Book Review - The Fabulous Mums Of Champion Valley.

27th Aug 2024

"To all the mums out there,"
"The Fabulous Mums Of Champion Valley" by Zareen Khan got me at the first line. The blurb already mentions, "riotous romp through the messy world of driven school mums, fragile friendships and hard truths that are as heartwarming as it is hilarious", the moment I read the last page of the book, felt like I left a fun gossip gang, which I subconsciously joined as I turned page by page.
"It is easy to judge and difficult to love, that's why people choose to judge." No matter how much we hate or avoid judging or being judged, it is ingrained in our overall behavior. Initially, you find the characters hilarious. But when you get to know their backstories, you feel guilty of laughing at them earlier. Being kind would have been a better option. Also, by this time you start visualizing people from your life as characters (I did!) or vice versa.
I felt one thing prominently evident, that is the use of culture and dialect is smartly used. The one that is prevalent in the north does not exist at all in the south, there is a reason why India is a little continent in itself in addition to being a country, the variety is vast and huge. The way the schools are hyped and are a matter of prestige there is also noteworthy. The book is thoroughly engaging and does not bore in a single instance.
The characters keep playing their parts their way. Another aspect to be appreciated is the way the book is presented. Riddhi's piece always starts with her current weight and diet plan. Kainaaz always has a to-do list. Jia is constantly on the chat with her mother-in-law. Giselle, being a working woman, deals with emails day in and day out. The communication between the school and parents is presented in emails. So, the efforts that went into formatting this book are worth it. The book cover is apt and matched the vibe of the pages inside.
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There are multiple takeaways from this book:
1) If you are writing something about someone, make sure you safely place/dispose once you are done writing!
2) Being a mother to a genius child is equally tough.
3) You have to make sure your emotional baggage is not being transferred to your child.
4) Scars or colored lenses, whether to flaunt them or hide them, decide for yourself without thinking about society's norms.
5) Do not underestimate kids.
6) A mother-in-law backing up her daughter-in-law over her cheater son is the real woman empowerment.
7) When you get to know rumors about yourself, instead of reacting instantly, think of two possibilities: a) are they true? b) how much of your attention/reaction do they need?
8) It's a small world, an adventure in teens can be the reason for survival in the 30's!
9) Every change is terrible in the beginning, manageable in the middle, and desirable after that. Give things time, if it is about relocating from Goa to Gurugram or losing weight.
10) Do not give up on your passion, whether it is baking, carpentry, or writing emails! So all the Fabulous Mums, especially mums of school-going kids, do give this book a chance to make you feel refreshed.

The review is powered by the Blogchatter Book Review Program.