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The Sum of All My Parts
The Sum of All my Parts is a gripping and poignant story that centers on women and relationships. It has everything, be it tragedy, heartbreak, courage, conviction, catharsis, humour or romance. The protagonist, Mariam, is living the retired life of an old woman in a quiet Vellore suburb. She teaches four woman how to crochet and all of them recount their lives while crocheting. their time together is refuge for them all.
Of these four woman, one is merely 15, already married and pregnant, but doesn't want the child. The second has been married for 3 years but hasn't conceived yet. The third is in love with someone who is not her husband and is scared to break free from the shackles of marriage. And the fourth is sick of managing her home, son and mother-in-law all by herself, while her husband lives and works in Dubai.
All the stories blend seamlessly. The conceptualization is brilliant and the narrative us beautiful. this engrossing tale of the lives of four ordinary women will surely invoke myriad feelings in the reader.
Of these four woman, one is merely 15, already married and pregnant, but doesn't want the child. The second has been married for 3 years but hasn't conceived yet. The third is in love with someone who is not her husband and is scared to break free from the shackles of marriage. And the fourth is sick of managing her home, son and mother-in-law all by herself, while her husband lives and works in Dubai.
All the stories blend seamlessly. The conceptualization is brilliant and the narrative us beautiful. this engrossing tale of the lives of four ordinary women will surely invoke myriad feelings in the reader.
210 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 5, 2018
16 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
About the author
Andaleeb Wajid
76 books203 followersAndaleeb Wajid is the author of more than 35 novels. She writes romance, young adult, horror and speculative fiction.
For more details, check her website.
For more details, check her website.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 1, 2018
Arifa is a mother, somehow managing household, disapproving mother-in-law and toddler on her own while her husband lives and works in Dubai. Nimra has to contend with a bratty stepsister and a stepmother who’s intent on marrying Nimra off as soon as possible, even if it means putting her on display for families of prospective grooms every couple of weeks. Shaista is pregnant, and neither wants the baby nor loves her husband. Amreen loves her husband but cannot get pregnant—and is increasingly sinking under the weight of her apparent infertility and the possible consequences of it.
All four of these women come together to learn crochet from the seventy year old Mariam, who sets them a project that all of them will work on together. As they work on a crocheted bedspread, Mariam tells them the story of her own life.
I have read only one other novel by Andaleeb Wajid, More Than Just Biryani, and liked that so much that I started off on The Sum of All My Parts already certain that the language at least would be good. This one, I’m glad to say, lived up to my expectations of it: it was an engrossing story (or should that be stories?), and some of the characters—especially Mariam, Arifa and Nimra—were very well-etched and came vividly to life, warts and all.
Best of all, I liked the careful balance maintained throughout. It’s heartbreaking at times, heartwarming at others; a story of a relationship between a man and woman here, a tale of women coming together there. It explores love in different forms, and is unafraid—as More Than Just Biryani was, too—to explore some of the sides of life in an Indian Muslim’s life which perhaps most non-Muslims wouldn’t know about. It’s poignant at times, romantic at others, and is a fine bit of storytelling, all said and done.
All four of these women come together to learn crochet from the seventy year old Mariam, who sets them a project that all of them will work on together. As they work on a crocheted bedspread, Mariam tells them the story of her own life.
I have read only one other novel by Andaleeb Wajid, More Than Just Biryani, and liked that so much that I started off on The Sum of All My Parts already certain that the language at least would be good. This one, I’m glad to say, lived up to my expectations of it: it was an engrossing story (or should that be stories?), and some of the characters—especially Mariam, Arifa and Nimra—were very well-etched and came vividly to life, warts and all.
Best of all, I liked the careful balance maintained throughout. It’s heartbreaking at times, heartwarming at others; a story of a relationship between a man and woman here, a tale of women coming together there. It explores love in different forms, and is unafraid—as More Than Just Biryani was, too—to explore some of the sides of life in an Indian Muslim’s life which perhaps most non-Muslims wouldn’t know about. It’s poignant at times, romantic at others, and is a fine bit of storytelling, all said and done.
May 16, 2020
| Book Review | The Sum of All My Parts.
•
This novel somehow took me back to the time when I read Ladies Coupé by Anita Nair. A book that solely revolved around women who came from different backgrounds. That particular book has remained close to my heart ever since. Almost a year later, I had the chance to read a similar novel, The Sum of All My Parts by Andaleeb Wajid. Although I did enjoy bits of this novel, it somehow fell short of my expectations. I purchased this book on a whim solely because I was intrigued by it's title and also the cover. In spite of being an average read, it does go hand-in-hand with a good cup of tea.
