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The Secret Diary of a Fraught Bengali: a clean romance that explores first time mum anxiety
A fraught new(ish) mum. A toddler who doesn’t sleep. A big move.
Life has a funny way of coming full circle.
I couldn’t wait to leave my small neighbourhood up north, yet here we are, thinking of moving back. However, with a career in flux, older parents and in-laws that come with their own expectations, can I really leave my bubble in London to go back to all that?
The latest book in the award-winning series sees our fraught heroine face new challenges as she navigates life in the sandwich generation – having a small child and older parents to take care of. It’s funny, heartwarming and poignant.
Set against the backdrop of a changing social landscape, former journalist Halima Khatun’s The Secret Diary of a Fraught Bengali explores race, identity and belonging, in a way only she knows how.
About the authorHalima Khatun is a former journalist (having worked for ITV and the BBC), writer and PR consultant.
Since she was a child, she knew that words would be her thing. With a lifelong passion for writing, Halima wrote her first novel - a coming-of-age children’s story - at the age of 12. It was politely turned down by all the major publishing houses. However, proving that writing was indeed her forte, Halima went on to study English and Journalism and was one of just four people in the UK to be granted a BBC scholarship during her postgraduate studies.
She has since written for a number of publications including the HuffPost and Yahoo! Style, and has been featured in the Express, Metro and other national publications.
Life has a funny way of coming full circle.
I couldn’t wait to leave my small neighbourhood up north, yet here we are, thinking of moving back. However, with a career in flux, older parents and in-laws that come with their own expectations, can I really leave my bubble in London to go back to all that?
The latest book in the award-winning series sees our fraught heroine face new challenges as she navigates life in the sandwich generation – having a small child and older parents to take care of. It’s funny, heartwarming and poignant.
Set against the backdrop of a changing social landscape, former journalist Halima Khatun’s The Secret Diary of a Fraught Bengali explores race, identity and belonging, in a way only she knows how.
About the authorHalima Khatun is a former journalist (having worked for ITV and the BBC), writer and PR consultant.
Since she was a child, she knew that words would be her thing. With a lifelong passion for writing, Halima wrote her first novel - a coming-of-age children’s story - at the age of 12. It was politely turned down by all the major publishing houses. However, proving that writing was indeed her forte, Halima went on to study English and Journalism and was one of just four people in the UK to be granted a BBC scholarship during her postgraduate studies.
She has since written for a number of publications including the HuffPost and Yahoo! Style, and has been featured in the Express, Metro and other national publications.
326 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 27, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 5, 2026
I read the ARC of this book which made me feel so excited and giddy throughout! I absolutely loved this book and was completely engrossed from start to finish. I stayed up so late reading that I actually gave myself a headache at one point.
From the very first chapter, the unapologetic use of Bengali phrases made me feel instantly seen as with all of Halima Khan’s previous books in the series. It grounded the story in a cultural truth that felt warm, familiar, and proudly mine.
The book captured the everyday realities of Bengali households so authentically — the patriarchy, the matriarchs who silently hold everything together, the constant pressure on women to cook because ‘the men will get hungry,’ and the way daughters‑in‑law often give endlessly without ever being truly appreciated. These moments weren’t just observations. They were lived experiences reflected back at me.
The depiction of far‑right tensions across England was painfully real and took me right back to last summer, and to be honest, every year when we have to tolerate ignorance and fascism. It added a layer of urgency and truth to the narrative that made the story feel deeply rooted in our current world.
Helena’s mum’s story was especially heartbreaking. The way she carried so much unspoken pain from Bangladesh, only revealing fragments of her past as her health episodes surfaced was beautifully and tenderly told to us. I often think about how much our mothers hide, how much they’ve endured, and how their longing for home never truly fades. Her scenes brought tears to my eyes.
I also really valued the constant reflection on Gaza and the genocide, with the reminder that behind the numbers are human beings, families, and lives. It showed that Khatun isn’t afraid to use her platform to highlight injustice and the genocide that’s been happening for years.
Helena’s deeper conversations with her relatives and in‑laws were raw, reflective, and so honest. I loved watching her challenge her own assumptions and grow through those family interactions. Her bonding moments with her sisters were some of my favourite; they felt so relatable, and I honestly felt like I was reading about cousins I haven’t seen in years.
Another part that resonated with me was the struggle of trying to return to work while navigating the limitations of not being able to work from home. That tension between wanting independence and facing structural barriers felt incredibly real and relevant, especially with the micro aggressions that are always a constant theme in this series.
