I especially love books written by Asian writers as they resonate with the culture and surroundings that are close to my heart. Those written by Anita Desai and Arundhati Roy are some of my favourites as they portray the Indian culture, thus reiterating my Hindu background. Manil Suri is no exception.
In India in the year 1955, as the scars of Partition are beginning to heal, 17-year-old Meera sits enraptured: in the spotlight is Dev, singing a song so infused with passion that it arouses in her the first flush of erotic longing. But when Meera's reverie comes true, it does not lead to the fairy-tale marriage she imagined.
Meera has no choice but to obey her in-laws, tolerate Dev's drunken night-time fumblings, even observe the most arduous of Hindu fasts for his longevity. A move to Bombay seems at first like a fresh start, but soon that dream turns to ashes. It is only when their son is born that things change and Meera is ready to unleash the passion she has suppressed for so long.
A heart-wrenching tale of broken dreams and suppression of feelings set in the colourful country of India. Vivid descriptions abound of the sights and smells that the colourful land has to offer. Peppering the novel throughout are the Hindu traditions and anecdotes from famous scriptures like the Ramayana and Mahabharatha.
I found this book to be intricately woven and beautiful in its storyline. Another wondrous book woven by none other than Manil Suri, do read his book the Death of Vishnu which is also written in his individualistic storytelling.
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