Please help me find this book!

[Goodvibesonly]

Hi all,

I’ve been looking for a book that I read as a teen in the late 90’s but cannot for the life of me remember the name of the book or author(s). It was a compilation of stories about mothers and daughters. I can’t remember all the stories but two stories from the book are:

1. A story about a Pakistani mother and daughter who had a strong relationship until the daughter went to high school and then their relationship becomes strained when daughter became more and more westernised. Daughter runs away from home but eventually retuns when she was 16 or 18.
2. A story about an overweight mother and daughter. Daughter is very embarrassed by her mother’s weight and eventually calls her fat in an argument. Mother is hurt but takes proactive steps to tackle her weight so that her daughter is no longer embarrassed.

It’s a bit of a long shot but has anyone else read this book and remember the name?

Chat GPT says

Based on your description, the book you’re recalling might be A Language in Common by Marion Molteno. This collection of short stories, first published in 1987 and reissued in 2000, focuses on South Asian women in the UK, particularly first-generation immigrants navigating cultural divides. One of the stories, “The Bracelets,” explores two mother-daughter relationships across cultures, which aligns with the themes you’ve mentioned.

Another possibility is The Young Wife and Other Stories by Zaib-un-Nissa Hamidullah, a collection that delves into various aspects of Pakistani women’s lives. While specific story details are scarce, the themes might resonate with the narratives you recall.

If these aren’t the book you’re thinking of, you might consider exploring anthologies or collections that focus on South Asian women’s experiences, as they often contain stories reflecting the cultural and generational tensions you’ve described.

If you can recall any additional details—such as the book’s cover design, specific phrases, or other storylines—it might help narrow down the search further.

Thanks so much, I didn’t think to ask Chat GBT! I’ve checked out those books and they aren’t the one I was looking for! I wish I could remember the other stories in the book but it’s only those two that stayed with me! The search continues!

I've never known chatgbt to get it right when I've looked for books... half the time the books it suggests don't exist or are wildly different from the description it gives.

The second story really rings a bell with me, and the first does a little too. I think I must have read the book. Do you think they are all by the same author, or could it be a collection by different authors?

An Endless Winter’s Night: An Anthology of Mother–Daughter Stories

or

Mothers & Daughters: An Anthology

or

Life’s Too Short: Contemporary Short Fiction from Pakistan