A tapestry of life, weaving something beautiful: A review of Tears of the Weaver by Zaheera Jina Asvat

Title: Tears of the Weaver

Author: Zaheera Jina Asvat

Publisher: Modjaji Books

Buy here. (Available in South Africa)

Tears of the Weaver by Zaheera Jina Asvat

Tears of the Weaver by Zaheera Jina Asvat is a collection of short stories set in Lenasia, a suburb of South Africa, originally created under the Apartheid Group Areas Act to segregate Indians. While completely fictional, the stories explore true realities of post-apartheid identity. Through ten stories told by different narrators, the collection takes readers on a journey through culture, exposing the balance between honoring tradition and challenging restrictive social norms.

The collection opens with a thoughtful foreword by Dr. Nedine Moonsamy, one that enhances the reader’s experience by providing context on the setting of Lenasia. Dr. Moonsamy explains the relationship of Lenasia with its people, stating that the act of segregation somehow “lulled the community into a false sense of safety, and seeing themselves as separated and separate from others, Lenasians, for the most part, sought to protect the fragile socio-economic privilege that Apartheid had meted out to them. Viewed from this perspective, it is possible to say that Apartheid urban planning was a raging success, for it allowed people to spin a palace out of a jail” (p. 9). The theme of false safety or entrapment runs throughout the stories and is conveyed through metaphors such as caged birds and the pandemic. The stories highlight characters who find it difficult to exist within the confines of these cages, characters who question social norms and grapple with what it means to be Lenasian.

The harsh social and cultural expectations of Lenasia overlap and interweave between each story. Themes such as the patriarchy, gender roles, familial and community pressures, religion, and trauma appear within the daily lives of each character. Readers witness characters who both challenge and submit to these norms, illustrating the tension between questioning the tapestry on the wall and the consequences of trying to break free. Along with addressing the social and cultural expectations of Lenasia, the stories offer snapshots of daily life through detailed accounts of seemingly mundane activities, like cooking rice or washing hair. Yet it is in these intimate moments that readers are able to truly connect with the culture. Stories such as “Bewitched” and “A Womb Barren” address gender roles and the patriarchy, commenting on the heavy weight on women to serve as submissive wives and mothers. In “A Womb Barren,” the main character is Shaazia, a young woman who is struggling to conceive. In a conversation with her husband after receiving bad news from a doctor, Shaazia speaks to the notion that to be considered a good and successful woman, she must bear children for her husband. “Her head remained bent. She wrung her hands in her lap as though to escape the frustration that raged within her. ‘I need a baby to complete me...’ Shaazia paused, her voice trembling with pouring tears. ‘I am not a good wife. I have to give you a baby from me. I have to be worthy of our marriage.’ Shaazia’s words were filled with anguish. ‘I need to prove my worth…'” (p. 45).

In “The Ungrateful Daughter-in-law” and “Farook,” the main characters face familial and communal pressures to conform, sacrificing their own happiness to preserve family honor. In “Farook,” the main character resists her parents’ wishes to marry her off, choosing to follow her heart and ultimately facing shame and banishment as a result. “That night, my parents bestowed upon me my human ability to feel deep remorse for my selfish decisions, or so they put it. I spoke to them and begged them to understand why I could not marry Farook. I tried my best to justify my actions. My mother ranted about the embarrassment she would face in the community. My father complained about the large sums of money I had wasted on the many expenses incurred” (p. 86). The family’s choice to send their daughter away rather than face community scrutiny highlights the immense pressure of communal opinion.

Themes of religion, spirituality, and trauma also run throughout the stories, portraying characters caught between the comforting yet controlling aspects of faith and the struggle to heal from trauma. “The Tears of the Weaver” highlights these themes through the story of a character coming to terms with grief after the loss of her older brother. In this story, readers are given the imagery of a tapestry, which represents pain and resilience woven together. “A tapestry in a tall, rectangular frame remains on the wall space between our rooms, its glass casing cracked. Mother wove the tapestry with her two gentle hands. The pink-and-white flowers, linked with greenish-brown leaves, are twined into an upward vine… But, like all handwoven tapestries, this one, too, holds the tears of its weaver. It holds Mother’s tears. And it has been strategically placed to hide the scarred wall that displays signs of a battle once fought. That tapestry is almost perfect, while our lives wear the rot of a waning reality” (p. 112).

The tapestry serves as a central metaphor for the book, symbolizing human nature’s desire to weave struggle into something beautiful. The collection itself is a colorful tapestry of modern South African Indian life, offering readers a glimpse into intimate cultural details and daily rituals. Readers are invited to question the world alongside the characters during the brief moments in which they too inhabit the world within Lenasia’s walls. While these character perspectives are rooted in Lenasia, the overarching themes speak to a broader audience, encompassing what it means to be human. The Tears of the Weaver offers a social critique that invites readers to sit with discomfort, while also reminding us that we each carry our own tapestry, woven with the stories that shape us.

Review by Britain Powers