Overall, this book felt like a mirror of culture, of family, of womanhood, of diaspora identity, and of global injustice. It’s a story that will stay with me for a long time.
From the very first chapter, the unapologetic use of Bengali phrases made me feel instantly seen as with all of Halima Khan’s previous books in the series. It grounded the story in a cultural truth that felt warm, familiar, and proudly mine.
The book captured the everyday realities of Bengali households so authentically — the patriarchy, the matriarchs who silently hold everything together, the constant pressure on women to cook because ‘the men will get hungry,’ and the way daughters‑in‑law often give endlessly without ever being truly appreciated. These moments weren’t just observations. They were lived experiences reflected back at me.
The depiction of far‑right tensions across England was painfully real and took me right back to last summer, and to be honest, every year when we have to tolerate ignorance and fascism. It added a layer of urgency and truth to the narrative that made the story feel deeply rooted in our current world.
Helena’s mum’s story was especially heartbreaking. The way she carried so much unspoken pain from Bangladesh, only revealing fragments of her past as her health episodes surfaced was beautifully and tenderly told to us. I often think about how much our mothers hide, how much they’ve endured, and how their longing for home never truly fades. Her scenes brought tears to my eyes.
I also really valued the constant reflection on Gaza and the genocide, with the reminder that behind the numbers are human beings, families, and lives. It showed that Khatun isn’t afraid to use her platform to highlight injustice and the genocide that’s been happening for years.
Helena’s deeper conversations with her relatives and in‑laws were raw, reflective, and so honest. I loved watching her challenge her own assumptions and grow through those family interactions. Her bonding moments with her sisters were some of my favourite; they felt so relatable, and I honestly felt like I was reading about cousins I haven’t seen in years.
Another part that resonated with me was the struggle of trying to return to work while navigating the limitations of not being able to work from home. That tension between wanting independence and facing structural barriers felt incredibly real and relevant, especially with the micro aggressions that are always a constant theme in this series.
Overall, this book felt like a mirror of culture, of family, of womanhood, of diaspora identity, and of global injustice. It’s a story that will stay with me for a long time.
Review of advance copy received from Author
All families come with challenges, and our main character has some very real struggles with finding her place in hers while juggling postpartum, parenthood, career and watching her parents age. This book was balanced with a mix of sentimentality and humor. Compounding the complex family dynamic was the cultural lens that adds pressure to daughters (and daughters-in-law) to make certain choices - or question the decision not to each step of the way. The story also explores what it means to be an immigrant (or child of an immigrant) who may not always feel welcome - or safe - in the place you live.
I am neither Bengali nor a parent, but Khatun's writing invites us to appreciate her perspective and I found our main character's journey charming and relatable. Her sisters and parents are funny and witty, and even though the story is written in first-person, we also get a glimpse of what life must be like through their eyes. The families are loving but realistically frustrating. The characters are likable and clearly developed, and this is a story you can enjoy whether you've read the previous stories or not (though I recommend them from what I've read).
I am neither Bengali nor a parent, but Khatun's writing invites us to appreciate her perspective and I found our main character's journey charming and relatable. Her sisters and parents are funny and witty, and even though the story is written in first-person, we also get a glimpse of what life must be like through their eyes. The families are loving but realistically frustrating. The characters are likable and clearly developed, and this is a story you can enjoy whether you've read the previous stories or not (though I recommend them from what I've read).
Review of advance copy received from Author
This fascinating story explores whether moving from London back up north, to where the extended family can provide support, is a good idea. Discussions, both with H internally and externally with everyone else, about whether to move or not, and the pluses and minuses of each decision, are thorough and emotional. There is also exploration of what it is like to feel unwelcome in your neighbourhood. The interaction with the extended family is illuminating, and the back-and-forth with H's sisters is hilarious and also poignant. Another great read!
I received an ARC from the author, but my opinion is given voluntarily.
I received an ARC from the author, but my opinion is given voluntarily.
March 5, 2026
What a relatable book! I have throughly enjoyed all the books in this series but this may be my favourite there were so many relatable topics, with her mothers dementia becoming more serious, pressures of life we put on ourselves and most recently the tension in the England. But with such heavy topics you can’t help but smile and laugh at so many moments making it such an enjoyable read.
I can’t wait too read more from this series!
I can’t wait too read more from this series!
March 13, 2026
brilliant book. so nice to re meet old friends from previous books but gives insight into racism in UK which wasn't highlighted so much in previous books. think I'd be gd book for lots to read for this reason
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews