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  • The House of Hidden Mothers

  • By: Meera Syal
  • Narrated by: Meera Syal
  • Length: 14 hrs and 15 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (167 ratings)
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The House of Hidden Mothers cover art

The House of Hidden Mothers

By: Meera Syal
Narrated by: Meera Syal
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Summary

Little India, East London: Shyama, aged forty-four, has fallen for a younger man. They want a child together.

Meanwhile, in a rural village in India, young Mala, trapped in an oppressive marriage, dreams of escape.

When Shyama and Mala meet, they help each other realise their dreams. But will fate guarantee them both happiness?

Brimming with warmth, wit and indignation, Meera Syal immerses us in a devastating story of friendship, family and the lengths a woman will go to have a child.

The House of Hidden Mothers is her long-awaited third novel and shows Meera Syal at the height of her literary powers. Meera Syal, CBE, is one of our most acclaimed actors and writers of stage and screen. She starred in the hit series The Kumars at No. 42 and recently in the BBC film of David Walliams' The Boy in the Dress. She is currently in David Hare's play Behind the Beautiful Forevers at the National Theatre and in the latest series of Broadchurch.

Meera Syal is also highly regarded for her funny, sharp and provocative fiction. Her earlier novels are Anita and Me and Life Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee (now available as a reissue). The House of Hidden Mothers is her long-awaited new novel.

©2015 Chestwig & Flares Productions Ltd (P)2015 Random House Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Dazzling. Intense and gritty at times, sparkling and hilarious at others. I found it absorbing, witty, joyous and moving...and that’s all I really want from a book!' (Jo Brand)
"Brilliant. It is destined to be a best seller. There is so much in it too. Beautiful writing, human frailty, love, vanity, friendship - but most importantly the shocking reminder of how women are abused the world over." (Esther Freud)

What listeners say about The House of Hidden Mothers

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

a fantastic novel. the characters feel real

I loved this audio book. I have read both of Meera Syal's previous books and have found her to be perceptive, witty and real. She does not shy away from addressing difficult subjects. Yet, she manages to do it without sounding preachy or judgemental. The characters are so well written that you can imagine them as real life people. I was blown away by the quality of her writing.

The narration is brilliant and engaging. She brings the characters to life. Listening to it on audio for people who are unfamiliar with Punjabi or Hindi, is probably useful as it helps to hear the pronunciations.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A great read perfect

Funny gentle and heartbreaking
A clash of Indian cultures and great female character's. Makes me want to see Delhi

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Do not narrate your own book

Good book, being Married to a man 16 years my junior, having a child of my own and never wanting another, it was an insight into what might of happened if I (or he) had craved another. The book is good, I had no idea that India was the capital of surrogacy. I loved it but did not enjoy Meera's Narration. I have read all Meera's books rather than listened and will read this book now as I know I will get more from it without narration.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful!!

I cannot recommend this book enough! Each character is expertly and realistically crafted with clear differences in performance to distinguish them from each other. From the brilliance of the authors performance to the sympathetic and politically current storyline, this production has been my favourite audio book so far! So much so that I've written my first review. 5 stars all the way!!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

moving

I loved this story. I found it very honest and moving and hard to take in some places and devastating in others.
narration was fantastic but it would have been good to have a note to state when it changed between the women in the story.
recommend the book unless you are struggling to conceive as the emotions are very realistic !

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

The dark side of feminine angst - told with wit

Where does The House of Hidden Mothers rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Among top 20

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Nothing at all. The story was authentic and honestly told although unbelievable in parts and predictable in some others

Which scene did you most enjoy?

When you do not know just how the climax would come about , the story really takes an about turn and surprises you.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

It resonated with some of my struggles and it moved me so much that i had to pause for long moments inorder not to miss the story.

Any additional comments?

I liked the way all characters are adequately represented from their own perspective. It takes tremendous maturity for the story teller to be telling the perspective fromone everyone's angle.

Meera Syal rendering the story as well as authoring it made the difference. Her narration was brilliant.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Engrossing story

Unusual plot raised many questions about modern morality and attitudes in contrasting cultures and generations. I enjoyed it very much - not a fluffy rom com, but easily accessible and thought-provoking.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A story that gave me a glimpse into another culture

Loved this book, engaging at times, definitely thought provoking, also difficult subjects tackled in a sensitive unsensational way. I felt like I had been on a journey with the characters in this book. Loved the narration also

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

loved it!

the story and descriptions took me to India and back again. beautifully written and read.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

First book I've listened to from Meera and this song be the last

This was such a different genre of book for me, as I've always enjoyed Meera Syal's TV work I thought I'd give this a whirl.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book...

There are twists and turns and many surprises.

This is a wonderful read and will certainly be reading more like this.

Thank you for your recommendations Amazon!

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1 person found this helpful