The story revolves around the sisterly bond of two girls, of love between cousins, Anjali and Basudha growing up in a Traditional Bengali joint family household, and how far one would go to keep it alive under circumstances that change with time and are beyond anyone's control. Its a story that is rich in details(for which I am a sucker) about their daily life, special days, story telling and a wonderful view of the threshhold of moving from what was, to what we want. The story moves between the narration of the events as seen from Anjali and Basudha's points of view.
The Main Characters of the story are mostly Women, Pishi - the Widowed sister from a generation that has followed the traditional life of a Hindu widow, living in her Brother Bijoy's household; The slightly younger generation of women Nalini, the ever complaining, usually bitter, greedy, lacking in self-esteem therefore superficial, Bijoy's cousin Gopal's wife and Basudha's mother; Gouri, Bijoy's wife and Anjali's mother,the patient, more practical, more resilient, kind, generous, a strong force to be reckoned with . Both women are widowed in an accident, while they were pregnant; Anjali the headstrong, logical, impatient, wanting to defy everything that means tradition, sharp tongued heroine of the story and Basudha, an exact opposite of Anjali, the kind that believes in fantasy, philosophical, thoughtful more quieter of the two. Both girls filled with dreams for the future that has everything that they seemingly lack in their present. Ashok, the one who's love is rejected many times by Basudha though she loves him deeply and Ramesh, Basudha's husband. There is Sunil who marries Anjali and takes her to the US where she begins to be her own person without the shackles of Tradition. There is also a secret that is guarded meticulously by the elders, that Sudha learns, which slowly erodes Sudha's sense of identity and existence, slowly alienating the sisters from one another as they grow into adulthood, leading to a physical and emotional distance after marriage.
I specially enjoyed the joyous part where the two girls are being girls with their pranks, questions and thoughts. It brought back memories of my own girlhood when a part of me was very much like Basudha in wanting to listen to stories from the elders, and another was like Anjali when I questioned things that never made sense and mostly got into trouble for it. I do think Basuda had too much Guilt for something she hadnt done and somehow felt she need to pay for it. Guilt is a bitter pill to swallow, yet in a subtle way, Guilt is also a measure of conscience.
It has the typical cliches that come with being Indian, South Asian- the way women are viewed as bearer's of Tradition and Heir, of forbidden love, parental expectations, dutiful children, martyr wives. etc...She adds them here like spices so that there is a depth of flavor, instead of being that superficial element for a good story. Each of those characters are very human. She draws on the issues that plague most of us in our lives - our ambition, our dreams, our reality that is far from the dream, our regrets, our jealousies, suspicions and our ability to deal with it and move forward in spite of their regrets, flaws and goodness. There is growth too as the story moves, from irrelevant tradition to what the practical need of Now, from the guilt that cripples to the understanding that opens doors, from prisons to breaking free..
I have enjoyed Chitra Divakaruni's books for their depiction of a woman's mind, her heart and the way she deals with what is meted out in life. In a way I am not deviating from what I know, cause what she writes is something I have seen or been through within the framework of my own life. Maybe thats why the stories touch me. While I can listen and empathize with a Man's emotions, I never truly understand its depth but I can fairly say, that most times, I completely understand the woman's emotions. All in all, an enjoyable read. I give it a 4 out of 5.
3 comments:
It sounds interesting Rashmi. Shall have to add it to my reading list.
That statement/observation, in and of itself, makes me interested in this book. Will have to check it out.
Sounds interesting.
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