HER STORIES

by Deepti Priya Mehrotra

ABOUT THE BOOK
Some were celebrated, Others vilified
While some were casually neglected Yet, the story of these women lived on...

Her-Stories is a discussion of women from Indian history whose contributions have been all but forgotten. These were poets, performers, warriors, saints, philosophers, activists and more, yet we hardly remember their courage and contributions. The time has come to bring their history to the fore.

Their stories describe desperate situations, ingenious strategies and brilliant sparks of feminist consciousness. Rather than accounts of isolated ‘great women’, these stories place at the centre the ordinary woman, in all her splendid diversity, multifaceted struggle and achievement. The women profiled were encouraged and supported by others—their achievements represent the aspirations of many in the past, and provide inspiration for us in the present.

Cutting across several regions of India and presented in chronological order from second millennium BCE, to the mid-nineteenth century India, these are the stories of women who have been thinkers, doers, movers and shakers who have subverted hierarchies, brought peace out of chaos and survived despite routine devaluation.

Philosopher Sulabha, philanthropist Vishakha, fearless Uppalavanna, wandering bard Auvaiyar, justice maker Leima Laisna, astronomer Khona, mountain queen Didda, radical poet Akkamahadevi, intrepid Sultan Razia, martial artiste Unniyarcha, poet-saint Janabai, Gond Rani Durgavati, historian Gulbadan, cultural ambassador Harkha, pepper queen Abbakka, fakira Jahanara, brave Onake Obavva, Dalit rebel Nangeli, dancer-diplomat Mahlaqa Bai Chanda, lion queen Jindan, Nawab Begum Qudsia, sharpshooter Uda, guerrillera Hazrat Begum and feminist writer Tarabai Shinde

288 pages, Paperback

Published March 1, 2022

Reviews

[Asha Seth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diving into the pages of “Her-Stories,” readers are transported on an inspiring journey through time, rediscovering the remarkable women of Indian history whose narratives have long been ignored. Written with meticulous care, ‘Her Stories’ is a poignant reminder of the formidable women who shaped India’s past, yet found their stories forgotten on the sidelines. Organized chronologically, the book spans from the second millennium BCE to the mid-nineteenth century, covering diverse regions of India. With each page, we encounter voices of philosophers like Sulabha, visionaries like Vishakha, and daring souls like Uppalavanna, each contributing to India’s rich heritage.

In an engaging exploration, the book delves into the lives of poets, warriors, philosophers, and activists, unveiling their contributions to history. Rather than presenting biographies, ‘Her-Stories’ places these ordinary women in the spotlight and uncovers their stories of struggle, ingenuity, and feminist enlightenment that ignited their paths. The brilliance of the book lies in its portrayal of these women not just as solitary figures but as representatives of their aspirations and of those from the bygone eras.

In a world that has often been fixated on the stories of men, “Her-Stories” is a refreshing and essential addition. It reclaims the lost narratives, unveiling the layers of complexity that defined these women. Their histories come alive, meticulously researched and passionately narrated, allowing readers to connect with their struggles, triumphs, and unwavering spirit. As the pages unfold, we are reminded that the time has come to honor and celebrate these women who were once unsung heroes, now restored to their rightful place in India’s past.

[Mugdha Mahajan · Rating 4 out of 5]

We all have read about inspiring women characters but as we grew up the memories of them fainted.

This book is a collection of stories of real life female characters who have won the world with their deeds. The book discusses about women from Indian history whose contributions have been forgotten by the world.

The stories beautifully explores the lives lived by women, focusing on their struggles as well as achievements. I absolutely enjoyed reading the book.
Definitely the stories would be an inspiration to many.

[Muskan | The Quirky Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

In our history textbooks, men get called the heroes. Women, more often than not, are sidelined and barely named. After all, it is called History (his story). Now, it is time for her-story.

This book is more of a collection of anecdotes, showcasing our past, this time from a feminine point of view. Women - strong, head on - across millenia, who have proven themselves to be of extreme eloquence and have fought againt partiarchy (or before the concept was even established) but their names have been forgotten in the pages of history.

From the first glance, it is a collection of short stories about each individual women. But as a whole, with the author's strong flow of writing, there is a bigger picture - we see a past rich in culture with roots dating back to centuries ago, and we see women who have fought in the face of patriarchy, stereotypes and traditional religious practices, and won their ground.

This book truly made me think about how little we have been allowed to know of our past and how much more we should thrive for. A perfect read for the feminist of today!

[Christeena Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some were celebrated,
Others vilified
While some were casually neglected
Yet the stories of these women lived on"

- Deepti Priya Mehrotra
.
While women were the centres of stories written by men, in history little data was available about women's everyday life as well as their roles in various spheres of life. "Her Stories" looks back and gives voice to such forgotten , ordinary but powerful women from history whose names should be inscribed in the minds of people. I really loved reading the book. It beautifully explores the life of ordinary women and brilliantly portrays how these women defied patriarchy and stood tall. Indeed an inspiration to every women out there. Author's well researched, amazing writing make it readable. I was hooked to the stories till the end. Do check out this collection. Worth the read.

[Anshula Nema · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Women" is a word that encapsulates so many emotions and bonds, and duties. Often when we witness a woman do something that she does perfectly - we (society) are awe-struck.

This book by Deepti Mehrotra is the perfect example of every ordinary woman who is out there doing something extraordinary. No, I don't mean to demean the other gender in any sense, but there are certain things which a woman has to think of because of her generalised rule in society.

This book sheds light on the contributions of women from Indian history from all walks of life - saints, warriors, poets, performers, rulers, philosophers and more. These women faced the most desperate situations yet came out roaring like a lion. These women's profiles were such that they were encouraged and supported by others - why? Because these women dared to take the stand and thereby represented the aspirations of many and served as an inspiration to us.

Why should you read this book?
1. It talks about some of the untold stories from our past.
2. The chronological order of stories reflects how the situations evolved for women from the second millennium BCE to mid-nineteenth-century India.
3. It has some of the most beautiful thoughts about women by women.
4. This book fills the void of female presence in the history we have been told.
5. It's a perfect read for the feminists of today.

I have always found the topic of being a woman a little touchy. It is because I know what all a woman is capable of - because everyday-even-today, I see women setting the bar high, inspiring other women and what not.

While reading this book, it made me look back and around and maybe think a little too.

I have marked some of my favourites from the book in the index with a star. It took me a while to read this one, but I'm glad I did read it till the end.

I will say this, do pick this book up and see for yourself how much has changed and yet how similar the times have been for women.

[Aniket Pratap · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her Stories- Indian Women Down the Ages: Thinkers, Workers, Rebels, Queens by Deepti Priya Mehrotra
.
"Women are the real architects of society."

This quote by Cher says a lot about Indian culture. We have always exemplified the words “Strong”, "Dignified" & “Creator” as women. From making their place in the universe to playing an important part in its formation, women have always been the noblest individuals that not just outsmarted men in every field but also initiated multiple movements and pursuits that led to the establishment of our diverse & beautiful Indian culture.

Her Stories is a discussion of women from Indian History whose contributions were overlooked.

From time to time I have mentioned in my posts, how significant personalities from history have been unnoticed and forgotten due to the writings of the historians considered prominent.

There could be numerous reasons for discarding the names of important historical personalities, but when it comes to women the sole explanation can be the patriarchal institutions.

Contrary to the patriarchal thinkers, this book does justice to all those names and takes this subject to a greater and broader reach by talking about the personage like Poets, Philosophers, Dancers, Artists, Historians, Queens, Astronomers, Saints, Rebels and so much more.

While reading this book, you will learn about some of the women, who lived among the heroes you grew up talking about but never heard about because their valorous sacrifices were overshadowed by male compatriots.

In my opinion, the author of this book deserves all the recognition and admiration for writing a book that would not just introduce people to some of the most prominent women figures in our history but also teach them the bigotry women figures had to face in history.

Do not miss this book at any cost, it's amazing and you won't be feeling boredom even if it's history because the chapters and contents in each of them are short and interesting.

[Atul Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝙃𝙚𝙧 𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨: 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝘿𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙜𝙚𝙨 by 𝘿𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙞 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙮𝙖 𝙈𝙚𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙧𝙖

♀️If you do something new and different from the world, then you should be ready become antagonist of your time. Each and Everything gets created twice, firstly in the mind then in reality. It's you who envision something, yet you cannot make others envision it, the world needs results and outcomes and all you gotta do is show them.

♀️Though the above is universally applicable for all the beings but for instance, let us imagine the senerios of women in the above situation. Patriarchal System, Societal Pressure, Domesticity, Religious Conditions and many others. I assume you must be thinking of these factors with the above mentioned, right !?

♀️If so, you now understand the struggle and amount negligence of attention towards the women individuals and their legacies, which have been lost in the history and will continue to carry on, if you won't fully understand this.

♀️The book is a compilation of life stories, achievements and works of such women, who chose to forge their own path rather than walk on a predetermined one presented at their times. Some of them are well known, some of them are unheard of and some have been lost in history.

📌A inspiring read for all those who have a open learning system. A must read for those who seeks and works towards the subjects of woman empowerment, the feminists around the world who should learn more about the real exemplary works of women.

📌An impressive works on the subject which is not so honestly discussed nowadays. I find works like these inspiring and delightful. If you agree with the above then this might be a good fit for your bookshelf. I'll leave you with a few words in the end.

𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙁𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙍𝙪𝙡𝙚𝙨, 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙈𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝘿𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 ?

[Shakuntla Ranawat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recently, the wave of feminism has been recognized by the mass population. Feminism deals with the concept of equality but more often people confuse it with the “choices” in place of “rights”. Her Stories by Deepti Priya Mehrotra will take you on journey of women who were scholars, scientist, performers, saints, poets and how their life created historical impacts. 
Any woman or women protesting for their basic right were often seen as a rebellion. Anyone supporting her is also considered as rebel. The issue is this does not even sound weird because of the continuity of conservative mindsets out there. Getting back to the book, why should you read it?
Well, the unsaid stories of historically important women not only inspires but change our perspective on the struggles, motivation they felt while their sufferings, their principles and people with them. While outspoken woman with a clear head and dedicated goal still face the biased society, this book is refill of encouragement one might be missing out.
This non-fiction book celebrates the life stories of 57 women from all over the country.  My absolute favorites are Karaikkal Ammaiyar, Andal, Akkamahadevi, Razia Sultan, Janabai, Meera, Nangeli and Unniyarcha. The father, brother and husband behind some strong women will compel you to re-think the concept of patriarchy as these men shine like a star to guide the way throughout.  Author’s research and storytelling is definitely engaging. This book is an epic journey which accompanies every character and deserves to be known by the world. 
Although author has kept chapters short and on-point without any drags, I suggest you to take your time and read it. Since there are more than two characters attached with protagonist, in every story. 
~🌻

[readingfatima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jhalkari Bai led the Durga Dal, the women's wing of Rani Lakshmibai's army. Her striking resemblance to Lakshmibai led to a clever military strategy. Throughout India, Lakshmibai is synonymous with courage; Jhalkari Bai, in contrast, is little known.

Excerpt from the book.

'Her Stories' by Deepti Priya Mehrotra is a collection of short biographies of more than 60 noteworthy yet forgotten Indian women from the second millennium BCE to mid-nineteenth century. The women highlighted in the book are the unsung heroines who've made significant contributions in the welfare of their people, social reforms, literature, religion, art, philosophy and science. They'd achieved these feats at a time when women were considered unfit for those roles.

The author has narrated briefly of the life of Khana (ecologist, astrologer, agriculturist), Jahanara (the Mughal princess who's influence led to building Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk), Khivi (one who institutionalized the tradition of langar), Molla (the shudra girl who pendown Ramayana in Telugu in 5 days), Gulbadan (historian), Nangeli (Dalit women who's sacrifice led to revolt against 'breast tax') and many other who's tales are sung less gloriously.

The book also projects anecdotes from the life of Savitribai Phule, Razia Sultan, Gautami, Leima Lasina, Ahilyabai etc who are mentioned briefly in history books. It's an absolutely delightful book to read. I would recommend it to everyone, especially those who love reading non-fiction, beginners, teen readers.
#readingfatima

[Neelanjali । booksmakemewhole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much has already been said about the absence of female presence in history. While our past is replete with examples of male bravery, the more than significant contributions by women have been often neglected. This book brings the stories of these forgotten women of history into limelight.

From poets to saints, from performers to warriors, from philosophers to activists and a lot more, we have rarely heard about their courageous tales. Their stories constitute of desperate situations, ingenious strategies and brilliant sparks of female consciousness. These stories talk about ordinary women who became extraordinary due to their multifaceted struggles and achievements.

From the second millenium BCE to the mid-nineteenth-century India, these stories are about women thinkers, doers, movers and shakers! Despite their diverse backgrounds, they were united by their efforts to bring peace out of chaos and their survival inspite of routine devaluation.

This book presents the stories of the lesser heard women from Indian history. It is impressively well-researched and remarkably well-articulated. A must-read through and through!

[SMA REVIEWS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something more fascinating, and a matter of pride beyond the conventional history. What an incredible and moving book! Didn’t know so many of these names - a total eye-opener. A must-read for anyone inquisitive about a different take on Indian history than is the “conventional” narrative. I learned so much of what I never knew, about important historical feminine ale personalities and integral phases of our history that I was not familiar with.

Stories in this book represent the whole of India. There are several clusters of stories--Buddhist women of ancient India; Bhakti movement poet-saints of medieval India; women of the Mughal court; and freedom fighters of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

The author, Deepti Priya, has given such insightful information on India's history through engrossing tales of women who are poets, performers, saints, philosophers and activists of India over the last 1000 years or so. Kudos to her! In my opinion, everybody should read this book to know about their history. I did!

[Rishabh Tiwari · Rating 5 out of 5]

For centuries, women have played a crucial part in forming and outlining the very start of society at a high stage of development, but their contributions to science, astronomy, philosophy, and political work are all too often overlooked or taken for granted. In her well-researched book "Her Stories," Deepti Priya Mehrotra talks about the underlined women of Indian history. It tells the stories of women from the Vedic period to the twentieth century, as well as from North to South, East to West, and Central to Coastal India. The best thing about this book is that it contains stories from almost every region and time period in India. This book discusses women who have made contributions in the fields of philosophy, poetry, and religion, as well as those who have been associated with politics. A must for those who are looking to feel proud of our past.

[Sonali Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

well written and wonderful exposure of so much hidden history

[Pretty Little Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

The “victims of collective amnesia” were very specific women from our history who “were celebrated… vilified, or simply casually neglected”. Mehrotra has very precisely worked on this list which although not exhaustive (and considering our vast and diverse history, it can never be such), is a wonderful account of more than 50 women wonders.

Reading about these women was a journey, or rather, multiple journeys for me. As a woman, I (and many of my counterparts) have always been in strife against the patriarchy, whether societal or internalized. We have been fighting against the mainstream or rather, the ‘malestream’ as Mehrotra so rightly put it. These women, with their [extra]ordinary lives, are essentially no different from us, although our struggles are not always the same. (But isn’t it still?)

Full review available here.

[Krati Garg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her Stories talks about a number of women over a span of three millennia from Indian History whose contributions have never been talked about. These women are poets, warriors, activists, rebels etc, who have not been given the due credit of their struggles, courage and achievements. Their stories hold loss, betrayal, grief, stigma, prejudice, sufferings and yet they have made their voices heard.
The book talks about how ordinary women when placed in desperate situations showed brilliant sparks of feminist consciousness.

These stories are not only a medium to make the readers aware of the often neglected women and their lives but also an attempt to provide an inspiration to the present generation to have faith in themselves and their aspirations. All the stories are deeply moving and full of intelligent actions and keep you engrossed in reading till the very end.