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A Childhood in Malabar
In the second world war, Kamala and her brother are removed from their parent's home in Calcutta to the safer environment of their village in Northern Kerela. At once an outsider and an integral part of her ancestral home, Kamala struggle to fathom the intricacies of class, caste and language.
217 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
34 people are currently reading
544 people want to read
About the author
Kamala Suraiyya Das
97 books815 followersSee also Madhavikutty
Kamala Suraiyya (born Kamala; 31 March 1934 – 31 May 2009), also known by her one-time pen name Madhavikutty and Kamala Das, was an Indian English poet and littérateur and at the same time a leading Malayalam author from Kerala, India. Her popularity in Kerala is based chiefly on her short stories and autobiography, while her oeuvre in English, written under the name Kamala Das, is noted for the poems and explicit autobiography.
Her open and honest treatment of female sexuality, free from any sense of guilt, infused her writing with power, but also marked her as an iconoclast in her generation. On 31 May 2009, aged 75, she died at a hospital in Pune. Das has earned considerable respect in recent years.
(from Wikipedia)
Kamala Suraiyya (born Kamala; 31 March 1934 – 31 May 2009), also known by her one-time pen name Madhavikutty and Kamala Das, was an Indian English poet and littérateur and at the same time a leading Malayalam author from Kerala, India. Her popularity in Kerala is based chiefly on her short stories and autobiography, while her oeuvre in English, written under the name Kamala Das, is noted for the poems and explicit autobiography.
Her open and honest treatment of female sexuality, free from any sense of guilt, infused her writing with power, but also marked her as an iconoclast in her generation. On 31 May 2009, aged 75, she died at a hospital in Pune. Das has earned considerable respect in recent years.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 7, 2018
Review: A Childhood in Malabar - Kamala Das
I didn’t know much about Kamala Das when I started reading this book. I don’t remember how it ended up on my list. I might have read a poem of hers somewhere. I decided not to look her up until after I’m done reading the book. I wanted to form an unbiased opinion of her book and writing.
Visiting grandma, when I was younger, meant bedtime stories among other things. I loved listening to her telling us tales of Kakku mam (crows) and gubbachi (sparrows), stories of great kings, and stories from Indian mythology. I don’t remember all the stories now. But reading this book reminded me of story time with grandma. It was like listening to her talk about life when she was ten.
.
.
The book is set in Kerala, a state that is very close to home, physically and culturally. Kamala Das narrates incidents from her childhood spent at her maternal grandmother’s house. She speaks about her relationships with her family, the house-helps, cooks, friends, relatives etc. The amount of detail in each incident that she narrates is astonishing. The dialogues, the description of her surroundings - I find it hard to believe that she remembers it all. But she mentions in her notes that going to a psychoanalyst helped her extract those early memories. I don’t know a lot about psychoanalysis, but I do know that our memories aren’t facts. All our memories are a little bit of what actually happened combined with the emotions that we felt/remember, our prejudices, our biases, and our imaginations.
.
.
My reading usually slows down while on a vacation. But this time I was able to start and complete reading the book during my vacation. Achievement unlocked! It helped a lot that this was a fairly easy read and that it was set in Kerala. It also helped that I was reminiscing my own childhood in Mangalore during this vacation.
.
.
I remember someone suggesting that I pick vacation reads that set in my vacation destination. After reading A Childhood in Malabar while in Mangalore, I completely agree with that suggestion. It is such a unique, immersive experience to read descriptions of the same landscapes, food, practices, culture while experiencing it all yourself. It is like traveling back in time into the book and being an invisible bystander watching it all unfold. I don’t know if I would have enjoyed reading the book just as much if I wasn’t in India. The book even mentions Mangalapuram (the Malayalam name for Mangalore) and Mangalapuram bangles (which I’m assuming are red coral bangles). I was a tad bit disappointed when I was done reading the book because I wanted that journey to continue. I wanted to dive deeper and deeper into life in Kerala in the 1940s.
I didn’t know much about Kamala Das when I started reading this book. I don’t remember how it ended up on my list. I might have read a poem of hers somewhere. I decided not to look her up until after I’m done reading the book. I wanted to form an unbiased opinion of her book and writing.
Visiting grandma, when I was younger, meant bedtime stories among other things. I loved listening to her telling us tales of Kakku mam (crows) and gubbachi (sparrows), stories of great kings, and stories from Indian mythology. I don’t remember all the stories now. But reading this book reminded me of story time with grandma. It was like listening to her talk about life when she was ten.
.
.
The book is set in Kerala, a state that is very close to home, physically and culturally. Kamala Das narrates incidents from her childhood spent at her maternal grandmother’s house. She speaks about her relationships with her family, the house-helps, cooks, friends, relatives etc. The amount of detail in each incident that she narrates is astonishing. The dialogues, the description of her surroundings - I find it hard to believe that she remembers it all. But she mentions in her notes that going to a psychoanalyst helped her extract those early memories. I don’t know a lot about psychoanalysis, but I do know that our memories aren’t facts. All our memories are a little bit of what actually happened combined with the emotions that we felt/remember, our prejudices, our biases, and our imaginations.
.
.
My reading usually slows down while on a vacation. But this time I was able to start and complete reading the book during my vacation. Achievement unlocked! It helped a lot that this was a fairly easy read and that it was set in Kerala. It also helped that I was reminiscing my own childhood in Mangalore during this vacation.
.
.
I remember someone suggesting that I pick vacation reads that set in my vacation destination. After reading A Childhood in Malabar while in Mangalore, I completely agree with that suggestion. It is such a unique, immersive experience to read descriptions of the same landscapes, food, practices, culture while experiencing it all yourself. It is like traveling back in time into the book and being an invisible bystander watching it all unfold. I don’t know if I would have enjoyed reading the book just as much if I wasn’t in India. The book even mentions Mangalapuram (the Malayalam name for Mangalore) and Mangalapuram bangles (which I’m assuming are red coral bangles). I was a tad bit disappointed when I was done reading the book because I wanted that journey to continue. I wanted to dive deeper and deeper into life in Kerala in the 1940s.
June 24, 2021
I don't know if it was because of the enchanting cover photograph, but I felt like the whole memoir was drenched in sepia. A wonderful, evocative and soulful retelling of her early childhood memories, Kamala Das spins magic out of local gossip, Mallu folktales, and sparkling characters comprising of her grandmothers and the numerous servants. The insecurities brought about through colourism and her resentment towards an overbearing father are mentioned as casually as if one were referencing the weather. The curiosity that talkative little Kamala bore in getting to know people and their stories reveals how a writer was born.
I am always a fan of memoirs and this one was a delightful addition to this year's reads.
If you liked my review, do feel free to stop by my Instagram here!
I am always a fan of memoirs and this one was a delightful addition to this year's reads.
If you liked my review, do feel free to stop by my Instagram here!
May 17, 2023
"In Malabar, every grain of sand tells a story, and every breeze carries the whispers of history."
This book is a true gem for anyone seeking to explore the magic of childhood and the power of memories.
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Some Facts:
Malabar is a region located on the southwestern coast of India, encompassing the coastal areas of the present-day states of Kerala and some parts of Karnataka.
The term "Malabar" has its roots in the ancient language of Malayalam, which is spoken in Kerala. The name is believed to have been derived from the combination of two words: "Mala" meaning hill and "Bar" meaning a land or place. Thus, Malabar can be translated as the "land of hills."
I know this because I am a Malayali 😅
This book is a true gem for anyone seeking to explore the magic of childhood and the power of memories.
-------
Some Facts:
Malabar is a region located on the southwestern coast of India, encompassing the coastal areas of the present-day states of Kerala and some parts of Karnataka.
The term "Malabar" has its roots in the ancient language of Malayalam, which is spoken in Kerala. The name is believed to have been derived from the combination of two words: "Mala" meaning hill and "Bar" meaning a land or place. Thus, Malabar can be translated as the "land of hills."
I know this because I am a Malayali 😅
February 6, 2016
This is the third book of Kamala Das that I picked up, after ‘My Story’ and ‘Closure: Some Poems and a Conversation’. While in ‘My Story’, Kamala Das managed to cause a rupture in many minds over her writing style and discussion of topics that were considered ‘taboo’ till then, ‘Closure: Some Poems…’ happened to be a good collection of her eloquent yet sharp poems that made me admire the wonderful poet in her.
