Shahnaz: A Novel

by Hiro Boga

This is a stunning debut novel which delivers an intensly personal account of human suffering and redemption. At once a moving coming-of-age story, a gripping account of psychological trauma, a tale of female empowerment and a chronicle of migration.

357 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2002

About the author

Hiro Boga is a writer, teacher, business strategist, and mentor to creative leaders who are shaping a world that works for everyone. She is a pioneer in the field of soul-powered creativity.

Hiro writes and teaches at the frontier where soul and subtle energy meet artistic integrity, creative freedom, and renewable prosperity in service to a world of wholeness, peace, and provision for everyone.

For close to forty years, she has guided thousands of clients and students through adventures in creative consciousness that result in practical ways to build a better, more beautiful world.

Read more, and enjoy a wealth of free resources, including online Deva Cards, at https://hiroboga.com/. You can also connect with her on Facebook and Instagram, where she shares daily insights, stories, inspiration and more to accompany you on your journey.

Reviews

[Qurratulain Kamil · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book revolved around the central character as Shahnaz, battling her way through life with a maniac mother and loneliness, accompanied by her father's work place in other city. She belonged to one of the wealthiest Parsi families in Bombay, and taking the bold step to immigrate to US, where there would be no servants, no chauffeurs and cooks to do the chores for her and the husband she was accompanied with. the story tells the hidden stories of immigrants that how do they cope with martial tensions which surface up because of this move of couples. there were many moments where the reader if sensitive enough will cry with characters like the death of Nirmala, the barbaric act of chopping her hands off and then burning her alive.. the tale encompasses various traditions of India like.. the Parsi rituals, the rain plea to Vishnu, the customs of getting accustomed with the hindus. all in all i would rate it as 7/10. Cause at times it was a drag too. explaining too much the details of objects and scenes that you feel exasperated reading them and would just want to skim through the paragraphs.

[Sahar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a gift from my father to my mother Shahnaz in 2003. Inside he had written, "To Shahnaz, who I have known for 33 years." I thought that the inscription was sweet and so one afternoon, I sat down and read it. The story itself is not extraordinary: it's about an Indian girl's experience in the United States, where she comes to study with her husband in Oregan. Even the way the story is told is not unique: it describes the present and peppers it with flashbacks from the past. What makes this book one of my favorites though is the descriptions of everything from landscapes to buildings to intimate feelings and emotions. Each character is developed in depth, with the complexities and intricacies of personalities carefully laid out. What made the book so real for me was the pain of the characters, why it begins and how it effects their souls, and eventually translates into actions. It's an inspiring novel, speaking directly to one who looks into the past often as a way to understand oneself.

[Eleena Banerji · Rating 5 out of 5]

A poignant tale of a daughter going through life, dealing with a mother with manic depression. Sad, scary, vivid, unputdownable!