Letters to Ammi

A young girl traces her mother’s journey through the city of New Delhi, writing letters to her along the way. Every monument holds a memory; every letter tells a story, and Fatima wants nothing more than to show her beloved Ammijaan that she is truly her mother’s daughter. Letters to Ammi by Aftab Yusuf Shaikh, with stunning photographs by Adrija Ghosh and Soumitra Ranade, is a celebration of timeless human relationships. “Soft-flowing and permeated with the disappearing art of letter writing, this beautiful book takes you to a Delhi that does exist in our real world, and yet more often is rather felt in the heart than outside it. A lovely keepsake… a necessary and charming addition to shelves devoted to the world’s great cities.” (Mayank Austen Soofi, blogger at thedelhiwalla.com, and daily columnist on city life for Hindustan Times) “A wonderful, personal peek into the heart of India’s capital through poignant letters that tell stories to bind you.” (Paro Anand, writer, storyteller, and children’s literature activist) “Aftab Yusuf Shaikh’s ‘Letters to Ammi’ are like epistles of life. Shaikh gives us a portrait of the city on each page, ranging from Chandni Chowk’s aroma-filled streets to those of Mehrauli teeming with the past and on to the spiritual world of Nizamuddin Auliya, Jama Masjid and more.” (Ziya Us Salam, Associate Editor, Frontline) “Soft-flowing and permeated with the disappearing art of letter writing, this beautiful book takes you to a Delhi that does exist in our real world, and yet more often is rather felt in the heart than outside it. A lovely keepsake… a necessary and charming addition to shelves devoted to the world’s great cities.” - Mayank Austen Soofi, blogger at thedelhiwalla.com, and daily columnist on city life for Hindustan Times Featured on GetLitt’s list of Best Books of 2019