•
Mariam who is in her seventies holds crochet classes for four women in Vellore. Although the classes have been going on for a while, she realises how little she knows of the women who come to learn. One fine day, Mariam gives them a project; to work on a bedspread that is very personal to her and subconsciously begins narrating the story behind it. This eventually leads to other women opening up to her, first with hesitancy and then with ease. Nimra, lives with her stepmother and stepsister who desperately try to marry her off in spite of her not being ready. Arifa lives a lonely life with her toddler while her husband lives in Dubai. Saishta, who is married off very young finds herself pregnant with a baby she doesn't want and a husband she doesn't love. Amreen has difficulty in conceiving and finds her relationship in turmoil because of it.
•
Mariam has her own story to tell. About her lost love and an ordinary marriage. As she speaks of the man she fell in love with, she recalls the day it all began and ended. Or did it really end? This novel is very much like crochet, beautifully described but intricately built. Andaleeb has a knack of making mundane things sound wonderful. I especially liked how the women came together in the most unexpected manner, showing their support when needed. There's an underlying sense of feminism and friendship that surfaces ever so often. Having said that, there were couple of instances that I found uncomfortable. Perhaps this is why I couldn't enjoy it to the fullest.
•
It's clear that Mariam is the protagonist, the one who gets more pages to narrate her story. As I was enjoying the manner in which it was heading, the ending was somehow rushed and absurd. This novel is however a breezy read and light enough to be finished in a day or two. I'll let you decide how you feel about this book. I, for one, felt that this was a novel that could have been something much greater. But it's a good read nevertheless.
•
Rating - 3.7/5.
•
This novel somehow took me back to the time when I read Ladies Coupé by Anita Nair. A book that solely revolved around women who came from different backgrounds. That particular book has remained close to my heart ever since. Almost a year later, I had the chance to read a similar novel, The Sum of All My Parts by Andaleeb Wajid. Although I did enjoy bits of this novel, it somehow fell short of my expectations. I purchased this book on a whim solely because I was intrigued by it's title and also the cover. In spite of being an average read, it does go hand-in-hand with a good cup of tea.
•
Mariam who is in her seventies holds crochet classes for four women in Vellore. Although the classes have been going on for a while, she realises how little she knows of the women who come to learn. One fine day, Mariam gives them a project; to work on a bedspread that is very personal to her and subconsciously begins narrating the story behind it. This eventually leads to other women opening up to her, first with hesitancy and then with ease. Nimra, lives with her stepmother and stepsister who desperately try to marry her off in spite of her not being ready. Arifa lives a lonely life with her toddler while her husband lives in Dubai. Saishta, who is married off very young finds herself pregnant with a baby she doesn't want and a husband she doesn't love. Amreen has difficulty in conceiving and finds her relationship in turmoil because of it.
•
Mariam has her own story to tell. About her lost love and an ordinary marriage. As she speaks of the man she fell in love with, she recalls the day it all began and ended. Or did it really end? This novel is very much like crochet, beautifully described but intricately built. Andaleeb has a knack of making mundane things sound wonderful. I especially liked how the women came together in the most unexpected manner, showing their support when needed. There's an underlying sense of feminism and friendship that surfaces ever so often. Having said that, there were couple of instances that I found uncomfortable. Perhaps this is why I couldn't enjoy it to the fullest.
•
It's clear that Mariam is the protagonist, the one who gets more pages to narrate her story. As I was enjoying the manner in which it was heading, the ending was somehow rushed and absurd. This novel is however a breezy read and light enough to be finished in a day or two. I'll let you decide how you feel about this book. I, for one, felt that this was a novel that could have been something much greater. But it's a good read nevertheless.
•
Rating - 3.7/5.
August 17, 2022
"Some events shape our lives, mould them, and change their functions forever."
Many such life-changing events spin in the novel "The Sum of All My Parts". Weaved by author Andaleeb Wajid, it's a heart-warming tale with myriad themes crocheted together to form an intricate pattern integrated into the shape of a book.
Old Mariam reminisces about her life aloud, in the company of four young women while teaching the art of crochet. With different pangs of life weighing them down, the women invest themselves in Mariam's story to escape the agony of their own life, at least for a few hours. The story resonates uniquely with each woman as they find a part of their own self in her tale just as Mariam discovers glimpses of herself strewn within each of them.
The story begins when Mariam convinces the four women to recreate an elaborate crochet bedspread as a wedding gift to her granddaughter. The tale takes them several years back when Mariam was young as them, provoking the women to look into their own life and open up about their own battles and defeat own demons.
