loved to know more about it but it did not come through very well.
Bad points
Everything else. The cover is dull. The characters are interesting but somehow do not hold the attention very long. Too many names to remember too. The content is boring. The language is monotonous. It was a waste of time; the entire book.
Overall
I did not like the book at all. It shattered my impression that all the Pakistani origin writers write well. I think I just read a few great ones before; it is not a rule.
Whom do I recommend this to
No one. Absolutely no one.
September 16, 2018
In 38 Bahadurabad, Zeeba Sadiq recounts her early childhood in Karachi, Pakistan through a series of anecdotes. Equal parts funny and poignant, this is one of those books after reading which you'd wish you personally knew the author. I picked it up on a whim at a book sale, and I'm glad that I did. Zeeba perfectly captures the feeling of childhood through her interactions with the adults in her life- her mother Mrs. Sadiq, grandmother Mrs. Shirazi, father Dr. Sadiq, and various other characters. "Growing Up" is nothing but children beginning to completely mimic the adults around them, and these small interactions which may seem mundane and unmemorable to a grown-up, tend to play bigger influences in the lives of the children. It's these interactions, these anecdotes shared by Zeeba, which have shaped her as she is today. I was saddened to find that she had passed at the beginning of this decade and this was her only book, I would have certainly liked to read more of her work.
April 14, 2019
I enjoyed each of the small stories from Sadiq's childhood but I was left wanting for more. Her childhood was so interesting and I'm sure she could have written a much longer novel. She had a unusual childhood, surrounded by many unusual characters and I wish I got to learn more about each of them. Sadiq gives only that much as is absolutely necessary and keeps her cards extremely close to her chest. There are hardly any explanations for the odd behaviour displayed by the characters. Perhaps the autobiographical nature of the novel made her too conscious. I liked the use of short chapters but do wish there were more. the disjointed format did throw me off a little but I enjoyed the novel as a whole nonetheless.
Zeeba Sadiq
Zeeba Sadiq
February 14, 2020
A delicate little gem of a book. Made up of little vignettes from a family's life, loves, and history in 60s Karachi, it is also a daughter's tribute to her father, a man she knew more than anyone, and at the same time didn't.
The pages are easy to turn, but hold so much weight in memory and nostalgia that it's difficult to be unmoved, even though parts are uproariously funny.
This book deserves to be better known. A delight.
The pages are easy to turn, but hold so much weight in memory and nostalgia that it's difficult to be unmoved, even though parts are uproariously funny.
This book deserves to be better known. A delight.
January 21, 2021
I read this in one sitting. It reminded me of Sara Suleri’s Meatless Days. I enjoyed the writing: written with economy and precision this novella accomplishes in a few hundred pages an entire childhood. Written about Karachi and a Muslim family in the 60s but in an almost casual manner. I think I just mean that it was extremely refreshing to read a “desi” novel not written for the white gaze. I will be thinking about Zeeba for a long time.
February 8, 2024
Best book I've read this year. Best book by a Pakistani author I've read, ever, I think. Written beautifully, with a blend of humor, realism, grief and compassion. Picked it off my brother's bookshelf on a whim and now I'm trying to steal it, wish me luck
June 15, 2017
Lovely.
January 2, 2019
Biographical, well written.
May 2, 2020
The most delightful book I have read in a while. Hilarious at some instances, heartbreaking at others. All done with commendable simplicity of narrative and many wonderful peculiar word choices.
November 17, 2025
No wonder the book caught my attention. I grew up near bahadurabad ,have many friends & relatives residing there , i know the neighbourhood pretty well. To my surprise it mentioned nothing about bahadurabad ....just the world through the eyes of a little girl - a nonjudgmental view of the people around her. It seems her loneliness has made her more observant.
The characters include her much older father, mother, grandmother, uncle, aunts, a spiritual man, servants, but i liked the old man who sold pickles and his relationship with the girl. Growing up in Pakistan is very different than growing up in USA. Children are brought up not only by their parents, but relatives, neighbours, servants and others like the man who sells pickles.
It’s not the most original book, but it carries a certain charm—readers from Karachi will appreciate its setting and sensibilities
The characters include her much older father, mother, grandmother, uncle, aunts, a spiritual man, servants, but i liked the old man who sold pickles and his relationship with the girl. Growing up in Pakistan is very different than growing up in USA. Children are brought up not only by their parents, but relatives, neighbours, servants and others like the man who sells pickles.
It’s not the most original book, but it carries a certain charm—readers from Karachi will appreciate its setting and sensibilities
December 22, 2020
Zeeba Sadiq who currently lives in England reminisces about her childhood in Bahadurabad, Karachi. It is a memoir but mostly about her father Dr.Sadiq and other family and friends whom Zeeba found comical.
Since Zeeba is from an influential family we get to see things from that perspective. There are tales about servants and hawkers, giving us a flash on their lives but does not dwell on the details of their lives. If you are looking for know about Karachi or the War, this book doesn’t give you much. Else, it is a good read.
Since Zeeba is from an influential family we get to see things from that perspective. There are tales about servants and hawkers, giving us a flash on their lives but does not dwell on the details of their lives. If you are looking for know about Karachi or the War, this book doesn’t give you much. Else, it is a good read.
August 28, 2023
🔖 A-
Cut of the same cloth as Mango Street and Ghachar Ghochar, and less class-conscious. The only reason it gets a higher grade is because it's from Pakistan, and it made me feel things, and I'm going to reread it probably.
Cut of the same cloth as Mango Street and Ghachar Ghochar, and less class-conscious. The only reason it gets a higher grade is because it's from Pakistan, and it made me feel things, and I'm going to reread it probably.
May 24, 2020
This book managaes to give a glimpse of the subcontinent in such few pages and in an extremely beautiful way. I wish that the author had written more.
April 11, 2021
An amazing treat for the soul!! Beautiful book.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews