What do you think?
Rate this book
The Tiger Ladies
Sitting in her grandmother Dhanna's kitchen, surrounded by the aromas of mint and the smoke of a hookah, warmed by the kangri tucked beneath her thighs, young Sudha Koul listened to tales of She Who Fears The Tiger Lady, stories Sudha would repeat to her own daughters in time, though in a kitchen many thousands of miles away from her beloved Kashmir. This is a magical memoir of a land now consumed by political and religious turmoil, a richly detailed story of a girl's passage into maturity, marriage, and motherhood in the midst of an exquisite and fragile world that will never be entirely the same.
232 pages, Paperback
First published May 14, 2002
9 people are currently reading
373 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
October 5, 2016
I visited Kashmir in 1975, stayed in a house boat on Lake Dal, bought some lacquerware in Srinigar which I still have, visited the Mughal Gardens, and thought the place was fabulous.
But simmering under the surface were the forces that divided India during the Partition in 1947, that would eventually break Kashmir apart.
Sudha Koul tells the story of four generations of women in her family: her grandmother, her mother, herself and her daughters. Born into the Brahmin class which lay atop the social order of Kashmir, Sudha Koul was raised in a priveleged lifestyle, that contained within it the destruction of the political and social order of Kashmir. This is the story of Paradise Lost.
It is impressively told and very readable
But simmering under the surface were the forces that divided India during the Partition in 1947, that would eventually break Kashmir apart.
Sudha Koul tells the story of four generations of women in her family: her grandmother, her mother, herself and her daughters. Born into the Brahmin class which lay atop the social order of Kashmir, Sudha Koul was raised in a priveleged lifestyle, that contained within it the destruction of the political and social order of Kashmir. This is the story of Paradise Lost.
It is impressively told and very readable
July 7, 2017
I read it as recommended by Usha. Apart from all the details of the particular family for the more interesting feature was the life in Kashmir narrated by a person who actually lived there. Kashmir has literally become a flashpoint for Ind0-Pak war at any moment. Of course modern war is primarily against terrorism which is the modern version of the older guerilla attacks. I enjoyed the historical part relating to the Kashmir province of India and the life of "Pandits" there. They are all most likely Persians who converted to Brahmins. Settlers always adapt themselves to local conditions.
The english is quite simple and easy to read. After all Ms Koul does come from a family of English professors.
The english is quite simple and easy to read. After all Ms Koul does come from a family of English professors.
January 17, 2024
Koul so completely brings her reader back to the lush and fragrant Kashmir of her childhood with eloquent, innocent words throughout. Her heartwarming and heartbreaking story is a perfect and terrifyingly true culmination of all that is wrong in the world. It speaks with a heavy heart of the greed and evil humans posses and continue to destroy the earth and each other with. This powerful story left tears in my eyes over two decades later in a world that continues to fall at the hands of its people, but I am grateful as well for leaders like Koul who continue to educate.
September 1, 2008
This is a wonderful book written as a narrative by Sudha Koul about her homeland of Kashmir, I would so like to be transported back to her time there where Hindu and Muslims lived side by side in harmony, even through the sever winters you feel a great warmth and the short summers sound sublime. You learn through the book that the people of Kashmir enjoy their gardens, camping and are a proud and peaceful people. A very timely book.
July 8, 2010
This book is filled with beautifully detailed images and thoughts but it was difficult for me to become engaged with the author, her storytelling is not very passionate. The book is segmented into Grandmothers, Mothers & finally Daughters but each rambles on into other topics and fails to really make a distinction that is clear. Great historical information. I gave it 2 stars because I did learn something about India's culture.
September 19, 2017
memoir of growing up as a hindu in the beautiful Kashmir valley, traditions, tolerance and generosity. Then violence and infiltration, old ways are destroyed. The author's family mostly flee to Delhi. After a high profile career in law, she settles in US, but yearns for the beauty and simplicity of old Kashmir, surrounded by wise women and traditional godesses.
June 25, 2013
Hard to get through. A few interesting observations and accounts of life in Kashmir as a young woman, but just not something I could recommend.
April 20, 2009
Beautifully written. Enjoyed reading this book.
October 10, 2021
Personally I struggle with feelings of sharp nostalgia and loss about having a beautiful childhood to which I can never return. That world and that situation is irreplaceable and thoroughly gone. This seems true for Sudha Koul but on the level of a whole country. Her childhood and young adult world of Kashmir, where neighbors were friends no matter what their faith, and everyone felt they belonged in the gorgeous Himalayan valleys, has now been turned to a land of rubble and strife. The author accepts that change happens and life falls apart and then rebuilds, but she shares very effectively how much she misses the old life, and many details of what that lost way was like.
May 16, 2017
Beautiful read. The author draws you into the magical world of Kashmir pre-war times and depicts an idyllic ancient culture where different religions co-exist in perfect harmony. The destruction of the area is equally well described and is all the more tragic considering the beautiful life they had there before.
September 11, 2021
This has to be one of my favourite categories of books to read- autobiographical reflections by women. You feel her palpable sense of loss of the peace that was enjoyed by her childhood in Kashmir due to religious strife and politics, and towards the end, she also provided an immigrant perspective on her move to America. This is a great book, since Kashmiri storytelling is not mainstream.
September 12, 2017
Lovely book about a lost-forever lifestyle in Kashmir.
April 17, 2024
This was absolutely beautiful and tragic all in one. I adored it!
November 13, 2014
Reading this delightful memoir is like basking in the warmth of a wintry afternoon, sipping on a cup of masala chai. Sudha Koul writes about a Kashmir that once was, and sadly, will never be again. She writes about those times when Hindus and Muslims lived together as neighbours in the valley, their lives punctuated by visits from the pashmina shawl merchants, yakshas who would descend to their earthly abodes annually and demand to be fed rice, mung beans and lamb, the grand Shivarathri festival, picnics on houseboats, and treks high up into the magical Himalayas. Then there is the house spirit that lives in the attic, and tales passed down from generation to generation such as those of the poetess Lal Ded.
It is cruel that this paradise came to be destroyed, and one cannot help but feel Sudha's anguish at having lost her home, truly the only place where her heart is. She notices the first signs of trouble as a young girl, when some of her neighbours began to burn images of Nehru. And then the cries for azadi grew louder. The pandits are forced to flee their homes, and she leaves for America.
There are certain anecdotes in the book that make you smile, like the ones where she recalls meeting Nehru, and his daughter, Indira Priyadarshini. I also liked how she wrote about coming to terms with life in America, as an outsider, who cannot return home. Her thoughts on Shiva's marriage which is celebrated on Shivarathri made me chuckle: 'A marriage that breaks all the rules is only for the gods'. And most touching of all, the little ways in which she tried to remember her home, her Kashmir, in a far away land- the scent of the narcissus flowers she planted in her garden after her friend helped smuggle the bulbs to America, the cold rice-hot fish combination that her daughters delight in, the pashmina shawls handed over from her mother that she will eventually give her daughters... These are the little ways in which one remembers home. A bittersweet read that leaves you aching with a yearning to go back home.
It is cruel that this paradise came to be destroyed, and one cannot help but feel Sudha's anguish at having lost her home, truly the only place where her heart is. She notices the first signs of trouble as a young girl, when some of her neighbours began to burn images of Nehru. And then the cries for azadi grew louder. The pandits are forced to flee their homes, and she leaves for America.
There are certain anecdotes in the book that make you smile, like the ones where she recalls meeting Nehru, and his daughter, Indira Priyadarshini. I also liked how she wrote about coming to terms with life in America, as an outsider, who cannot return home. Her thoughts on Shiva's marriage which is celebrated on Shivarathri made me chuckle: 'A marriage that breaks all the rules is only for the gods'. And most touching of all, the little ways in which she tried to remember her home, her Kashmir, in a far away land- the scent of the narcissus flowers she planted in her garden after her friend helped smuggle the bulbs to America, the cold rice-hot fish combination that her daughters delight in, the pashmina shawls handed over from her mother that she will eventually give her daughters... These are the little ways in which one remembers home. A bittersweet read that leaves you aching with a yearning to go back home.
January 31, 2015
2009 bookcrossing journal:
I did enjoy this - although if I am brutally honest, I thought it dragged a wee bit in places as it meandered a bit too much with random anecdotes and not a solid thread. This is not to say that I found the book dull or pointless, as I said, I did enjoy it, and escaping to Kashmir for a little while, which I suppose is one of the many places I will never travel to.
I really liked her grandmother. I thought she was a great old lady with such character. I had a great mental image of this little old lady wrapped up in her shawls and smoking her hookah in the kitchen - apparently not the done thing for a lady, but the family turning a blind eye to it. Oh, and the cold - you could really feel the winters through this book, although this may also be because we have recently been experiencing long-living snow and ice here.
Quite sad as well, to go from seeing the traditions and the real sense of community (religions irrelevant) to the Kashmir valley descending into violence and so many people having to flee their homes; and for what at the end of the day? It was also interesting to see her perspective on living in the States and bringing up her children there and how environment impacts on them, so they do not hold to the same traditions that have previously gone from generation to generation.
Her mother and her father didn't really feature in this book - I suppose it's a reflection of the fact that she was really brought up by her grandparents whilst her mother and younger siblings travelled round with her father for his administration job. A little sad though that they didn't feature more.
I did enjoy this - although if I am brutally honest, I thought it dragged a wee bit in places as it meandered a bit too much with random anecdotes and not a solid thread. This is not to say that I found the book dull or pointless, as I said, I did enjoy it, and escaping to Kashmir for a little while, which I suppose is one of the many places I will never travel to.
