The House of Hidden Mothers

The fabulous and long-awaited new novel from Meera Syal about female friendship and second chances.

Moving and incredibly funny at the same time. A great achievement.

Dazzling. Intense and gritty at times, sparkling and hilarious at others. I found it absorbing, witty, joyous and moving…and that’s all I really want from a book!

Wise, witty and warm - a deliciously exotic feast of a book, spiced with the two best ingredients, love and laughter

Through her novels, screenwriting and acting Meera Syal has not only changed the way Britain sees British Asians, but how British Asians see and talk about themselves. It is no surprise that her new, much-anticipated, novel is totally original and important and true.

A delicately written, profound study of the female condition in the rich world and the poor. The gifted Syal does it again.

Surely the makings of a hit ... This book is bound to delight many readers, who will embrace Syal's well-chosen subject, her warm and witty voice and her passionate involvement with the world.

Wonderfully candid .. Syal’s main achievement with this rumbustious, confrontational and ultimately heartbreaking book has been to turn the standard British-Asian displacement narrative on its head

For sheer scope and ambition Syal makes Dickens and Tolstoy seem single minded. She pulls it off with panache.

Warm, witty, exotic. This wise, indignant novel goes many miles beyond your average celebrity effusion.

Deeply impressive .. Syal has done a beautiful job on the very modern problems faced by women everywhere, and the compromises they make and the inevitability of ageing.

Syal's main achievement with this rumbustious, confrontational and heartbreaking book has been to turn the stand British-Asian displacement narrative on its head.

A frank and beautifully written tale of friendship and motherhood.

Funny, wise, warm, confidently straddling the contrasting cultures of Britain and India and acutely perceptive about both.

Gives much food for thought. I can imagine many reading groups debating this well into the evening. Highly recommended.

Funny, direct and very topical. Syal's compelling novel touches on red-hot feminine issues that cry out to be discussed, preferably in a book group, with plenty of wine.

Really good books have a way of transporting the reader to places they'd never normally go to, opening their eyes to experiences and isssues they wouldn't otherwise consider. Meera Syal does all this and more. A beautifully written novel about female friendship, surrogacy and the problems of late parenthood.

Rich, sensual, earthy and utterly unforced. I was transported.

Meera Syal, CBE, is one of our most acclaimed actors and writers of stage and screen. She starred in the hit series The Kumars at No. 42 and recently in the BBC film of David Walliams' The Boy in the Dress. She is currently in David Hare's play Behind the Beautiful Forevers at the National Theatre, and in the latest series of Broadchurch. Meera is also known for her funny, sharp and provocative fiction. Her two earlier novels are Anita and Me (a national curriculum set text) and Life Isn't all Ha Ha Hee Hee. The House of Hidden Mothers is her long-awaited third novel.

'Dazzling. Intense and gritty at times, sparkling and hilarious at others. I found it absorbing, witty, joyous and moving…and that’s all I really want from a book!' - JO BRAND 
 
'Warm and witty' Sunday Times 
 
'The gifted Syal does it again' Indpendent 
 
HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO GET THE LIFE YOU CAN'T HAVE? 
 
 Shyama, aged forty-eight, has fallen for a younger man. They want a child together. 
 
Meanwhile, in a rural village in India, young Mala, trapped in an oppressive marriage, dreams of escape. 
 
When Shyama and Mala meet, they help each other realise their dreams. But will fate guarantee them both happiness?... 
 
Brimming with warmth, wit and indignation, Meera Syal immerses us in a devastating story of friendship, family and the lengths we will go to have a perfect life. THE HOUSE OF HIDDEN MOTHERS is her long-awaited third novel and shows Meera Syal at the height of her literary powers 
 
 
'Brilliant. It is destined to be a bestseller.' - ESTHER FREUD

Life Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee

A new edition of the hilarious story of female friendship, rivalry and choice by the much-loved MEERA SYAL, first published in 2000.

A superbly crafted, page turning comedy which isn't afraid to tackle the big subjects...heartfelt, heartwarming and very, very good.

Extremely funny, wonderfully insightful...a big ambitious book with serious points to be made about the choices women face today...Syal mixes her message with hilarious set pieces.

The story surges along on a rip-tide of wisecracks and wisdom...excellent.

A magical mosaic of friendship, betrayal and cross-cultural incongruities. By turns spicy, hilarious and sad, it unfolds the ties that bind young women to their East End Punjabi roots even as they head west for trendy careers, café bars and sexual freedom.

An engrossing and provocative book, both funny and sad.

Contains a sneak preview of Meera Syal's brand new novel, THE HOUSE OF HIDDEN MOTHERS 
 
 
There’s no such thing as a happy ending , is there …? 
 
Sunita - perfect housewife - is married to Akash, but is her marriage what it seems? 
 
Chila - warm, loveable - has married with great fanfare the entrepreneur Deepak. But are they really in love? 
 
Tania - beautiful, rebellious - has rejected her traditional upbringing for a top television career. But is she really as tough as she says? 
 
As Tania uncovers a devastating truth, are the three friends about to learn the hardest life lesson of all …? 
 MEERA SYAL, CBE, is one of our most acclaimed actors and writers. She starred in the hit series The Kumars at No. 42 and recently in the BBC film of David Walliams' The Boy in the Dress. She is currently in the latest series of Broadchurch Meera Syal is also known for her sharp, provocative fiction. Her debut novel is called Anita and Me. Life isn't all Ha Ha Hee Hee is her second acclaimed novel. Her brand new novel The House of Hidden Mothers is out now.

Meera Syal

Anil Gupta

Sanjeev Bhaskar

Kulvinder Ghir

Nina Wadia

The Complete Radio Series 1-3

Nothing escaped the eye of the satirical eye of Britain's phenomenally successful all-Asian sketch show Goodness Gracious Me. 
 
The complete BBC Radio series 1-3 preceded the award-winning BBC TV series that ran in the late 1990s, and features the same cast. 
 
Prepare for your heart to pound in the Indian recreation of Brief Encounter, sing along to the profound words of wisdom with Fifty Ways to Leave your Mother, and enjoy pop classics such as 'Hindi People' and 'Punjabi Girl'. 
Along with the discovery that The Royal Family are actually Indian, there are a ton of characters to enjoy- the Guru, Smeeta Smitten, the Coopers, Mrs I-Can-Make-it-at-Home and Mr Everything-Comes-from-India. 
 
If you don't like your comedy to be really, really bland (like a good English) then Goodness Gracious Me is the satirical series for you.

Goodness Gracious Me

About us

About Us (Header 4)

Best-Jane-Austen-quotes_Online-Desktop_Penguin

James-Baldwin

Marian-Keyes

haruki-murakami-320×320-1

Richard-Osman

Malorie Blackman

Lisa-Jewell

Charlie-Mackesy

Authors (Header 3)

Children&#039;s

Company

Discover

Fiction

Non-fiction

Penguin Classics

Penguin Shop (Header 5)

Useful links

Work with us

sectionTitle

isEnabled

anchor

anchorLabel

prhuk/featured-book

prhuk/praise-section

maxBooks

showViewMore

prhuk/books-section

hideAuthorAlert

formName

iterableDivision

iterableBrand

buttonText

description

heading

legalText

successHeading

successText

image

alignment

variation

prhuk/email-section

prhuk/series-section

prhuk/biography-section

prhuk/articles-section

prhuk-authors

The perfect gift? A Penguin Shop gift card

Meera Syal

Books by Meera Syal

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter