EM AND THE BIG HOOM // BOOK REVIEW

Here’s what Em and the Big Hoom is about:

In a one-bedroom-hall-kitchen in Mahim, Bombay, through the last decades of the twentieth century, lived four love-battered Mendeses: mother, father, son and daughter. Between Em, the mother, driven frequently to hospital after her failed suicide attempts, and The Big Hoom, the father, trying to hold things together as best he could, they tried to be a family.

‘I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to deal with the world. It seemed too big and demanding and there was no fixed syllabus’

Ah, definitely one of my favourite books! To be honest, I am not that fond of Indian authors, but Jerry Pinto’s Em and The Big Hoom captured my heart at once. The story is heartwarming, relatable, and so simple. It is about family, sacrifice, and love (in an usual manner). Living with a person who is mentally ill is known to be extremely difficult but even with that, the way the family tries to lead a happy normal life, has been portrayed beautifully,

If we talk about the relationship between the father and mother, you can actually feel the love they have for each other. It is so pure, in a way you can say it’s more like a soul connection. Throughout the book you can see how the siblings struggle while taking care of their mother. The only person who builds a wall of protection for the family is the father. Imelda’s multiple suicide attempts, Augustine’s constant support, and the siblings over-protectivness towards their mother in the storyline makes this book extremely thoughtful. Really loved this book, I was rather surprised with myself.

Such an expressive, natural and heart-touching book, highly recommended!

Ratings – 5 stars
Em and the Big Hoom on Amazon
Em and the Big Hoom on Goodreads