Like ‘My Story’, ‘A Childhood in Malabar’ is also a biographical, tell-tale book, in which Kamala Das recounts her growing up and coming of age at the simple and serene village surroundings of Kerala. Sent to Kerala from Kolkata at the outburst of World War II, for the sake of safety, Kamala revels in the presence of caring elders and learns various sides of human personality. But just because the stories are all about her childhood, don’t mistake that these are entirely about crow, fox, mice and cats. Kamala Das has indulged in her usual mischievous style every now and then and the entire book is more about the narrative than just stories. Though it is about the childhood events, she has infused a lot about the intense human emotions as well. One thing that stands throughout is her feminine yearnings for a better appearance and fairer skin. Seems even one of the best female writers in the country isn’t spared of such ‘pains’!
If you relished reading ‘My Story’ you will definitely relish reading this too. But don’t expect all the glitz, glamour and sexual frankness in this book. This is about innocent childhood and though once in a while Kamala gives a hint of something like that, this remains mainly a book on childhood. Moreover, Kamala Das herself has accepted that she had to use a bit of fiction while writing ‘My Story’ to spice up (!) the book!
Overall, a good book, where Kamala Das takes you around on a journey into the world of ponds, farmlands, servant maids, muthassi, ammaman, achan, typically serene surroundings of rural Kerala, snacks, siblings and sentiments. Try it and you will not be disappointed!
Like ‘My Story’, ‘A Childhood in Malabar’ is also a biographical, tell-tale book, in which Kamala Das recounts her growing up and coming of age at the simple and serene village surroundings of Kerala. Sent to Kerala from Kolkata at the outburst of World War II, for the sake of safety, Kamala revels in the presence of caring elders and learns various sides of human personality. But just because the stories are all about her childhood, don’t mistake that these are entirely about crow, fox, mice and cats. Kamala Das has indulged in her usual mischievous style every now and then and the entire book is more about the narrative than just stories. Though it is about the childhood events, she has infused a lot about the intense human emotions as well. One thing that stands throughout is her feminine yearnings for a better appearance and fairer skin. Seems even one of the best female writers in the country isn’t spared of such ‘pains’!
If you relished reading ‘My Story’ you will definitely relish reading this too. But don’t expect all the glitz, glamour and sexual frankness in this book. This is about innocent childhood and though once in a while Kamala gives a hint of something like that, this remains mainly a book on childhood. Moreover, Kamala Das herself has accepted that she had to use a bit of fiction while writing ‘My Story’ to spice up (!) the book!
Overall, a good book, where Kamala Das takes you around on a journey into the world of ponds, farmlands, servant maids, muthassi, ammaman, achan, typically serene surroundings of rural Kerala, snacks, siblings and sentiments. Try it and you will not be disappointed!
January 7, 2015
This book is basically a peep into the author's childhood. A collection of random memories from her childhood. There is no plot and no direction. Just an assortment of interesting instances from her childhood.
The book is immersed in Kerala culture and traditions. And it is difficult for someone who is not familiar with the culture to appreciate the language and background of the whole book. The translation which has literally translated a lot of malayalam words into english without notes, makes it more difficult. With that said, it could also be taken as an opportunity for someone who's not familiar with Kerala culture to actually explore and understand kerala culture better.
With its vividness, liveliness and colour this book will certainly make a mark on the reader's mind.
The book is immersed in Kerala culture and traditions. And it is difficult for someone who is not familiar with the culture to appreciate the language and background of the whole book. The translation which has literally translated a lot of malayalam words into english without notes, makes it more difficult. With that said, it could also be taken as an opportunity for someone who's not familiar with Kerala culture to actually explore and understand kerala culture better.
With its vividness, liveliness and colour this book will certainly make a mark on the reader's mind.
December 5, 2024
Finally finished it! Very evocative though a LOT less immediately captivating than My Story.
September 13, 2013
At the beginning of the book, Kamala Das talks about meeting with her close friend who is a psychotherapist. She talks about semi-formal sessions with him, that make her remember her childhood in bits and pieces and no particular order.
This is exactly how the book flows as well.
The book is like sitting with a friend, who you knew well a long time ago and happened to run into again. It is disjointed and lyrical yet so warm and welcoming.
It was all the more fascinating for me, because the families mentioned in the book are so familiar to me.
There are even mentions of Marathatu Aniyan and Thangam - My grandafather’s younger brother and younger sister and it is so interesting to read about their lives as children and in an era so removed from the time, I knew them from.
I loved the book and would highly recommend it.
But a word of caution for Non-Malayalis – while the book has been wonderfully translated and captures the essence of the Malayalam version. However, there are far too many Malayalam terms that have been left in without being defined, some too hard to translate.
