Book: Mafia Queens of Mumbai Stories of Women from the Ganglands.
Author: S. Hussain Zaidi with Jane Borges
Pages: 347
Read On: Kindle
Publisher: Tranquebar Press
How Long it Took Me To Read: 3 hours ( I breezed through this book!)
Plot Summary: From victims to victims to victors, this collection of stories contains intricate details of thirteen women who went on to leave their permanent mark on the face face of the Mumbai Mafiosi.
General Thoughts: This really isn't the kind of book I am drawn towards. But I saw it on Kindle Unlimited and thought I'd give it a shot. I had heard good things about it and being from Bombay, reading about it's underbelly seemed appealing.
Things I Liked:
1. I really enjoyed the writing style of this book. The book is simply written and makes for an intriguing and easy read. I breezed through this book in one sitting, I simply couldn't put it down.
2. The underworld is fascinating to say the least. Scary, disturbing and if you are from Mumbai it's presence is something that is a part of your life. Especially in the 90s the underworld was a big, big part of our lives. Dominating the headlines and even living room conversations. Shootouts and kidnappings and protection money were sadly all to common in the 90s. I have heard so many stories about the underworld and thanks to my Dad seen a ton of movies about it to. So reading about it was quite interesting.
3. The range of stories in this book is pretty incredible. From straight up women gangsters to gangster moles to narcotics dealers, to a legendary prostitute who is revered in the red light area. There are so many different kinds of women and their stories in this book.
4. Women gangsters are not often talked about and it's not like there aren't women in the nefarious profession.
5. I really appreciate the research that has gone into this book. And even though this is a non-fiction book it reads like a well-written and nuanced story.
6. This book just took you into it's world. The seedy rooms and dingy lanes of Mumbai. As well as the greedy hearts and determined minds of the women in gangs.
7. I always surprises me that the city I was born in and live in has this totally different side. Sometimes the lights and sounds and sights of this city just camouflage the darkness and malice that inhabit here as well. I have to admit I sometimes have a hard time seeing my city in the different light. But I guess it lives and breathes right along side with the rest of us, this world and it's people. It is fascinating to see how this other side lives.
Rating: 4/5
I really, really enjoyed this book.
And it blew my mind how much I enjoyed it. It took me completely by surprise. Don't you just love that about books?
I will say though, you will have to kinda keep an open mind and judgment aside while reading this book. Because at the end of the day it is a book about criminals and they do terrible things. So while reading about it, I think it's story of a person's life and all the terrible things they do is just a part of the story.
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