Memsahibs - The Journey of English Ladies on the exotic Indian Shores during British Raj

 

📗BOOK: Memsahibs
📗AUTHOR: Ipshita Nath
📗GENRE: Historical Non-Fiction
📗THEME: British Women in India 

📝RATING:
⚡Content: 3.8/5
⚡Literature- 4/5

📖CONTENT:

'Memsahib' is a popular sobriquet used to refer to the ladies of higher standing and refined etiquette.

Who better than the British women of Colonial Raj in India are the rightful segment to be referred to as 'Memsahibs'.

This book enumerate the journey, lifestyle and 'adventures'of the Memsahibs who have settled in India during the British Raj. 

✒VERDICT 

🥇Pros: 

1) I was enamoured with the idea of reading about the supporting but crucial characters of colonial era who  actually came with the intention of settling down and maintaining the household while their husbands faithfully did their duty for the crown. It was interesting to note and understand how they took to the Indian lifestyle despite being bred as an English Memsahib.

2) One of the noteworthy highlights of this book is the description of the perilous voyage that the Memsahibs undertook to reach the Indian shores. As a millennial, it is definitely a fascinating account for me to know that their month-long voyage on a ship came through different destinations of the world fraught with attacks from the pirates. The etiquette and the social norms made it an interesting read to understand the Victorian culture. 

👎Cons:

1) I was slightly disappointed with the content as it progressed which spoke about seasonal impact on the Memsahibs that shed nothing new about their life. The seasonal impact is something that is common throughout ages. I expected more insights on their thought-process and any specific incidents which affected their impression of India.

2) I enjoyed the quote snippets of the Memsahibs which felt more personalized but were not enough in numbers in the book. Sadly, personal stories were missing which made this book like a generalised diary of person living in India.

Overall, it was a refreshing read to understand the British Raj era in India and the prevalence of Victorian culture under the lens of Memsahibs who were indirect participants of colonialism.