This is exactly how the book flows as well.
The book is like sitting with a friend, who you knew well a long time ago and happened to run into again. It is disjointed and lyrical yet so warm and welcoming.
It was all the more fascinating for me, because the families mentioned in the book are so familiar to me.
There are even mentions of Marathatu Aniyan and Thangam - My grandafather’s younger brother and younger sister and it is so interesting to read about their lives as children and in an era so removed from the time, I knew them from.
I loved the book and would highly recommend it.
But a word of caution for Non-Malayalis – while the book has been wonderfully translated and captures the essence of the Malayalam version. However, there are far too many Malayalam terms that have been left in without being defined, some too hard to translate.
March 15, 2017
Disappointed with this book. I know that Ms Das is legendary n all, but this one didn't quite cut it for me. This my first book of Ms Das, and I thought it was quite blah. Loved the imagery of life in rural Kerala, and the sprinkling of Malayalam terms all over and not translating them to English, but that's about it. I guess the author was going for beauty in everyday, mundane stuff.. but frankly it was quite boring.
July 11, 2016
heartwarming.... but frightening experiences
June 1, 2024
It is the second world war and Kamala Das and her brother are removed from Calcutta, and sent to live for a few years in their village in Malabar. Years later, Das writes of her memories of those years, and it turns out to be an evocative description of a Nair taravaadu in '40s Kerala. The young girl watches and hears everything around her and struggles to understand the complexities of caste and class, surrounded as she is by her loving grandmother and grand uncle, and also a whole retinue of household help. She hears from her grandmother and great grandmother stories from the Mahabharata and Bhagavatham and Ramayana, of contemporary writes like Uroob and and the poems of Kumaran Asan. But more interesting to her are what she hears from the help - their lives and loves and their impressions of the people they work for and their stories of yakshis and local deities and their power. She sees the dance of the velichapaad and follows the bangle seller, is fascinated by the korathi and her parrot who tells the future, watches an ottam thullal performance, learns to wear the onnara - the undergarment worn by women, and also learns that fairness is a pre-requisite for beauty! Calcutta and her convent education fade from her as she goes 'native'. These few years leave a lasting impression on her, and become an inexhaustible source of stories for the rest of her life.
The book is written as a series of impressions and heard dialogue. While there is the author's voice, it is quite minimal, almost as if Das wanted to record her memories as is. The translation is good but with so many very local references - the folk tales, the dances and the songs, the temple rituals, the caste and class allusions, it is difficult for an outsider to totally understand. For an almost deracinated me, this book was a revisiting of cultural roots I never totally absorbed. And I really should have been reading this in Malayalam. Some day.
The book is written as a series of impressions and heard dialogue. While there is the author's voice, it is quite minimal, almost as if Das wanted to record her memories as is. The translation is good but with so many very local references - the folk tales, the dances and the songs, the temple rituals, the caste and class allusions, it is difficult for an outsider to totally understand. For an almost deracinated me, this book was a revisiting of cultural roots I never totally absorbed. And I really should have been reading this in Malayalam. Some day.
September 27, 2022
I read My Story by the author earlier this year, and it gave an insight into Kamala's life as an adult but also gave us a sneak peek into her childhood at Nallapat.
Nallapat is full of characters one would see in an older generation of every Indian household - and more closer to the cultural heritage of Kerala during the second world war. With vague references indicative of the political scenario of the time.
Highlights: the spectrum of vivid characters and entertaining anecdotes.
The narrative though is very erratic, moving from one anecdotes to the other and at points leaves one very confused about what's happening.
As a reader who has read My Story - I found Kamala's perspective very different from the one in this story. It's almost like she saw her own childhood through totally different lenses in both these books, which can be confusing.
But in retrospect, it is true the way the world seems through a child's eye is very different than an adult looking back at their childhood.
Kudos to the author for being able to do justice to both. Though somewhere, it feels like it's abrupt. Like her childhood ended very abruptly or she didn't want to explore what happened after that.
Nallapat is full of characters one would see in an older generation of every Indian household - and more closer to the cultural heritage of Kerala during the second world war. With vague references indicative of the political scenario of the time.
Highlights: the spectrum of vivid characters and entertaining anecdotes.
The narrative though is very erratic, moving from one anecdotes to the other and at points leaves one very confused about what's happening.
