Book Review: Bamba Butterfly
Sometimes life really does feel like a series of chance encounters, all stitched together by circumstance — the people we meet, the places we pass through, and the memories that quietly shape who we are. Some people bring joy, others teach lessons that offer pain. And somewhere along the way, we start to realise that every experience, whether it builds us up or breaks us down, plays a part in who we become. Resilience is not comfortable. It is carved out of misunderstanding, endurance, and a small, stubborn hope that tomorrow might feel a little lighter than today.
I have been meaning to post my review of Bamba Butterfly for a while now, and I recently re-read it to feel its fresh raw wholesomeness once again.
Bamba Butterfly by Lead-in Lady is not your typical novel. Reading it felt like I was sitting cross-legged at the feet of my grandmother, listening to a story that spans a lifetime. Through the journey of a young boy from birth, we encounter the many people who shape, scar, and soften him. Just as in real life, some characters bring warmth and love, while others bring pain and confusion… but, together, they weave a deeply human story of resilience and survival.
Set against the backdrop of the small Indian village of Aguutar and later moving through large cities and small towns in South Africa and Zimbabwe, the novel paints a vivid picture of migration, memory, and endurance. There’s an authenticity in the rawness of this novel — the writing may be unpolished, and the story sometimes wanders without clear markers of time or place, yet it carries the honesty of a lived experience. It doesn’t feel crafted for effect, but rather spoken straight from the heart – just as Nani Ma spoke, and just as life unfolds – imperfect, unedited, and deeply real.
At its core, Bamba Butterfly is about the toll of constant vigilance – the kind that stems from being misunderstood, from navigating complex family dynamics, and from carrying invisible burdens. Beneath the surface lies a quiet reflection on mental health, the emotional cost of always needing to be strong, and the effect that this has on direct family members.
It’s evident that the author has a personal connection to this story. There’s a gentle honesty in the telling, as if writing it was both an act of courage and a form of catharsis. Bamba Butterfly offers something that can’t be manufactured… heart. It’s a reminder that even simple stories can hold profound truth, if only we take the time to listen.
Bamba Butterfly is available via the AMWASA website and their partner bookshops nationwide.
That’s all from me for now. Stay tuned for more… and remember: ‘Just Dua It.’
Waheeda, a.k.a Waydi
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P.P.S. My book, Kismet – For roses to blossom is available locally and on Kindle Unlimited.