There’s something much to devour, dissect, savour and imbibe and yet, ponder about accepting clinging. The theory goes something like this: cut through your conceptualisation and labels and see the raw experience devoid of the clinging. But is there such a fundamental distinction? Let’s face it, irrespective of how woke you seem, every experience is conditioned by some form of clinging.
The author, Munira Tabassum Ahmed, claims what we inherited is complicated by memory and possibility. Her protagonist Iqra has taken leave from her work and her marriage to return to her mom’s home after the loss of a pregnancy, to the place of her upbringing. A couple of hours out of the city, Seam River pulls Iqra back into a state of bewilderment, that compounded grief that’s entombed within her brings her back to stories of her parents and all the women before her, dredging dreams and memories, where the uncertain and the impossible converge. Through ritual, friendship, slow conversations with her mother, and with time, she recognises that the future refuses to take form. She discovers wonder, asking the kind of questions that shape a lifetime: how to live well, how to love deeply and the burning question, how to carry the past without being consumed by it.
In her debut novel, THE CLINGING THING, the author transforms these questions into a work of striking clarity and emotional intelligence, announcing herself as one of the most compelling young voices in Australian contemporary fiction. Her internal saga speaks across generations, a story of women, mothers, sisters, daughters and grandmothers., all bound by a web of love, absence and survival. As Iqra searches for a way forward, she finds herself tethered to the lives that came before her, while struggling to define her own. Amira’s foundation is rooted in poetry which is inserted liberally in this book, unfolding with a vibrant rhythm and resonance in the verse. Images recure, meanings echo, and the narrative loops and returns, circling its core questions rather than solving them.
THE CLINGING THING is a coming-of-age novel, not solely through youth, but through marriage, loss and return. Its a story that asks with tenderness and urgency how do we honour the lives that made us, while still claiming a life of our own? She uses her characters in undergoing significant personal growth and self-discovery that benefit the reader with a satisfying conclusion
. I found her elegant writing style praiseworthy, especially her beautiful sentences, while her storytelling adds poetic quality to the narrative. Her themes of universal love, loss, and family resonate strongly creating emotional and impactful connection to her deep exploration of the human experience.
“The past is porous, her recollections fail her, yet she is suffocating with memory “.
This poetic tale explores the slow burn of grief and the choice to move forward with hope and optimism. Munira excels at capturing the emotional minutiae and relationships that provide a deep understanding of human nature
Her characters reflect the cultural and social context of Bangladeshi society. By the way I found that Seam River is tabled the Sangu River which originates in Mynama, flowing through 107 km through Bangladesh, finally emptying out into the Bay of Bangal. The whole story followsI qra through a single week of her life as she returns like a pilgrim to where it all started exploring the complexities between family, place and identity. Through her mother and the town she rediscovers a trove of memories that stick holdfast to our being and shape the way we perceive the world. The singular root of her “unknowing” is buried in the question: what do I owe to the women who came before me and its the driving force gripping her with longing and uncertainty. The book’s aim is not finding answers but shaping the questions to reveal the heart of longing that defines Iqra’s story. It allows the reader to reflect on their own obligations and longings. Munira’s exquisite handling of these themes heralds a future bright with best sellers.
