Koi Good News | Zareen Khan| Book Review

The question, ‘Koi good News’ is that one question that puts off many Indian women. You tend to question many things about yourself and the people in your life.

 This story is of Mona and Ramit.  Mona marries Punjabi Ramit only to be accepted into a large family that they lovingly or not so lovingly called ‘bheed’ or crowd. This book is an entertaining account of her first pregnancy.

writing style: 4/5

plot: 4.5/5

overall: 4.5/5

Genre: Fiction Publishing year: 2018 publisher: HarperCollins India Language: English

My Thoughts on Koi Good News

Just as Mona and Ramit’s marriage hits the four-year mark, questions about ‘Good News’ pop up. Although Mona seems to be trying hard to get pregnant, Ramit is unbothered and even quite unsupportive of his wife. Even during her entire pregnancy, Ramit isn’t the most supportive partner that any girl could imagine having. He even calls her a crazy pregnant woman.

The household of the Deol’s is full of family drama. There is so much competition in every aspect. The relatives even compete over their outfits. I found that to be very petty. Mona’s mother-in-law is a retired school principal and yet in so many places, you can see that she has behaved rather orthodox. She even went as far as to disapprove of having a young Muslim woman as Mona’s gynecologist. She doesn’t get along with Mona’s mother.

Mona’s mother’s dressing sense has been made fun of quite a lot. She is simpler than her mother-in-law but when it comes to taking care of Mona during her pregnancy, both of them want her to follow their way.

I liked three characters from the story the most. One, is Shania who is Mona’s sister. She was one free bird, constantly going through phases in her life where she was obsessed with one activity or one person. Although she was flighty and didn’t have a clear vision of life, she was the most energetic and entertaining sister who loved Mona. Her drama in my opinion is the highlight of the book. By the end of the book, it looks like finally, she has found direction. Whether it will last or not, that time will tell.  

The other two characters that I admired were Shashi and Laila. They are Mona’s neighbors and what you might call an ideal power couple. Laila is a self-assured woman who has set her priorities right. Although Laila is her friend, Mona still constantly compares herself with Laila. This must be stemming from her insecurity about her body and the fact that she doesn’t have a successful career like Laila.

Although Laila is warm and welcoming, Mona is self-conscious around her. She constantly thought that Laila and her friends were trying to show off. However, nowhere in the book does it seem to be that way. It was Mona’s insecurities making the noise.

The type of family that Mona lives in is the kind of family that is so prevalent in India. Relatives think it’s showing care when in reality it is being nosy. Their relatives have fussed about and discussed everything from the gender of her child based on her belly curvature to his name. I would add, it does feel intruding sometimes.

Positive Points

I liked how the writer Zareen Khan has divided the chapters into trimesters. She also proceeds to explain every symptom that you are expected to experience at each step. Being a doctor, I can safely say that the account is accurate. It is almost as if it’s a pregnancy guide for people who don’t like reading informative books.

Koi good News is packed with drama and entertainment from top to toe. It does not miss a beat. It’s amazing how the writer has turned the most mundane things in pregnancy into a funny story to tell. I would recommend it to anyone who loves to read Indian family dramas. I would also recommend it to women who are or want to become pregnant shortly as it also doubles up as a guide for pregnancy.