Published as a trade paperback with an attractive cover, the selection of writings of Qurratulain Hyder translated from Urdu by Fatima Rizvi and Sufia Kidwai under the title At Home in India suffers from the problem that most omnibuses probably suffer from: while there may be something in it for everyone, most readers are going to find only parts of it engaging. In her pen portrait of the writer Khadija Mastur that is included in this volume, Hyder writes, ‘The true value and success of a literary text is that its appeal remains undiminished through the ages—in other words, it has universal appeal.’ Reading these writings several decades after they were written, in a different language from the one in which they were written, the critic has to consider whether this unnecessarily lofty standard has been met. Preconditioned by Hyder’s formidable reputation, I entered into the process of writing this review with the intention of proclaiming the timelessness of her work, of unconditionally celebrating her work. But as I sit down to actually write the review, I am not so sure.

Story of an Illustrious Family and a Subcontinent Grappling with Partition
Amitabha Bagchi
AT HOME IN INDIA by By Qurratulain Hyder. Translated from the original Urdu by Fatima Rizvi and Sufia Kidwai Women Unlimited, 2024, 438 pp., INR 750.00
October 2024, volume 48, No 10