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• Beautifully written and translated stories about traditional family life. Describes interesting ethical situations from an intelligent neutral observer viewpoint. Read the translator's note about flow and italics before reading the book (it's at the end).

• Enjoyed reading the book. Simple easy style of writing, and conveying social messages through her witty narrations. At the same time, she conveyed that Muslims are not perfect, though the religion is perfect if practiced correctly. The rich poor disparity and the misuse of religious practices, is applicable to all sections of society. Her narratve style is unique and the translation is superb. Congratulations both to the writer and the translator.

• A rare gem!

• Heart Lamp is a collection of 12 powerful stories chronicling the everyday lives of women and girls in Muslim communities of southern India. Originally written in Kannada across three decades and part of the Bandaya Sahitya movement, these stories are gripping, raw, and necessary. They begin in deceptively ordinary ways - a late-night prayer, a family quarrel, a mother’s quiet sacrifice - only to reveal something simmering under the surface: the internalised patriarchy, the cruelty of class divides, misuse of power, the hypocrisy of customs meant to “protect” but used to silence. Some stories are painfully direct in how they show women reduced to baby machines or treated as disposable, while others explore the subtle power dynamics and small daily humiliations that cut just as deep. A golden cage is still a cage, no matter how grand the display of love as depicted in the first story itself. What struck me most is how these stories hold up a mirror to the way such injustices have been normalised. They don’t glorify suffering - they expose it, reminding us that so much remains hidden behind closed doors and isn’t covered by newspapers until it’s too late. Some of the stories made me so angry I wanted to scream at the page. Others were quieter but stayed with me in a different way. Even when a few pieces felt less impactful or required a second read to fully grasp, the ones that left a mark overpowered everything else. If I had to name the stories I won't forget anytime soon, it would be Stone Slabs for Shaista Mahal (what a start to this collection), Be a Woman Once, Oh Lord! (which ends with a plea that gave me goosebumps), and the titular Heart Lamp. The Shroud, Red Lungi, and Fire Rain expose the class divides we pretend not to see. Others - A Decision of the Heart, Taste of Heaven, Soft Whispers - capture family conflicts or everyday misogyny. And some - Black Cobra, High-Heeled Shoe, The Arabic Teacher And Gobi Manchuri - show just how far people will go to feed their egos at the cost of a woman's safety and sanity. I especially appreciate how the book challenges dominant narratives and celebrates the richness of regional language and dialect. It carries an authenticity and power that feels both literary and political. Deepa Bhasthi’s translator’s note is worthy of being framed and revisited often. These are stories I have seen, that many women have seen - quietly brushed under the carpet or silenced with brutal force. Heart Lamp dares to bring them to light, and for that alone, it deserves to be read widely. It’s unflinching, heartbreaking, and unforgettable. It exposes the hidden cruelties that are so easily normalized, and it dignifies the voices that patriarchal structures would rather erase. Even when it hurts, it demands to be read.

• I loved this book. I could relate to all the women who felt so suffocated. Even though their destinies probably didn’t change in the end, every small shout mattered. Step by step, it will make a difference for all the women there.

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