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Sakthi
When her mother dies, SAKTHI must unravel the truth to escape the same fate but with tragic consequences for everyone close to her. This is a story of love, sacrifice and hope from The North of England.
Hardcover
First published May 26, 2022
39 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 30, 2022
I am a huge fan of narratives which feature immigrants. Having lived abroad for a
long time, then moving to another country and trying to adapt is something I can
relate to. Misha Hussein’s Sakthi’s plot is all about this sort of displacement so it
appealed to me (which also means that this will be a positive review)
The title character is a child born of Bangladeshi parents who emigrated to the UK.
Sakthi sees herself as a British citizen. Despite speaking English with a regional
accent she is Muslim and she is the target of gangs in the area, although she does
stand up to them. She also has a crush on a local white boy, which causes
problems, which I will get to later.
As is the custom Sakthi’s overbearing and abusive father chooses a husband for her
and even goes to Bangladesh to initiate the proceedings. Although professing to be
British, Sakthi realizes her Indian heritage and starts to change her mind. This further
exemplified when her father sends her to an all-girls school for Muslims when she
returns to the UK as she is caught dating her white boyfriend.
The rest of the book has Sakthi fight against injustices, from battling the patriarchal
structure of the school to an imam who is misusing his power to groom students. Not
each battle is a success and Sakthi gets into to trouble with her open mind but she
does learn from each experience, which makes her stronger to meet her greatest
adversary which is her father or rather his fundamentalist way of thinking.
Sakthi is a novel which tackles a lot of topics but the main message is that it gives
the reader a portrait of Muslims living under the current government in the UK. Just
as a trigger warning domestic abuse is described in graphic detail but I do urge
people to read this novel as it is an eye-opener.
long time, then moving to another country and trying to adapt is something I can
relate to. Misha Hussein’s Sakthi’s plot is all about this sort of displacement so it
appealed to me (which also means that this will be a positive review)
The title character is a child born of Bangladeshi parents who emigrated to the UK.
Sakthi sees herself as a British citizen. Despite speaking English with a regional
accent she is Muslim and she is the target of gangs in the area, although she does
stand up to them. She also has a crush on a local white boy, which causes
problems, which I will get to later.
As is the custom Sakthi’s overbearing and abusive father chooses a husband for her
and even goes to Bangladesh to initiate the proceedings. Although professing to be
British, Sakthi realizes her Indian heritage and starts to change her mind. This further
exemplified when her father sends her to an all-girls school for Muslims when she
returns to the UK as she is caught dating her white boyfriend.
The rest of the book has Sakthi fight against injustices, from battling the patriarchal
structure of the school to an imam who is misusing his power to groom students. Not
each battle is a success and Sakthi gets into to trouble with her open mind but she
does learn from each experience, which makes her stronger to meet her greatest
adversary which is her father or rather his fundamentalist way of thinking.
Sakthi is a novel which tackles a lot of topics but the main message is that it gives
the reader a portrait of Muslims living under the current government in the UK. Just
as a trigger warning domestic abuse is described in graphic detail but I do urge
people to read this novel as it is an eye-opener.
October 13, 2022
"People should be free to decide what happens."
This is what Misha Hussain said to me and my class during an interview. And I agree. Freedom of choice is the prerogative.
Sakthi approaches a plethora of important topics, most of which concern the well-being of women. The creative (and real) ways of inflicting abuse reveal a pattern of intergenerational trauma as well as a collective trauma for Bengali women. Abuse in this book is categorized as multidirectional - it concerns issues of gender, infidelity, insubordination and crisis of identity and the individual.
What I appreciated about the book as a whole is the information on Bengali culture and the valuable history/tradition lesson that it contains.