As a reader who has read My Story - I found Kamala's perspective very different from the one in this story. It's almost like she saw her own childhood through totally different lenses in both these books, which can be confusing.
But in retrospect, it is true the way the world seems through a child's eye is very different than an adult looking back at their childhood.
Kudos to the author for being able to do justice to both. Though somewhere, it feels like it's abrupt. Like her childhood ended very abruptly or she didn't want to explore what happened after that.
September 16, 2025
A Childhood in Malabar by Madhavikutty aka Kamala Das, again picked up from the forgotten shelves of my college library, is a beautifully nostalgic memoir that brings alive the sights, sounds, and rhythms of Kerala. I particularly enjoyed it because I could relate to the cultural backdrop—the descriptions of village life, traditions, and family ties felt familiar and real.
I picked this up as part of my attempt to read more Indian authors, especially Malayalam literature in translation, and it didn’t disappoint. The book is gentle, evocative, and deeply rooted in place. A lovely glimpse into Kamala Das’s early years, written with the same candid honesty that marks her poetry and prose.
I picked this up as part of my attempt to read more Indian authors, especially Malayalam literature in translation, and it didn’t disappoint. The book is gentle, evocative, and deeply rooted in place. A lovely glimpse into Kamala Das’s early years, written with the same candid honesty that marks her poetry and prose.
March 8, 2024
Reading this book was like sitting on the veranda in conversation with my grandmother. With age, my grandmother cannot always stay on track while telling a story and often repeats herself, but in the end, being patient bears fruit as I am left filled with the warmth of rose-tinted nostalgia and the mythical idea of home.
January 6, 2024
A true memoir of a beautiful childhood!
Indeed, Kamala Das aka Madhavikutty is a favourite author, because of her flair of storytelling. This is very evident in this work. We are introduced to Kamala's childhood that shifted from Calcutta to Kerala and Kerala to Calcutta. The variation one faces in different cultures makes Kamala an adaptive, modern yet clutching to traditional values. The influence the life of Nalapat has on her is tremendous. She mixes with everyone, irrespective of caste and status. And we learn that she was a very curious and adorable, apple-of-the-eye of everyone.
The track of narrating incidents is vague but nostalgic.
My Rating- 3/5
Indeed, Kamala Das aka Madhavikutty is a favourite author, because of her flair of storytelling. This is very evident in this work. We are introduced to Kamala's childhood that shifted from Calcutta to Kerala and Kerala to Calcutta. The variation one faces in different cultures makes Kamala an adaptive, modern yet clutching to traditional values. The influence the life of Nalapat has on her is tremendous. She mixes with everyone, irrespective of caste and status. And we learn that she was a very curious and adorable, apple-of-the-eye of everyone.
The track of narrating incidents is vague but nostalgic.
My Rating- 3/5
April 22, 2010
I expected to really enjoy this book, as I'd enjoyed Das's 'My Story' and 'Diddi' about another literary childhood. But this English translation is chockfull of Malayali words and expressions and I have no idea what they mean! Also with religious and cultural references that make less sense to me than they did to baby Kamala. Don't know if I'll finish this.
April 15, 2011
"Balyakalasmaranakal"-A memoir par excellence.A must read for all people who can enjoy malayalam literature.Out of curiosity I picked up this translation by Gita Krishnankutty from a secondhand book seller in Singapore.Gita Krishnankutty has done a wonderful job in translating the book without losing out on the essence.
August 25, 2015
An amazing storyteller. I immensely enjoyed reading the book. A peep into the lives of women in the Nair tharavadus of Kerala. The translation was good too. Cannot wait for the day when I can read Malayalam books as effortlessly as this and partake of the sweet flavour the language will add to the narrative.
July 4, 2014
the unbiased and candid stream of meanderings still left unresolved in the conflicted mind of a little girl - this memoir makes one shudder with its simplicity in penning down stark truths that one would rather 'backspace' . This book cut you like a wound. !
February 9, 2020
This book takes you back in time where everything was simple. Through the eyes of an innocent little girl Kamala Das challenges the repertoire of the society. After reading this u will be happy and sad.
February 25, 2016
The Kerala of Kamala Das' childhood is a magical, often frightening and confusing place - the way she writes, it makes me feel as if that Kerala is right on the other side of my door.
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April 22, 2014The narrative of innocence, learning and growth...and reasoning into why a girl child suffers...!
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January 21, 2018NIce one
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews