Autobiographies written by women are tools for self-representation of their personal history. Women on the periphery have utilized them to express their experiences and feminist concerns.
Their autobiographies have challenged verbal and aesthetic conventions, instead speaking about lives that have deviated from the norm. Almost all of the autobiographies on this list have been translated from their original languages to English, emphasizing the importance of translations in bringing marginalized voices in literature to readers.
As the world commemorates Women’s History Month throughout March, it is time to take a deeper look at some of the personal histories that highlight women’s contributions to history, culture, and society.
Smritichitre: The Memoirs Of A Spirited Wife
Laksmibai Tilak, Shanta Gokhale (Tr.)
Lakshmibai Tilak was conceived into a Maharashtrian Brahmin family and married Narayan Waman Tilak, a great poet who was considerably older than her when she was 11 years old. Tilak candidly recalls the difficulties she had in her marriage following her husband’s conversion to Christianity and their subsequent five-year separation in Smritichitre: The Memoirs Of A Spirited Wife. Later, under his tutelage, she gradually converts to Christianity and becomes increasingly involved in his community activities.
She was, as the title says, a vivacious wife, as seen by her courageous choice of missionary work with plague victims. She came into her own after her husband died and became the matron of a ladies’ dormitory. The novel, which was first published in 1934, quickly became a classic due to its sharp humor and straightforward Marathi narration.
The Weave Of My Life: A Dalit Woman’s Memoirs
Urmila Pawar, Maya Pandit (Tr.)
Urmila Pawar’s memoir The Weave Of My Life: A Dalit Woman’s Memoirs narrates the story of three generations of Mahar women. The Dalit autobiography is more than simply an individual story; it knits together the community’s issues and oppression based on caste and gender.
Pawar’s advocacy also addresses the absence of space within the greater feminist movement for Dalit women’s feminist issues. The book’s language is frequently harsh and direct. It adds a portrayal of Dalit food and culture to literature. It also emphasizes how the community has changed over time while still being influenced by the pervasiveness of the caste system.
A Life Less Ordinary
Baby Halder, Urvashi Butalia (Tr.)
Baby Halder’s childhood was cut short when her mother left the marriage owing to her father’s regular absences from home, leaving Baby and her sister in charge of the household. As a result, she was married off at the age of 12 and became a mother at the age of 14. Her life remained unstable as she bore the brunt of her husband’s violence, until escaping years later with her three children to find work in Delhi.
While working as a domestic helper in Delhi, Baby was fortunate to find a mentor in her employer, who pushed her to read and, eventually, to write about her experiences.
The resulting book, first published in Hindi, became an instant hit due to its simple style and honest narration, which echoed her fortitude and resolve to endure.
Once Upon A Life: Burnt Curry & Bloody Rags
Temsula Ao
Temsula Ao’s joyful childhood in Jorhat, Assam, was shattered by the unexpected death of both parents, leaving her and her five sisters orphaned. She tells the stories of her childhood, boarding school, and the influence of Christian missionaries on her life in her autobiography.
She recounts her courageous journey out of poverty to become the Director of the Northeast Zone Cultural Centre and, eventually, the Dean of the School of Humanities and Education at North-Eastern Hill University in Shillong, through hilarious tales. The tale, a feminist memoir, provides insight into her active involvement as a poet, author, and leading figure in the Northeast
My Story
Kamala Das
The ground-breaking autobiography of Kamala Das My Story follows the daring way she chooses to live her life by disregarding established norms. This feminist classic was way ahead of its time, and its outspoken and controversial disclosures earned it a cult following.
Originally titled Ente Katha in Malayalam, it is still considered a best-selling Indian woman’s autobiography. The use of her poems as epigraphs provides the reader with insight into Das’s work as a poet. Kamala Das was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in the year 1984.
Torn From The Roots: A Partition Memoir
Kamala Patel, Uma Randeria (Tr.)
Kamala Patel’s memoir provides a firsthand account of Operation Recovery, a joint effort by the governments of Pakistan and India to retrieve abducted women on both sides of the border during the Partition.
Also read: 5 Ismat Chughtai Stories That Highlight Contemporary Women’s Issues
She bravely portrays the aftermath of the carnage during her three years in Pakistan and at the camps, she ran for rehabilitated women in Amritsar, Lahore, and Jalandhar.
Her memoir’s revelations illustrate the terrible realities of the camps, where women were frequently exchanged for money, as well as the difficult-to-stomach stories of the lives she saved. Her autobiography serves as a record of the lives and experiences of the women who were affected by one of history’s greatest human migrations
The Prisons We Broke
Baby Kamble, Maya Pandit (Tr.)
Baby Kamble creates a vivid insight into the Mahar community’s inner world, charting its past before the effect of Babasaheb Ambedkar’s ideology. Baby Kamble’s Jina Amucha, published in 1986, was the first autobiography written by a Dalit woman in Marathi. However, it was only in 2008 that Maya Pandit translated it into English under the title The Prisons We Broke.
Through this work, Kamble altered the form of autobiographical writing in Marathi and used it to go beyond the personal narrative to create a document that represented the Mahar community’s social and political history. Her work boldly expresses a feminist critique of the Mahar community’s treatment of women while simultaneously criticizing Brahmanical domination
Karukku
Bama, Lakshmi Holmstrom (Tr.)
Karukku, published in 1992, is the first Tamil autobiography written by a Dalit woman. Because the Tamil publishing business rejected her language, Bama Faustina released the novel independently after quitting the monastery. Her narration is not sequential. This is evident in the way she deals with her multiple identities as a Dalit, a Christian, and a woman.
She was subjected to humiliation and discrimination inside the educational system, making it more difficult for her to pursue a degree of study that she could already barely afford. The book is about the Catholic Church’s caste persecution and her fight to leave the convent.
She composed her autobiography as a method of self-reflection and to recuperate from the betrayal of the institution from which she had expected help.
Antharjanam: Memoirs of a Namboodiri Woman
Devaki Nilayamgode, Indira Menon (Tr.) & Radhika P. Menon (Tr.)
Antharjanam is the first full-length narrative of a Namboodiri woman’s life. Devaki Nilayamgode guides the reader through her memories of a long-gone community’s traditions and indigenous institutions.
The book documents the community’s agricultural decline and the disintegration of its unrivaled wealth and social status. Nilayamgode writes a personal and societal history at a time when the community was nearing the end of its age, without any self-pity.
The reader learns about the daily routine, rituals, and severe norms that the ladies were required to observe. Nilayamgode narrates the events in easy conversational Malayalam
Along The Red River: A Memoir
Sabita Goswami, Triveni Goswami Mathur (Tr.)
Sabita Goswami, a senior BBC and Associated Press journalist, reveals her amazing battle and the societal challenges she faced as she established herself professionally in the heart of Assam in her memoir. She chronicles three decades of Assam’s tumultuous political climate, providing insights into the region’s social and political history.
Her narration is unbiased and brave, and it provides the reader with context for Assam’s current difficulties. Triveni Goswami Mathur, her daughter, translated the novel from Assamese.
A Life Apart
Prabha Khaitan, Ira Pande (Tr.)
Prabha Khaitan was a well-known Hindi writer. She chose to live as a single lady despite being born into a strict Marwari household. She established her own business and successfully plotted her life as a single and independent woman, which was unusual at the time.
She had spent the majority of her life as the mistress of a married man. Her narration is candid as she discusses the advantages and disadvantages of being the “second lady,” and her uneasiness and unease with the illegitimacy of her connection are frequently expressed. She considers how society views relationships and intimacy, as well as the power they have over women.
