Zahir H. Kazmi

Amma Ji and Me Zahir H. Kazmi

She was fierce beyond measure and loving at all costs. She was bereft of a formal education, yet intelligent beyond compare. Her name was Jamila Kazmi, but to her devoted son, she was Amma Ji, or Mother Dear. In his reverent, resplendent tale of two continents, author Zahir Kazmi recounts the remarkable journey of one woman, from modest beginnings in the northern Indian town of Pur Qazi to her final resting in the United States. Along the way, Amma Ji?s unflagging ambition, hard-won achievements, and countless sacrifices fashion a portrait of selfless love that serves as rousing tribute and triumphant celebration of the boundless possibilities when one woman makes full use of her considerable wit, formidable will, and sheer love of family. Author Kazmi begins the tale with the birth of Jamila in northern India, where social and religious traditions rule out a formal education, and marriage looms large by the time she reaches the age of thirteen. Undaunted, she transforms her union into an impressive enterprise, rallying her husband to constantly advance, and grabbing hold of any opportunity to better their lives. To that end, she encourages her husband to start his own business, while waging full-on battle to claim her rightful half of a family home. When her brother Jamil gains a position with their relative in Delhi, Jamila again presses him on. Once in the big city, she turns the trip into a small business of her own, buying wares not available at home and selling them to the local wives. Life takes its tormented twists and turns, and Amma Ji and family must confront and overcome each of them. Her son Hanif, a born scholar, falls ill and dies. Her daughter Bilqees is married, and after four short years, returns home a widow. After that, political tumult occurring in 1940s India soon reverses the family?s circumstances, and they are forced to start again as refugees in Pakistan. Finally, once her son, the author, immigrates to America, Amma Ji eventually follows suit, where she is ultimately laid to rest. From the heights of opportunity to the brink of starvation, Amma Ji survives it all, learning to read with the help of her son and becoming a seamstress to keep hearth and home. A stunning story of strength and smarts, Amma Ji will live forever in the hearts of readers following her journey?a journey that spans cultures, countries, and circumstances, transcends age and origin, and inspires determination in readers the world over.