Mariam's story not only touches the heart of every single women present in the room, but also emboldens them to break free from the social and domestic bondage to take that one crucial step which they perhaps won't have otherwise mustered the courage to take. And the tale ended up changing them and their life in a way they never ever imagined.
There is always a story behind everything. Every action we take. Every decision we make. Every emotions we express. Every story we write. And this book is about that back story. Or rather, stories. Stories of five women, different in their being, but connected by one single string: the string of unspoken words, unsaid feelings and unvoiced emotions.
Past and present mingles smoothly with each other just as the stories of the five remarkable women entangle themselves within one another, producing an erratic flow that creates a host of patterns all sewed together to form a complete entity. The effect is the same as the pattern that the art of crocheting brings together, creating soulful beauty out of pure nothingness.
The meticulous narrative style carries with itself a sense of tranquility that's both heart-breaking and heart-warming at the same time. It's hard not to loose oneself into the flow of emotions that surges through the mind as one penetrates deep into the heart of the novel and seize the essence of its soul.
Traveling in this transformative journey into the inner lives of five women, the readers are sure to discover the spark hidden within themselves that will change them in a way they never expected. And in the end, they too will join hands to celebrate the triumph of the spirit together with the characters of this astounding tale.
"I felt a deep sense of loss, a feeling of finding something precious, only to lose it."
Many such life-changing events spin in the novel "The Sum of All My Parts". Weaved by author Andaleeb Wajid, it's a heart-warming tale with myriad themes crocheted together to form an intricate pattern integrated into the shape of a book.
Old Mariam reminisces about her life aloud, in the company of four young women while teaching the art of crochet. With different pangs of life weighing them down, the women invest themselves in Mariam's story to escape the agony of their own life, at least for a few hours. The story resonates uniquely with each woman as they find a part of their own self in her tale just as Mariam discovers glimpses of herself strewn within each of them.
The story begins when Mariam convinces the four women to recreate an elaborate crochet bedspread as a wedding gift to her granddaughter. The tale takes them several years back when Mariam was young as them, provoking the women to look into their own life and open up about their own battles and defeat own demons.
Mariam's story not only touches the heart of every single women present in the room, but also emboldens them to break free from the social and domestic bondage to take that one crucial step which they perhaps won't have otherwise mustered the courage to take. And the tale ended up changing them and their life in a way they never ever imagined.
There is always a story behind everything. Every action we take. Every decision we make. Every emotions we express. Every story we write. And this book is about that back story. Or rather, stories. Stories of five women, different in their being, but connected by one single string: the string of unspoken words, unsaid feelings and unvoiced emotions.
Past and present mingles smoothly with each other just as the stories of the five remarkable women entangle themselves within one another, producing an erratic flow that creates a host of patterns all sewed together to form a complete entity. The effect is the same as the pattern that the art of crocheting brings together, creating soulful beauty out of pure nothingness.
The meticulous narrative style carries with itself a sense of tranquility that's both heart-breaking and heart-warming at the same time. It's hard not to loose oneself into the flow of emotions that surges through the mind as one penetrates deep into the heart of the novel and seize the essence of its soul.
Traveling in this transformative journey into the inner lives of five women, the readers are sure to discover the spark hidden within themselves that will change them in a way they never expected. And in the end, they too will join hands to celebrate the triumph of the spirit together with the characters of this astounding tale.
"I felt a deep sense of loss, a feeling of finding something precious, only to lose it."
January 10, 2020
Four young girls go to Mariam to learn how to crochet, but end up getting some life lessons too, as Mariam recounts her own story - a saga of star-crossed lovers, missed opportunities and second chances. Andaleeb Wajid captures the cloistered lives of small-town women and their inner thoughts, aspirations and frustrations perfectly - women, especially, will relate to the undercurrents within families, the imperfections of married life, the roles and duties women are routinely expected to perform, the boxes they're expected to tick and the social pressures they face when they fail to do so. At the heart of this novel is Mariam's love story, which provides a few surprises along the way and has a 'seize the day' message that inspires her students to make changes in their lives too. A sometimes sad but ultimately feel-good novel that fans of More than Just Biryani will love.
December 16, 2019
I so wish such type of perfect yet flawed, and realistic yet dreamy characters existed in real life too. But ahh, my folly, they only exist in Novels!
Sure enough I enjoyed reading this and loved the deep characterization. This is my first book by Andaleeb wajid and I really liked her well polished writing style.
What I didn't like was the illogical side of the story as to how the protagonists actually lead their lives and find out such a weird and unrealistic way to get back.
Nevertheless, it was a good one time read because I bought it merely on a Flipkart recommendation. -_-
Sure enough I enjoyed reading this and loved the deep characterization. This is my first book by Andaleeb wajid and I really liked her well polished writing style.
What I didn't like was the illogical side of the story as to how the protagonists actually lead their lives and find out such a weird and unrealistic way to get back.
Nevertheless, it was a good one time read because I bought it merely on a Flipkart recommendation. -_-
October 20, 2018
I openly admit I picked up this book for the cover, but what a delightful read it was. Five woman with intertwined stories brought together while making a crochet bed spread for a sixth. The stories were as skilfully brought together as colours in a granny square, and you could almost visualise it all. Need to pick up the other books by Andaleeb Wajib.
October 21, 2018
The story is about Mariam, an elderly lady living in Vellore, who is teaching four young women how to crochet.
Though Mariam is extremely critical at times about the crochet work of her four pupils, at the same time, she develops a fondness for each one of them.
The four young women are: Nimra, who is bullied constantly by her stepmother, Arifa, whose husband is away in Dubai, Amreen who is unable to get pregnant and Shaista who is going through an unwanted pregnancy.
In and around the design of each crochet pattern, each young woman’s story, along with her emotions and frustrations are depicted. Mariam, also has her own fascinating love story that she shares with her four pupils.
Mariam’s love story is told in an extremely interesting manner in the form of flashbacks.
All the women try to find a solution to their individual problems while creating an elaborate crochet pattern on a bedspread for Mariam’s granddaughter Faiza.
The author has woven a compelling tale and has beautifully depicted each character and her emotions.
I highly recommend “The Sum of All My Parts”, as a highly enthralling and interesting tale that will touch the heart of every reader!
Though Mariam is extremely critical at times about the crochet work of her four pupils, at the same time, she develops a fondness for each one of them.
The four young women are: Nimra, who is bullied constantly by her stepmother, Arifa, whose husband is away in Dubai, Amreen who is unable to get pregnant and Shaista who is going through an unwanted pregnancy.
In and around the design of each crochet pattern, each young woman’s story, along with her emotions and frustrations are depicted. Mariam, also has her own fascinating love story that she shares with her four pupils.
Mariam’s love story is told in an extremely interesting manner in the form of flashbacks.
All the women try to find a solution to their individual problems while creating an elaborate crochet pattern on a bedspread for Mariam’s granddaughter Faiza.
The author has woven a compelling tale and has beautifully depicted each character and her emotions.
I highly recommend “The Sum of All My Parts”, as a highly enthralling and interesting tale that will touch the heart of every reader!
March 4, 2019
A Refreshing Reaf
Andaleeb is one of my favourite contemporary Indian writers. I have read all her books and wait for her new releases eagerly. When I started reading The Sum of all my Parts, I enjoyed the book though, but wasn't able to relate with any characters. Before disappointment could creep in, the 2nd part started and entered young Mariam and Aasim, my interest in the book rose. And the book kept me hooked till the very end.
Amma (Mariam) was my granny's age, but was the most forward thinking character and such a saviour for the other girls. I connected very easily with Faiza.
Andaleeb has a beautiful way of narrating the most amazing story in a simple, no fuss, relatable manners... which totally stands out.
Andaleeb is one of my favourite contemporary Indian writers. I have read all her books and wait for her new releases eagerly. When I started reading The Sum of all my Parts, I enjoyed the book though, but wasn't able to relate with any characters. Before disappointment could creep in, the 2nd part started and entered young Mariam and Aasim, my interest in the book rose. And the book kept me hooked till the very end.
Amma (Mariam) was my granny's age, but was the most forward thinking character and such a saviour for the other girls. I connected very easily with Faiza.
Andaleeb has a beautiful way of narrating the most amazing story in a simple, no fuss, relatable manners... which totally stands out.
April 8, 2020
Worth readig
I can relate to the book, love the characters, the novel has a amazing plot. Can never forget this novel
I can relate to the book, love the characters, the novel has a amazing plot. Can never forget this novel
April 19, 2020
Somehow, I didn't enjoy this one as much as the others, even though I am a lover of crochet.
Read
October 17, 2024Not rating this one; don't think I was the right audience for this as books of this genre really aren't my thing.
January 24, 2019
This and More Than Just Biryani are my two favourite books of Andaleeb! I quite like the realism, the flaws, the yearnings and the humanness in the characters. There is some material which may make certain people uncomfortable, but hey - that’s life!
3.5/5
3.5/5
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews