Set in the turbulent decade of the 1940s, The Women's Courtyard provides an inverted perspective on the Partition. Mastur's novel gives expression to the preoccupations of the women in the courtyard, fighting different battles with loud voices. The novel follows a Muslim girl, Aliya, and her family, about and around the climax of the Independence struggle. While the national struggle rages on the street, Aliya, Aunty and the residents of the courtyard are tethered hopelessly to their own problems of life and death. The Women's Courtyard is an experience in suffocation. Within the strict religious and social framework of a rigid Muslim family, there is a purdah between Aliya and the rest of the world.
| ISBN: | 9780143138068 |
| Publication date: | 2nd October 2025 |
| Author: | Khadija Mastur |
| Publisher: | Penguin Classics an imprint of Penguin Books Ltd |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 320 pages |
| Genres: |
Classic fiction: general and literary Religious intolerance, persecution and conflict Narrative theme: Politics Narrative theme: Sense of place Narrative theme: Social issues Fiction in translation Historical Fiction |