Books

Land for Fatimah

Land for Fatimah cover picture

Guernica Editions, 2018.
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Four strong women: Anjali, an Indo-Canadian single mother who eagerly accepts an African posting with her non-profit organization; Grace, her dedicated but dominating colleague, who opposes her; Fatimah, a farmer ousted from her home and fertile farmland, whom Anjali befriends; and Mary, Anjali’s kindly maid, who must secure the future of her son, Gabriel.

Anjali involves herself in Fatimah’s quest to find new land for her scattered community, and is thrown into a web of intrigue that upturns her safe, orderly world.

Capturing the warmth and vitality of Africa, illuminating everyday heroism, the novel explores expatriate life, the forced displacement of the poor and the complexities of development.

Excerpts:

We reach out, stretching our hands towards the sky, and then we fall down, down, Anjali thought. Sometimes we collapse into a nerveless heap and almost disappear. But somehow we don’t. With our last shred of determination, we gather up the scattered bits and pieces, patch outselves together and try once again. She felt awed by this commonplace yet remarkable human reality.

Soon, Rose, the regular Class Three teacher, would come back and relieve her from her volunteer duties. A pity that. Grace could have taught for the rest of the day, the rest of the week, the rest of the year. All you needed was a classroom and children, a blackboard and chalk for the teacher and slates and chalk for the students. Textbooks, notebooks, pens and pencils helped, but were not strictly necessary.

On the eve of their departure from Ferun, a slow burning anger claimed Fatimah. All this time, there had only been anguish over the multiple losses — land, home, family — lost, broken, scattered. That night, their last in Ferun, lying in the Women’s House, wide awake, she made the resolution that she would find a way to bring them all together again.

Mary‘s disease had disturbed her equanimity, not shattered it. But Gabriel’s unresolved future was tearing her apart. What was the secret behind her habitual calm, her quiet contentment? Mary followed two precepts for happiness that come hard to most of us. She lived in the present and gave herself fully to the task at hand. And she remained focussed on other people, the world beyond herself.

Living in Bombay, India, in my 20s, I witnessed slum demolitions. Earning a pittance in the informal economy, at best, left people with no choice but to claim what land they could find and build their own homes. But there was no guarantee that they would be allowed to live on in these most basic of shelters. Where did these people come from? Mega dams and other “development” projects meant that the most vulnerable lost their small land holdings, livelihoods, community and a way of life. Many were dislocated over and over again. As well, there were landless labourers, the unemployed and the under employed. People also wanted to come to the cities to have more opportunities. When I came back to Canada, my adopted country, after living in Tanzania, East Africa, and working for a non-profit organization there, I had the outline for Land for Fatimah in my suitcase. Later, I received a small writing grant, and did some research. The novel began to take shape, partially fuelled by the anger and frustration I felt at the injustices suffered by dispossessed farmers and the urban poor. I had questions about international development as well. My expatriate experience in Tanzania had been stimulating, but also very challenging. All that and much else started to come together in the wonderful, inexplicable way that creates fiction. I so love making things up! From the beginning I knew that the story would take place in an imaginary East African country, populated by make believe ethnic groups like the Aanke, that Fatimah belongs to. I named the country Kamorga. There would be many languages, stunning tropical settings and a colonial history. And there would be Western, international development organizatons, including Health Education and Livelihood Skills Partnership (HELP), where my heroine Anjali would work. The characters “came” to me, followed by the exhilarating work of developing them further. The unusual friendship between Anjali, the idealistic NGO worker, and Fatimah, the feisty farmer, and their common quest to find land for Fatimah’s dispossessed community, are key to this narrative. Anjali’s multidimensional colleague, Grace, who is the antagonist in this story, and her kindly maid, Mary, play important roles. Then there is Rahul, Anjali’s unhappily displaced son, Gabriel, Mary’s bookish boy, and Hassan, the debonair, Marxist consultant Anjali is drawn to. And many others! I wrote this book to bring to life important issues that have no easy solutions. I illuminate these issues through the interwoven, life stories of Anjali, Fatimah, Grace and Mary. I believe I have written a serious book, but not a bleak one. Let’s see what you make of it! Please do write and tell me what you think. I really appreciate reader response.

Back of the book

Erudite and engaging. The characters are drawn with empathy and compassion. The tension between the exigencies of justice and the demands of bureaucracy is aptly depicted. The protagonist, Anjali, is a complex, multidimensional character, admirable for her attempts to put principle ahead of pragmatism.

– H. Nigel Thomas, author, shortlisted for the Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction, 2013 & 2015

The story hit many of those bitter sweet moments you have when trying to make a difference against all odds. I know anybody who has worked in a developing country or with an NGO will love the book.

– Andra Tamburro, Former Director at Water Advocates

Interviews

Radio interview by Jeffrey Mackie on The Literary Report, CKUT 90.3 FM, Mc Gill University campus and community radio, Montreal, 21-8-2018

Radio interview by Doug Miller on Amandla, CKUT 90.3 FM, News and Analysis on Africa.
Interview by All Lit Up, a compendium of Canadian Literature.
Interview by Toronto author Mayank Bhatt, on his blog Generally About Books.