What I most welcomed, however, is the refreshing character arc of Sakthi herself. The author has diverted from the very popular trope of the main female protagonist who has been hurt in the past and now suddenly becomes a strong symbol of female solidarity that was popular around the 2010s. Instead, Sakthi, as rebellious and progressive as she is, endures the abuse of her father, her mother, and even of her husband. The reader hopes and expects the wedding plans to be diverted last minute yet the author decides to have Sakthi personally experience that pain that was all around her. This decision renders Sakthi as nameless . If it can happen to Sakthi, it can happen to any other woman in the same situation. Sakthi becomes a nameless symbol of female oppression and with that, a part of the collective.
This is what Misha Hussain said to me and my class during an interview. And I agree. Freedom of choice is the prerogative.
Sakthi approaches a plethora of important topics, most of which concern the well-being of women. The creative (and real) ways of inflicting abuse reveal a pattern of intergenerational trauma as well as a collective trauma for Bengali women. Abuse in this book is categorized as multidirectional - it concerns issues of gender, infidelity, insubordination and crisis of identity and the individual.
What I appreciated about the book as a whole is the information on Bengali culture and the valuable history/tradition lesson that it contains.
What I most welcomed, however, is the refreshing character arc of Sakthi herself. The author has diverted from the very popular trope of the main female protagonist who has been hurt in the past and now suddenly becomes a strong symbol of female solidarity that was popular around the 2010s. Instead, Sakthi, as rebellious and progressive as she is, endures the abuse of her father, her mother, and even of her husband. The reader hopes and expects the wedding plans to be diverted last minute yet the author decides to have Sakthi personally experience that pain that was all around her. This decision renders Sakthi as nameless . If it can happen to Sakthi, it can happen to any other woman in the same situation. Sakthi becomes a nameless symbol of female oppression and with that, a part of the collective.
January 9, 2023
“Amma, I’m free.”
Throughout my life, I have read numerous novels that approach the topic of religious trauma, especially those involving women, and I have to admit that I was hesitant to read Sakthi at first. I have always advocated for more positive portrayals of Islam in the media. As a person who grew up loving Islam and finding faith an inseparable part of herself, I fear seeing what I love being depicted in a different light.
It’s unbelievable to accept that Sakthi is a debut novel. It’s brilliant.
Sakthi is written by Misha Hussain, a human rights journalist, and published in 2022 by Bluemoose Books. The author deserves to be applauded for maintaining such a strong voice in his journalistic pieces as well as his first published fiction.
Usually, I separate the fiction I read into serious and non-serious. When it comes to my ‘serious’ readings, I would usually need more time to digest the content of the book because most of the time it is dark, depressing, and heavy. I would need more time to finish a serious book compared to my non-serious readings that I can gobble for less than a day. However, Sakthi completely blew my mind. Despite the realistic representation of violence, patriarchy, and racism, I devoured the novel in two days. That is one unique and interesting case for me. Sakthi deserves a proper breakdown to address its greatness.
In the 21st century, readers are more likely to finish fast-paced plot-driven novels. That explains why YA series with up to six novels have a huge fan base to the point of spin-offs and fanfictions being written. On the other hand, character-driven novels depend more on the protagonist’s thoughts and perspective, which sometimes can be irritating to readers with a different mindset, or readers who prefer seeing more action.
I’d consider Sakthi a character-driven novel, illustrated by the title itself. It is undeniable that the worldbuilding is based on real-life issues faced by people in the world, but the story revolves around the titular protagonist: a teenager struggling under the authority of her abusive father. I will try my best to keep this review spoiler-free. At the beginning of the story, Sakthi’s voice resembles one of an embittered and angry person who had nothing but negative opinions about the world. She even describes herself with loathsome disgust in the earlier chapters. I did not worry if she would become flat or uninteresting, but I was worried I couldn’t finish her story. I’ve always been a sensitive reader, and there is such a thing as getting affected by the main character’s worldview. I was also a bit skeptical about first-person narration due to the questionable reliability of the narrator and the fact that other characters would be less explored aside from the ones they interact with.
