Has anyone ever read a book and thought to themselves I relate to this on a cultural level. I’m sure many of us have, but this does not happen very often for South Asians. In fact, books such as “Trust No Aunty” are a rare occurrence in our predominantly white society, which is why it is a book that should be read and given a bigger platform in which it can reach a wider audience.
At first glance, we might be inclined to think that the book that is only written for the South Asian community as a mean of poking fun at their own culture. When we check the section in which the book falls in, we notice that it is categorized as a humor book. But it is more than your average book that serves a purpose of a comic relief. It serves as a tool for those who might have misconceptions about them to better understand the dilemma that South Asians are faced with during their day to day life.
Being a second-generation immigrant in Canada, there are several things that are relatable when it came to reading the anecdotes of Qamar. As she states, we have two separate worlds in which we must navigate all the while keeping our parents and friends happy. We have expectations from our parents to make something of ourselves, by choosing pour paths wisely. We are constantly in a dilemma between the western way of doing things in comparison to the way of our parents. We are told to be assimilated into the western culture, but when we do, we are criticized by our very parents for going against the culture. Qamar does a very good job in distinguishing the two paradigms and showing that there is no right or wrong way of figuring things out for ourselves. It is all trial and error.
The premise of her book tackles on the matter of the types of “aunties” and how they are either preventing or abling your daily decision-making abilities. We all have aunties that whether we like and or dislike, they will forever give their input in your life. I think that they serve as a metaphor for the obstacles that will have to face in our lives and how we choose to navigate along it will be detrimental to our happiness.
Qamar’s candid retelling of what it is to be a “Desi” in a predominantly “Non-Desi” world makes the reader want to not only continue reading but keeps them wanting more. Her artwork much like her personality exudes from the pages of the book. It also does help that she provides readers with a guide to survive being a desi trying to strive for her dreams and aspirations.