Reviews

… a powerful tale about land ownership, dispossession, power, and poverty told through the eyes of four women…”

“Masterfully weaving an important global narrative about the consequences of colonial, corporate, and governmental greed with a more personal story of working in an NGO in a foreign land, Land for Fatimah is a must-read.

– Cecilia Keating, Hunger for Land, Montreal Review of Books

… a story that is exposing issues that many don’t consider in the name of progress: the people that are most directly affected by changes that take their traditions, homes, livelihoods and futures…

All four of the voices here have a different view and priority, and these will clash often… An interesting and thoughtful story that should be on your shelf, for these issues will become more prevalent world-wide as progress in the name of profits continue to rule – and seeing the impact, small and large, is important in informing your stance.

– Gaele at I am, indeed

Veena Gokhale’s […] novel is a bridge spanning cultures and languages across South Asia, Africa and Canada…

Whereas on the one hand, Land for Fatimah is about the poor and the dispossessed, it is also about the plight of foreign or local NGOs…

Land of Fatimah provides a rare insight into the day-to-day challenges faced by these organizations. Set against the backdrop of busy city streets with swarming Matatas (privately-owned mini-vans) and the all-consuming dust of African countryside, this novel makes a great read.

– Nilambri Ghai at Montreal Serai

Foreign aid is very much in the news. Questions about its effectiveness abound… The news we hear is usually from the outside… Land for Fatimah tells a story from the inside and is therefore truly welcome… we are left with an empathetic picture of how it must be for the poor in Africa who have been displaced, and who look for assistance wherever they can get it.

– Barbara Lingens at Bookloons

Bombay Wali and other stories

Bombay Wali cover picture by Falguni Gokhale

Guernica Editions, 2013.

Read samples at
Montreal Serai.

Bombay Wali and other stories, my lively fiction collection, was published by Guernica Editions  in 2013. Bombay Wali means a woman from Bombay.

“These are stories that provide the genuine flavour and taste of India, and other exotic locales. […] we meet true-to-life characters imbued with interest and complexity. These are rich stories, well-imagined, deeply felt.”

Mark Frutkin, author, Fabrizio’s Return, winner of the 2006 Trillium Book Award.

You can read response & reviews and watch the intro. video on this site. And get your copy at:

Your local library may have Bombay Wali, or you could even request a copy. I’d love to hear from you!

These are twelve tales that provide startling glimpses of contemporary life in Bombay and elsewhere. Stories about friendship and resentment, family ties and freedom, violence, public and private; despair and acceptance, ambition and uncertainty, growing up and growing old.

Interviews and Reflections

Reviews and Recommendations

“These are stories that provide the genuine flavour and taste of India, and other exotic locales. Whether we are privy to the private conversations of three young women plotting a desperate act in Bombay, imagining the details and scents of a British/tropical teahouse, or feeling a young wife’s longing for the excitement of rioters in the streets, we meet true-to-life characters imbued with interest and complexity. These are rich stories, well-imagined, deeply felt.”

Back cover endorsement by Mark Frutkin, author, Fabrizio’s Return, winner of the 2006 Trillium Book Award.

Reader Response

Readers, I would love to hear from you. Critiques welcome! Please write to veenago@gmail.com.

It is the rare artist who can inspire love for an entire genre in her audience. The short stories in Bombay Wali invite you to slip through a portal into an absorbing new world. Despite sometimes unfamiliar cultural references and settings, you immediately see through the main character’s eyes and are absorbed into their world. The author’s words are deftly chosen, her protagonists’ emotions beautifully conveyed. Her depiction of grief in Middle Age Jazz and Blues is spot on. Gokhale’s debut collection is a treasure chest full of sparkling gems. – Clare

Veena, what a joy to read Middle Age Jazz and Blues from Bombay Wali! You have a great gift for storytelling! – Caroline

I LOVED your stories – especially Zindagi Itefaq Hai (Life is Chance) and Freire Stopped in Bombay. The way you use language, the plotlines, characters so true. – Heidi

I found that I could really relate to the heroine in Middle Age Jazz and Blues. You described her emotions well and I could understand the obligations she had to her family. Overall, you have a talent for suspense. I was eager to know what happened next as I read on. The stories have depth because they often have a philosophical subtext. – Nadine

Veena brings us a collection of stories from ‘Bombay’ India. They are intricately woven, picturesque vignettes of lives of people as they move about in society that is so diverse and multi-layered. These stories draw you in, and leave you nostalgic, sad or rejoicing in their outcome. Looking forward to her next literary gem. – Farhat

In my opinion Bombay Wali is an award winner. I look forward to being proven accurate. – Sheine

Je applaudis Bombay Walli que j’ai presque fini et beaucoup aimé. Une de mes préférées est Paulo Freire comes to Bombay pour la tension qui monte et la description d’une réalité consternante pour un Canadien toujours et généralement trop repu. Avec toute mon amitié et ma gratitude pour ce voyage en Inde. – Elisabeth

In her book, “Bombay Wali and Other Stories”, Canadian writer, Veena Gokhale, takes us on a journey across the globe, never failing to remind that stories that are filled with love, struggle and humanity are infinitely universal. She provides glimpses of life, set among the streets, ocean sides and garden paths of India, not to mention a tidy home in Japan and a temple in Nepal. Her stories mirror the tragedy and strength that arises from the daily existence of the lives of so many, all over the world.

Her characters are familiar. These could be stories about your friend, your neighbor, your relative, the stranger on the street in your hometown or even you. Brilliantly woven throughout each piece, they deliver messages that are both well-known and ground-breaking. A must-read for all.” – Shahla

As mentioned on the back of the book, it provides the genuine flavor and taste of India with hints of other locations, including Canada. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it as it gives a very real sense of life in India. Please let me know when you publish your next book. – Paul

Veena – I’m enjoying it immensely – absolutely wonderful stories that pull me in and transport to exotic worlds. You’ve got a great talent! – Mary

You have a really nice writing style, blending external, well-laid out imagery with internal emotions. Here’s my pick of the lines (love those passages with strong internal conflict) from a couple of the stories in Bombay Wali:

“The evening had split her into two people: the Renuka who was going along with Gulnar’s outrageous scheme – a shadow with a motive; and the Renuka who was still painfully embedded in her own flesh. The one had watched the other all evening, stifling a scream of horror and disgust.” – Bombay Wali, the title story.

“She felt a scream forming at the base of her throat and rising slowly, and then she was at the entrance of her building, her self control deserting her as soon as she was inside the door, making her run up the hollow-sounding, wooden staircase, till she collided into a man who was going down the stairs…” Reveries of a Riot.

Reveries of a Riot has quite an intensity, which doesn’t go down, a really sharp turn in the way we see Mira, as her hunger for life bursts forth. Your affection for and knowledge of Indian culture and Bombay really shines through in these stories. I will read your full-length novel for sure. – Vinay Kolhatkar, author, The Frankenstein Candidate.

This is not the romanticized India of the migrant mind yearning for warmth. It is not the colour coordinated opulence of Bollywood. Nor is it the despair of the horrific tales of exploitation and abject poverty. This is an urban India lived and reveled in by the author. It is neither apologetic about the inherent differences in class, caste and thus opportunity, nor does it claim to justify why a ‘wrong’ is actually right. Veena’s stories are real, they happen everyday, not just in Mumbai (Bombay)as in the title story, but in Nepal, Japan and Canada as well. And rarely is real life dramatic. The author’s skill in picking up the ‘interesting’ within the mundane and weaving a touching narrative comes through. Engaging! – – Manjiri

I am always so enriched when I read your writing! – Gillian

I waited for a quiet moment to read your story. It’s very good. Very touching. – Geneviève

Story descriptions

Bombay Wali: Renuka, a young journalist eking out a meagre but interesting living in Bombay, finds herself embroiled in a desperate scheme hatched by her best friend.

Bombay Wali means a woman from Bombay.

Middle Age Jazz and Blues: At an innocuous jazz concert, Feroza, a professor and caregiver, comes face to face with a painful aspect of her past.

Zindagi Itefaq Hai (Life is Chance): A page containing important information falls out of a journalist’s office window and disappears. Will he or won’t he make the deadline for his story?

Freire Stopped in Bombay: Dilip, a young, Dalit student on a Government Scholarship, faces big challenges in Bombay. Can Paulo Freire be of some help?

Dalits, formerly known as untouchables, occupy the lowest rung on the Hindu caste system. The Constitution of India prohibits discrimination based on caste and has abolished untouchability. India also has an affirmative action policy.

This story is inspired by true events.

Reveries of a Riot: Mira is shell-shocked by the riot raging outside her apartment. A reflection on violence, public and private.

The Room: College girl Sujata feels compromised by an unsavoury alliance that she must tolerate in order to enjoy herself.

Absolution: Ashok, a no nonsense businessman who prides himself on being modern, is forced to contend with tradition and heritage.

Smoke and Mirrors: Kavita, a wealthy businesswoman, feels compelled to hurt her loyal friend, Shanti. Could this be the end of a friendship that spans two decades?

Munni: A little servant girl, Munni, leaves an indelible impression on a child whose family she works for. A true story.

Snapshot: In a suburban Tokyo apartment, Sukiyo, an old, Japanese woman takes an unexpected step to redress her loneliness.

This story is inspired by a news article.

The Tea Drinker: Martin, a sensitive, atypical boy is marked by his childhood encounter with Maliha, a reclusive heiress.

Kathmandu: Stranded in Kathmandu, April, a young Canadian student, finds help from unexpected quarters.