I judged Sakthi too early. The novel may not be completely bildungsroman as Sakthi’s story isn’t exactly tied in a neat bow at the end of Sakthi nor does it become completely hopeful and positive, but her development throughout the book is remarkable. As I was reading, despite not liking Sakthi in the beginning, I noticed that I rooted for her. I found myself cheering her on, grumbling to myself, scolding her, crying with her, wanting to hug her, thinking of her when I was going to bed, and even talking to my friends about her. The ability to fully project Sakthi into my life unlike a fictional character shows what a well-written character she is. With both strengths and weaknesses, she shapes the novel and my desire to see her story unfold.
Some might say that Sakthi is a normal rebellious teen daughter who wishes to escape the clutches of her overbearing father. Not only is this inaccurate, but it also drags Sakthi into a box as if she’s a trope character. Instead, her sense of rebelliousness, or the need to fight back, should be understood as her motivation to continue the story. These motivations are the subtle aspect of her character that keeps readers anticipating. Hence, I continued turning the pages without hesitation. With such an intense father and witnessing the harm that comes to the people surrounding her, these small forms of motivation keep Sakthi a tad positive about the world, even if it's not obvious. Whether it’s about building her own library, meeting Miss Qureshi, or learning that she is smart, capable, and charismatic, readers go through every single experience alongside her. It did not feel like I was watching a movie in my head as I was reading, but as if I was holding Sakthi’s hand and following her lead.
It’s imperative to note that despite telling the story, Sakthi's voice isn’t the most powerful element in her narration. Sure, she is given the agency to control her thoughts and actions, but the bigger influence of her character is the setting of the book itself. Sakthi is born into a life of challenges due to multiple reasons, such as her gender, her faith, her culture, her language, and her nationality. These parts of the world affect how she views herself more than how her own view shapes them. As a reader, we approach her perspective with a bird’s-eye view and somehow always wish for the plot to go a certain way. A lot of times it doesn’t. Whenever the story moves outside of Sakthi’s control, perhaps because of her father or the culture, it is a subtle reminder that the novel is not meant to be utopian, but realistic. The events in Sakthi are meant to mirror the struggles of both men and women, and in no way breaking the norm would happen in a blink of an eye. This technique, meshing between character and plot, gives space to the readers to consider the parallel between the novel and the real world, noticing that indeed there are inequalities and prejudices that need to be addressed outside the realm of fiction.
The back of the novel describes Sakthi to be a story of love and hope. The grand mix of positivity and negativity perfectly reflects the plot of the novel. It reminds me of the saying that without sadness, one wouldn’t notice happiness. The good blend of hope, emerging in a form of wanting to see a better future for Sakthi, and reality, taking note of the struggles she would have to face in changing the future, Sakthi becomes a portrayal of the space of transition.
Although Sakthi leaves a huge impact on me as a reader, it doesn’t mean that other characters are less important. Miss Qureshi in particular, seems to resonate with Sakthi’s past, even though it isn’t explained. I’d love to read her story. To be a hafiz while at the same time teaching English is a perfect example of a balance between religious and secular knowledge, which is important in critical thinking and the development of education. A different analysis can be written to discuss Miss Qureshi and the concept of knowledge in Islam, but that shall be a topic for another day. Other characters like Meghna, the mufti, and Tone left such a big impression on Sakthi and on me, and they are important to keep the plot balanced. During an interview with the author, he explained that Trina represents a more positive aspect of marriage and culture, which I wholeheartedly agree with because I enjoyed her optimistic character a lot. These characters, despite not being as important as Sakthi, shape the story too. Instead of seeing their involvement with Sakthi as intersecting lines, I imagine all these characters standing behind and continue supporting her. Some of them are gone by the end of the novel, but they continue to live in Sakthi as they have as much influence on her as a person too.