I really liked her grandmother. I thought she was a great old lady with such character. I had a great mental image of this little old lady wrapped up in her shawls and smoking her hookah in the kitchen - apparently not the done thing for a lady, but the family turning a blind eye to it. Oh, and the cold - you could really feel the winters through this book, although this may also be because we have recently been experiencing long-living snow and ice here.
Quite sad as well, to go from seeing the traditions and the real sense of community (religions irrelevant) to the Kashmir valley descending into violence and so many people having to flee their homes; and for what at the end of the day? It was also interesting to see her perspective on living in the States and bringing up her children there and how environment impacts on them, so they do not hold to the same traditions that have previously gone from generation to generation.
Her mother and her father didn't really feature in this book - I suppose it's a reflection of the fact that she was really brought up by her grandparents whilst her mother and younger siblings travelled round with her father for his administration job. A little sad though that they didn't feature more.
April 12, 2012
My second reading of this book - the author's descriptions of growing up in Kashmir in a less troubled time are rich and magical. Her interweaving of the story of her family and the politics of Kashmir are both touching and heartbreaking. A book that inspires while breaking your heart. I yearn for a Kashmir that was - and will not be again... Her experience of immigrating to America at the end of the book is poignant with the comparison between her rich social life and the colour and culture of Kashmir and the barrenness and isolation she experiences. While she tries to make the best of things as she raises her daughters, it is easy to see that her heart remains in Kashmir.
July 5, 2012
Sudha Koul's writing was lovely. Her stories of growing up in Kashmir make me sad that I am unable to experience it as it was before the political unrest. Her words transport you to another place and time, and each detail is so vivid that you can hear, taste, smell, and feel the descriptions. Through four generations of family she gently shows you how traditions and beliefs change, some for the better and some not as much. By the end of the book, you feel the authors same longing for the land and people she knew.
November 8, 2012
It took me a long time to read this book. There was so much to digest in a few short pages, that I often felt I must have read more than I did in a sitting. This memoir goes from youth to mature adulthood, and shares the sweet as well as the very painful. My heart ached as the author described the realization of what was happening in the midst of religious and political turmoil.
In this volume, you will see, hear, and smell Kashmir as only a native could describe it.
Thank you, Ms. Koul, for sharing your beloved homeland with us.
January 4, 2010
This book is a beautiful true story of a young woman growing up in Kashmir in a bygone era when Hindus and Moslems lived together and got along very well. It traces her life as a child growing up in a traditional home, then a young woman who takes on a very big and non-traditional job, and on to her marriage and departure for New York City. The book includes descriptions of traditional home customs, and lots of interesting Kashmiri cooking recipes.
September 21, 2009
Descriptive book describing life in Kashmir and the comfortable feeling of people of different religions living side by side in harmony.
A heartbreaking descrpition of how lives can change so easily and how,even after moving to America, Kashmir held memories so precious in the heart of the author.
A heartbreaking descrpition of how lives can change so easily and how,even after moving to America, Kashmir held memories so precious in the heart of the author.
October 9, 2009
I really liked this book. It is a memoir of growing up in Kashmir, but I felt like I was there and wished I could have grown up there. Her description of the changes that occured to bring on the civil war was heartbreaking and the perspective of the author made everything personal. When I was done reading the book I was googling Kashmir to find out the latest news on the civil war there.
December 10, 2011
With lyrical and evocative writing, Koul describes her childhood growing up in a beautiful and somewhat idyllic Kashmir before the ravages of war took over. I enjoyed this lovely window into another time and place, as well as the latter part of the book which touched on the immigrant experience in the United States.
August 15, 2012
Poetic, dream-state sort of writing about Kashmir. The author makes objects vivid--the feel of blankets, the scent and taste of tea, the heat of coals. She uses "we" in an interesting way, sometimes referring to her family, sometimes referring to everyone in a valley or all of Kashmir. Very good armchair travel.
February 2, 2010
Really lovely & nostalgic, but when she talks about herself,she seems to get in the way. Nonetheless, it's an important book both in terms of getting a sense of Kashmir before it became such a highly contested place, and the way a war fought by outsiders can overturn a culture of peace.
May 9, 2016
I loved how this started ... Really rich and luscious descriptions of life in Kashmir before politics and religion tore the region apart ... 2/3 of the way through it seemed to loose some steam - or maybe I just wanted to hear more of the way it was
Want to read
November 22, 2007Really intrigued by the book summary.
March 30, 2008
Kashmir is breathtakingly beautiful.
July 19, 2008
Very interesting. Personal, yet historic.
September 3, 2008
A well-written book and the first that I have read which tries to give you a sneak preview of the mysterious land of Kashmir.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews