Moth: An Evolution Story

Product Information

Moth by Melody Razak was published June 24th with Weidenfeld & Nicolson (W&N Books) with The Observer describing it as ‘powerful and heartbreaking.’ I finished reading Moth with a lump in my throat and my mind in turmoil.

Moth Books - WWB Moth Books - WWB

A trillion words, a million perspectives, over thousands of books, yet, nothing.... nothing braces you as the horrors washes anew with every account told, with every memory rehearsed from the partition era.

An unbelievably awesome collection of fifty true stories, The Moth is the first book that I've read that I can unabashedly, enthusiastically, recommend to absolutely anyone and everyone. Far surpassing a giant bag of Hershey's Miniatures, this genuinely has something for everyone. Alessandro says, 'More than 90% of moth caterpillars are vegetarian, eating leaves, roots, seeds and fruits. While friends turned on friends, neighbors vilifying each other, MOTH by Melody Razak is not the big picture of what was happening everywhere but a deeper insight into one family particularly which impressed in forging a personal connection with the characters and becoming one with the family. Not all moth species feed as adults, but those that do feed, do so on nectar, sap and sugary liquids from plants and fruits.' Nine colourful and distinctive types of UK moths

Moth by Melody Razak review – the end of innocence in India

I won’t say this is by far the best partition literature that I have read, however I did enjoy this unique insight which encapsulated historical events and experiences flawlessly. There were a few instances where Hindi phrases were misprinted which I am willing to overlook as it was written by someone who is uninitiated to the language and they were far and few! That being said, I appreciated Razak’s commentary on religion, nationalism, colonialism, fascism, feminism, classism, etc. As I now understand, this period, the Partition Era, and India's Independence were wrought with political and social upheaval. To Razak’s credit, I felt that with her debut novel she attempted to speak on the multiplicity of issues that were occurring during this period, through the experience of this fictional family. I believe this story was meant to elicit relatability and emotionality to the circumstances via a domestic setting.And yet, this is the 1940s, and with news of atrocities spilling from Punjab, where religious violence against women in particular grows worse by the day, they’ve let Brahma’s mother – a meddlesome, haunted hater – arrange a match for Alma. Alma parries their anxieties with her own enthusiasm for marriage to the 22-year-old stranger, but even as wedding preparations gather pace, it’s hard to shake the dread instilled by the novel’s dreamlike – nightmarish, really – opening moments. Alma is the daughter of two professors, coming from an educated upper class family, you'd expect her fate to be reaching for the stars. Instead, the stars are literally dictating her future. When her horoscope predicts ill, her well-intentioned grandmother lies to get her a good marriage match. This sets off a series of events that tears her family apart. Set in the time of Partition and Indian Independence, we get a deep dive into the turmoil of the time, especially the impact on women's rights. Moth is at times a very challenging read posing many questions to the reader and offering insights into a world that is far beyond the comprehension of many of us. There is strength and a beauty in Melody Razak’s narrative. It really is quite difficult to believe that this is a debut novel. Her attention to detail, the dialogue, the sense of time and place is really quite remarkable. Ma/Tanisi was orphaned when young, and bought up by her Uncle on a houseboat in Kashmir where she learnt the Urdu she now teaches (both at University and to the sons of a well known local Muslim – both positions becoming increasingly untenable) and of which she, with her blue eyes, still dreams as well as remembering her infatuation with her Uncle which she seems to find echoed more in the father of her charges than in her husband. Tanisi and her Uncle are (I think) of the Pir Ali caste (which I think from some research is associated with the poet Tagore and seen as heretical by pure Brahmins).

moths: nine of the most colourful and distinctive UK moths: nine of the most colourful and distinctive

Mom: If you look at this picture you can see why people made machines. Why did they build steam trains? The younger daughter Roop is something of a psychopath in the making - prone to pulling the wings of insects or otherwise torturing them and to an obsession with blood and death. She is a talented writer but this book is not for me, though I know I will think about this novel quite often. I think having read it and understood the gravity of the events that took place during this period, I can't help but be grateful to Razak for illuminating and explicitly showing the horrors that the people in this part of the world, specifically the women, had to endure. I can appreciate and validate that I know that this author has done extensive research into this topic, which from what I can tell would not be easy, but has many stories still to tell. British and Irish moths: an illustrated guide to selected difficult species. Martin Townsend, Jon Clifton & Brian Goodey, 2010. Information and photographs of 72 difficult to identify macro-moths, which often require close examination or genitalia determination. Butterfly Conservation.

Moths' roles in nature

Ma and Bappu are liberal intellectuals teaching at the local university. Their fourteen year-old daughter – precocious, headstrong Alma– is soon to be married: Alma is mostly interested in the wedding shoes and in spinning wild stories for her beloved younger sister Roop, a restless child obsessed with death. Banish moth myths – Brainstorm what your class already knows about moths, then watch my short film, which busts some moth myths! There are lots of great resources to help you identify moths, including the Museum ' s own identification services and handy ID guides provided by UK moths and Butterfly Conservation . Interesting Insects

Moth and Butterfly Books | UKMoths

I'd previously heard 14 of the 50 stories on the audio podcast so skipped those. The ones I did read, I could tell they were originally spoken: plenty of sentences begin with "And", I don't think much would've been lost if these transitions had been eliminated in the editing. A huge welcome to everyone taking part in the Great Science Share for Schools! Here are some ideas and resources for exploring the wonderful world of moths in your classroom over the coming weeks: Times are bad for girls in India. The long-awaited independence from British rule is heralding a new era of hope, but also of anger and distrust. Political unrest is brewing, threatening to unravel the rich tapestry of Delhi – a city where different cultures, religions and traditions have co-existed for centuries. Story tellers range from Darryl of Run DMC, to acclaimed reporter, one of 2005 Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People, Malcolm Gladwell. We hear from an airline stewardess, a man who worked a record-setting four years as a volunteer for a suicide hot-line, and the one that I've retold the most: a dad, desperately trying to communicate with his teen-aged son and grossly misunderstanding, therefore constantly misusing, "LOL".This is the first partition book I have read from a non-Indian author and all I can say is Melody Razak has done a commendable job. The research is impeccable and the atmosphere she creates with her sense of time and the place will drag you right in and make you a part of the story; living and breathing with the characters. Cherry Tree School in Watford plotted their feelings about moths before and after reading the book! Red apple hair clip. Sweet milk pudding. A fair haired boy at the shore. The sacrifice? The moth. Ninety three women dead in the well.