That brings me to my only criticism of the writing, which is that all characters in the book are so interesting to the point that I want individual novels containing their stories! As a reader, it’s arduous to continue a novel from start to finish without pausing and wondering about some underexplored characters, especially if you have to create their background in your head all on your own. However, sometimes we think about whether the background we have created is the same compared to the author's or not. There’s a constant state of anxiety and curiosity wanting to know each character in depth, even though readers only see everything through Sakthi’s eyes. Aside from Miss Qureshi, who is undoubtedly a character that hides a lot of pain behind her optimism and support for Sakthi, I got attached to Fatima too, who in the earlier parts of the novel seemed like the mean girl, but hides insecurities behind that seemingly perfect facade. Readers experience Meghna as Sakthi’s mother, but I wanted to know and understand her. I wished I could read everything that was troubling her. I wished I could’ve understood each decision she took regarding her daughter. There were multiple characters that pained me because I couldn’t reach out and listen to them. In reality, I knew I had no choice but to live with this. It’s the nature of the novel, and I am just a passive reader anyway.
Sakthi addresses a plethora of current issues faced by both men and women in the world. The root of this problem may stem from patriarchy or other issues such as racism and ethnocentrism. As a Southeast Asian Muslim, one part of her that I identify with the most is religion. The novel does a thorough job of discussing the difference between religion and culture. Nowadays, non-Muslims understand Islam through Muslims. Unfortunately, not all Muslim cultures can be considered Islamic in general. As a Malaysian, I find myself sometimes disconnected from the practices of Bengali Muslims as shown in the novel. Although Sakthi is fiction, I see similar writing in a memoir by Kristiane Backer named From MTV to Mecca: How Islam Inspired My Life, in which a thorough analysis should be done to understand Islam based on the socio-behavior of the people, the normative and the ideal state of society. There is too much to unpack in terms of the messages that Sakthi carries, but it is remarkable nonetheless that fiction can contain so much knowledge that deserves to be studied in order to understand them. Perhaps one day I can revisit Sakthi again for research, and write my interpretations on some elements that I find too intriguing to ignore.
So far, I think I gave everyone strong reasons to pick up this exceptional novel. As Sakthi is only recently published, it’s understandable that the pool of readers will only grow from now on, but I’d be lying if I were not impatiently waiting for more people to discuss the content of the book with. I’m also going to be keeping tabs on the novels that Misha Hussain is going to publish in the future because I’m now an official fan. All in all, Sakthi deserves to be recognized as a gem in the literary world, and should be read by everyone regardless of their background!
Throughout my life, I have read numerous novels that approach the topic of religious trauma, especially those involving women, and I have to admit that I was hesitant to read Sakthi at first. I have always advocated for more positive portrayals of Islam in the media. As a person who grew up loving Islam and finding faith an inseparable part of herself, I fear seeing what I love being depicted in a different light.
It’s unbelievable to accept that Sakthi is a debut novel. It’s brilliant.
Sakthi is written by Misha Hussain, a human rights journalist, and published in 2022 by Bluemoose Books. The author deserves to be applauded for maintaining such a strong voice in his journalistic pieces as well as his first published fiction.
Usually, I separate the fiction I read into serious and non-serious. When it comes to my ‘serious’ readings, I would usually need more time to digest the content of the book because most of the time it is dark, depressing, and heavy. I would need more time to finish a serious book compared to my non-serious readings that I can gobble for less than a day. However, Sakthi completely blew my mind. Despite the realistic representation of violence, patriarchy, and racism, I devoured the novel in two days. That is one unique and interesting case for me. Sakthi deserves a proper breakdown to address its greatness.
In the 21st century, readers are more likely to finish fast-paced plot-driven novels. That explains why YA series with up to six novels have a huge fan base to the point of spin-offs and fanfictions being written. On the other hand, character-driven novels depend more on the protagonist’s thoughts and perspective, which sometimes can be irritating to readers with a different mindset, or readers who prefer seeing more action.
I’d consider Sakthi a character-driven novel, illustrated by the title itself. It is undeniable that the worldbuilding is based on real-life issues faced by people in the world, but the story revolves around the titular protagonist: a teenager struggling under the authority of her abusive father. I will try my best to keep this review spoiler-free. At the beginning of the story, Sakthi’s voice resembles one of an embittered and angry person who had nothing but negative opinions about the world. She even describes herself with loathsome disgust in the earlier chapters. I did not worry if she would become flat or uninteresting, but I was worried I couldn’t finish her story. I’ve always been a sensitive reader, and there is such a thing as getting affected by the main character’s worldview. I was also a bit skeptical about first-person narration due to the questionable reliability of the narrator and the fact that other characters would be less explored aside from the ones they interact with.
I judged Sakthi too early. The novel may not be completely bildungsroman as Sakthi’s story isn’t exactly tied in a neat bow at the end of Sakthi nor does it become completely hopeful and positive, but her development throughout the book is remarkable. As I was reading, despite not liking Sakthi in the beginning, I noticed that I rooted for her. I found myself cheering her on, grumbling to myself, scolding her, crying with her, wanting to hug her, thinking of her when I was going to bed, and even talking to my friends about her. The ability to fully project Sakthi into my life unlike a fictional character shows what a well-written character she is. With both strengths and weaknesses, she shapes the novel and my desire to see her story unfold.
Some might say that Sakthi is a normal rebellious teen daughter who wishes to escape the clutches of her overbearing father. Not only is this inaccurate, but it also drags Sakthi into a box as if she’s a trope character. Instead, her sense of rebelliousness, or the need to fight back, should be understood as her motivation to continue the story. These motivations are the subtle aspect of her character that keeps readers anticipating. Hence, I continued turning the pages without hesitation. With such an intense father and witnessing the harm that comes to the people surrounding her, these small forms of motivation keep Sakthi a tad positive about the world, even if it's not obvious. Whether it’s about building her own library, meeting Miss Qureshi, or learning that she is smart, capable, and charismatic, readers go through every single experience alongside her. It did not feel like I was watching a movie in my head as I was reading, but as if I was holding Sakthi’s hand and following her lead.
It’s imperative to note that despite telling the story, Sakthi's voice isn’t the most powerful element in her narration. Sure, she is given the agency to control her thoughts and actions, but the bigger influence of her character is the setting of the book itself. Sakthi is born into a life of challenges due to multiple reasons, such as her gender, her faith, her culture, her language, and her nationality. These parts of the world affect how she views herself more than how her own view shapes them. As a reader, we approach her perspective with a bird’s-eye view and somehow always wish for the plot to go a certain way. A lot of times it doesn’t. Whenever the story moves outside of Sakthi’s control, perhaps because of her father or the culture, it is a subtle reminder that the novel is not meant to be utopian, but realistic. The events in Sakthi are meant to mirror the struggles of both men and women, and in no way breaking the norm would happen in a blink of an eye. This technique, meshing between character and plot, gives space to the readers to consider the parallel between the novel and the real world, noticing that indeed there are inequalities and prejudices that need to be addressed outside the realm of fiction.
The back of the novel describes Sakthi to be a story of love and hope. The grand mix of positivity and negativity perfectly reflects the plot of the novel. It reminds me of the saying that without sadness, one wouldn’t notice happiness. The good blend of hope, emerging in a form of wanting to see a better future for Sakthi, and reality, taking note of the struggles she would have to face in changing the future, Sakthi becomes a portrayal of the space of transition.
Although Sakthi leaves a huge impact on me as a reader, it doesn’t mean that other characters are less important. Miss Qureshi in particular, seems to resonate with Sakthi’s past, even though it isn’t explained. I’d love to read her story. To be a hafiz while at the same time teaching English is a perfect example of a balance between religious and secular knowledge, which is important in critical thinking and the development of education. A different analysis can be written to discuss Miss Qureshi and the concept of knowledge in Islam, but that shall be a topic for another day. Other characters like Meghna, the mufti, and Tone left such a big impression on Sakthi and on me, and they are important to keep the plot balanced. During an interview with the author, he explained that Trina represents a more positive aspect of marriage and culture, which I wholeheartedly agree with because I enjoyed her optimistic character a lot. These characters, despite not being as important as Sakthi, shape the story too. Instead of seeing their involvement with Sakthi as intersecting lines, I imagine all these characters standing behind and continue supporting her. Some of them are gone by the end of the novel, but they continue to live in Sakthi as they have as much influence on her as a person too.
That brings me to my only criticism of the writing, which is that all characters in the book are so interesting to the point that I want individual novels containing their stories! As a reader, it’s arduous to continue a novel from start to finish without pausing and wondering about some underexplored characters, especially if you have to create their background in your head all on your own. However, sometimes we think about whether the background we have created is the same compared to the author's or not. There’s a constant state of anxiety and curiosity wanting to know each character in depth, even though readers only see everything through Sakthi’s eyes. Aside from Miss Qureshi, who is undoubtedly a character that hides a lot of pain behind her optimism and support for Sakthi, I got attached to Fatima too, who in the earlier parts of the novel seemed like the mean girl, but hides insecurities behind that seemingly perfect facade. Readers experience Meghna as Sakthi’s mother, but I wanted to know and understand her. I wished I could read everything that was troubling her. I wished I could’ve understood each decision she took regarding her daughter. There were multiple characters that pained me because I couldn’t reach out and listen to them. In reality, I knew I had no choice but to live with this. It’s the nature of the novel, and I am just a passive reader anyway.
Sakthi addresses a plethora of current issues faced by both men and women in the world. The root of this problem may stem from patriarchy or other issues such as racism and ethnocentrism. As a Southeast Asian Muslim, one part of her that I identify with the most is religion. The novel does a thorough job of discussing the difference between religion and culture. Nowadays, non-Muslims understand Islam through Muslims. Unfortunately, not all Muslim cultures can be considered Islamic in general. As a Malaysian, I find myself sometimes disconnected from the practices of Bengali Muslims as shown in the novel. Although Sakthi is fiction, I see similar writing in a memoir by Kristiane Backer named From MTV to Mecca: How Islam Inspired My Life, in which a thorough analysis should be done to understand Islam based on the socio-behavior of the people, the normative and the ideal state of society. There is too much to unpack in terms of the messages that Sakthi carries, but it is remarkable nonetheless that fiction can contain so much knowledge that deserves to be studied in order to understand them. Perhaps one day I can revisit Sakthi again for research, and write my interpretations on some elements that I find too intriguing to ignore.
So far, I think I gave everyone strong reasons to pick up this exceptional novel. As Sakthi is only recently published, it’s understandable that the pool of readers will only grow from now on, but I’d be lying if I were not impatiently waiting for more people to discuss the content of the book with. I’m also going to be keeping tabs on the novels that Misha Hussain is going to publish in the future because I’m now an official fan. All in all, Sakthi deserves to be recognized as a gem in the literary world, and should be read by everyone regardless of their background!
October 30, 2024
The very first sentence of Misha Hussain’s ‘Sakthi’ pulls you in with the first of many ironies depicted in this powerful novel. Sakthi, the protagonist, is a teenage Bengali Muslim girl living in England, who tells you that she was smiling through her mother’s funeral, because she was happy for another woman being freed from the shackles of life and men. Employing Sakthi’s first-person voice, Hussain tells a story of domestic abuse perpetrated by her father on her and her mother; it depicts how suffocating the misogynistic and ultra-conservative version of Islam embraced in South-Asia is and how ill-equipped the Muslim diaspora is in terms of existing alongside an English society afflicted by Islamophobia. Hussain’s prose, characterized by a sardonic humor and understated poignancy, makes for a pleasurable and thoughtful read. ‘Sakthi’ is very pertinent to our time and is both a coming-of-age story as well as a commentary on how calamitous misinterpretation of Islam can be.
September 3, 2024
A brilliant book, I couldn’t put it down!!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews